Sec. 18-66.1. Emergency vehicles exempt from regulations in
certain emergencies; exceptions and additional
requirements.[221]
(a) The operator of (1) any police vehicle operated by or
under the direction of a police officer in the chase or apprehension
of violators of the law or persons charged with or
suspected of any such violation, (2) any vehicle used for the
purpose of fighting fire, including publicly owned state forest
warden vehicles, when traveling in response to a fire alarm
or emergency call, (3) any vehicle owned by a political subdivision
of the commonwealth for rescue purposes, when
traveling in response to a fire alarm or an emergency call, or
(4) any ambulance or rescue or life-saving vehicle designed
or utilized for the principal purposes of supplying resuscitation
or emergency relief where human life is endangered,
whether such vehicle is publicly owned or operated by a nonprofit
corporation or association, when such vehicle is being
used in the performance of public services, and when such
vehicle is operated under emergency conditions, may, without
subjecting himself to criminal prosecution:
(1) Proceed past red signal, light, stop sign or device
indicating moving traffic shall stop if the speed and movement
of the vehicle is reduced and controlled so that it can pass
a signal, light or device with due regard to the safety of
persons and property.
(2) Park or stand, notwithstanding the provisions of this
chapter.
(3) Disregard regulations governing a direction of movement
of vehicles turning in specified directions so long as the
operator does not endanger life or property.
(4) Pass or overtake, with due regard to the safety of
persons and property, another vehicle at any intersection.
(b) These exemptions, hereinbefore granted to such a moving
vehicle, shall apply only when the operator of such vehicle
displays a flashing, blinking or alternating red light and
sounds a siren, exhaust whistle or air horn designed to give
automatically intermittent signals, as may be reasonably necessary,
and, only when there is in force and effect for such
vehicle standard automobile liability insurance covering injury
or death to any person in the sum of at least fifty thousand
dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person
in any one accident and, subject to the limit for one person,
to a limit of three hundred thousand dollars because of bodily
injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident,
and to a limit of five thousand dollars because of injury to or
destruction of property of others in any one accident. Such
exemptions shall not, however, protect the operator of any
such vehicle from criminal prosecution for conduct constituting
reckless disregard of the safety of persons and property. Nothing
in this section shall be construed to release the operator
of any such vehicle from civil liability for failure to use reasonable
care in such operation.
