New Hampshire Dad Got a Speeding Ticket on the Way to the Hospital

In the 1964 musical My Fair Lady, one of the songs was “Get Me to the Church on Time”.  In the early morning hours of September 18, 2010, a New Hampshire father, John Coughlin might have been singing a variation of that song, “Get Me to the Hospital on Time”.  His wife, Angela, went into labor and he rushed her to the hospital in Manchester.  Angela’s water broke, the baby started to crown and John started to speed up in order to get to Catholic Medical Center in time for the baby to be born.  His doctor was notified of the urgency of the situation.  Meanwhile, he noticed flashing blue lights in his rear-view mirror.  Then he called 911 to tell the dispatcher about the emergency.  The trooper clocked the Coughlins driving 102 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone on Interstate 293. The dispatcher made the state trooper aware of the situation, and the state trooper then pulled in front, escorting them to Catholic Medical Center.

After arriving at the hospital in Manchester, Kyle Coughlin was born six minutes later.  The state trooper congraduated Coughlin on the birth of his son.  He then issued Conghlin a ticket for speeding well over the 55-mile per hour speed limit.   Coughlin told the ABC Good Morning America interviewer in January, 2011 that he didn’t realized how fast he was driving.  New Hampshire State Police Maj. Russell Conte later said the trooper did the right thing by ticketing Coughlin because he put his wife, unborn child, himself and the public at risk.

The Coughlins appeared in Manchester District Court in early April, 2011.  He faced a $500 fine and the loss of his driver's license.  After a brief trial, Judge Jay Boynton found John Coughlin not guilty, saying the impending birth of his son justified his speed on the 3:30 a.m. trip to Catholic Medical Center in Manchester.
A local TV station conducted a poll on their website asking the question “Should a father who drove 100 mph to the hospital while his wife was in labor have been given a speeding ticket?”  Over 11,000 viewers responded and 55% said he should have been giving a speeding ticket and 45% said no.

A majority of bloggers also felt that driving over 100 mph is extremely dangerous especially in New Hampshire in the winter when temperatures are below freezing and the roads could be icy.  But this occurred in September.  Some bloggers felt they should have called 911 and have let the paramedics deal with the wife in this emergency.

In any event, attorney Mark Stevens of Salem said his clients were relieved the ordeal was over.