Emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks should always be prioritized. We should proactively make way for their uninterrupted passage. The officials who are in charge of regulating traffic flow always ensure this. Recently, a video from Kerala’s Thrissur showed the sheer dedication of a female police officer who chose to sprint ahead of an ambulance to clear a crowded junction and make it pass. These visuals were reportedly captured by the ambulance crew and later shared online. It soon went viral. A later investigation, however, revealed that the ambulance wasn’t carrying anyone at the time of the incident. This caused the driver trouble, and he was fined for using a phone while driving.
The video, shared on the official handle of Kerala police, starts by showing Aparna Lavakumar, Thrissur City Women's Station House Officer (SHO), running after an ambulance as it wades through traffic at a busy junction. Soon she sprinted ahead of the vehicle and cleared the way for it.
The video shows her running to the vehicle in front of the emergency vehicle and asking them to pull over and make way for it. The ambulance, with its emergency sirens turned on, follows her and gets out of the clogged junction soon.
The SHO was travelling in a Pink police vehicle when she spotted the ambulance almost stuck at the clogged junction. That’s when she decided to step out and clear the way.
The entire incident was filmed by the ambulance crew. Initially, it was the driver who was seen handling the phone. Later, the co-driver took over.
Recollecting the incident, Aparna said ‘What I did is what any member of the police force would do. This is part of our duty.' She joined the Kerala Police in 2002 and has had an impressive service record.
The video soon racked up views online. People started showering congratulatory comments. Everyone seems to be impressed by the sheer dedication of the officer.
In an investigation that followed, it came to light that the ambulance wasn’t carrying any patient when the incident happened. The clip that went viral also showed the driver filming. Taking the same into consideration, the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) issued a fine of Rs 250.
A report says that the ambulance and its driver were both taken into custody soon after the incident. The driver, Faisal, at first, refused to accept that he used the phone while driving. He even said that the siren was switched off at the time of the incident and argued that the sound of the siren in the video was added later.
The ambulance driver should have ideally informed the SHO that the vehicle had no patient inside and was not in a hurry. He did not do so. This, according to the officials, is a serious fault of the driver.
Six years after she joined the force, Aparna created headlines, by giving off her Gold bangles to a family to release the body of a deceased woman. She was then serving as a woman constable at the Ollur Police Station. The family was too broke and did not have enough money to pay off hospital bills and take the body home.
The constable was kind and took off her bangle and gave it off. She was soon in the news for her kind and thoughtful act. In 2019, Aparna donated her hair to make wigs for cancer patients, while serving as a Senior Civil Police Officer at the Thrissur Rural Women's Police Station. This too gathered massive appreciation from the public.