ISP Fail

[LionWeight]

Ok So I'm on my way home from work monday morning from Chicago on 94 east. This clown almost side swipes me, I power brake and he keeps going into the passing lane and onto the shoulder and almost runs into the wall. He goes on for about a mile and almost side swipes a semi trailer. He over corrects again and back to the wall. I dial 911 and get transfered twice before they get me to IN state police. I'm on the phone with dispatch and she tells me there are no cars in the area and can I follow until she does. At that moment he almost runs a van off the road so I say sure. I gave her the plate number, color and description. I stay on the phone and hear her tell the officer the info. They keep tabs on where we are, the patrol car is coming up behind us. This guy almost sideswipes a fuel tanker. We are about 5 miles past 65 when he asks if I can turn my hazards on so he can find us. I comply and hear him tell dispatch he's about a mile behind. When this guy sees my hazards come on he takes off and starts cutting in and out of traffic. I let the operator know and back off, I'm not a cop, not trying to be and don't want to cause an accident. The cop pulls past and I think cool this guy is gonna be off the road. NOPE. Cop pulls past and then pulls over. I stop in front and he pulls up and asks is it the gold car? I heard him acknowledge the info that it was red and the plate number. I tell him no it's red and he's cutting in and out now trying to get away. He pulls off with lights on and I pull back on the freeway. I see him pulling a car over just before Michigan City, Yes it took that long. As I pass him I tell the dispatcher that he has the wrong vehicle. She says "I know" it's the wrong plate number. Then she tells me he lost sight of him. WTH?????

My turn off was I-65. I didn't mind following and letting them know where he was. This guy had a total of 5 near miss accidents, was all over from the dividing wall to the middle of the middle lane. If he didn't monday morning, I'm stunned he didn't have an accident. He was driving between 55 and above 80. When I turned my flashers on he started cutting people off. I can't believe they couldn't get this guy. How do you pull the wrong car over? I gave them the plate number. From just inside the IN border with IL to Michigan City. WOW

 

[kjf40]

wow....they could have had cops come down multiple off ramps, to bad he got away.

Cudo's to you for helping out though!

 

[Kutnupe14]

call taker and dispatcher are one in the same? Odd

 

[LionWeight]

call taker and dispatcher are one in the same? Odd

I could hear the woman I was talking to talking on the radio to the patrol car.

 

[schafe]

......... How do you pull the wrong car over? I gave them the plate number.........

I know it happens. I was the victim of mistaken identity in my younger years. I found myself looking down the barrel of an ISP .45. And when it was finally discovered that I was not who they thought I was, the word "sorry" did not cross their lips. It was, as they say, a learning experience.

 

[churchmouse]

Had the same issue east bound out of Terre Haute behind a car full of thugs sucking on a joint and drinking from a bottle all the way to Indy. They were all over the road. Called 911 several times, went past 2 troopers in construction zones and no response...at all...System is broken fellas. Not the troopers fault, they are ran by puppeteers.

 

[terrehautian]

On a trip back from a New Orleans mission trip, got behind a driver driving erratically on I-70 between exit 11 and 7 in Terre Haute. I called 911 and it rang and rang. The guy sitting next to me called also and got no response. They apparently called him back a few hours later. They called me back 12 hours later. My response, "yes I called 911 about an erratic driver on I-70 at 1am but pretty sure they are not driving now".

 

[fullmetaljesus]

 

[NapalmFTW]

Out here in Lake County the dispatchers are the call takers for the most part until we get this new great (purple) consolidated 911 centre. Stupid idea.

Anyway, I had occasion to call 911 on an erratic/road raged driver the other week. I called 911 got through to Griffith, but I needed Highland, so she transferred me, fair enough. The call gets transferred according to which cell tower it hits so no problem there.

I tell the call taker all the details, where I am, where he is, where he's headed, make/model/colour (no plates) who's driving it what he's doing. She says something like ok thank you. Phone gets put down.

I have a scanner in my car so I was waiting for the call to go out... Nada. I call back when the guy turns onto US41 from 45th and get Munster, I ask Munster to xfer me back to Highland. I tell Highland where the guy turned into and that he was following someone aggresively and I thought it was about to go down.

Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero.

Maybe its just Highland but I know Schererville respond to calls like that and they really love it when people stay in touch with the offending vehicle. Nothing sucks more than to be told of a DUI/erratic driver and the AP is no longer behind/following or whatever.

The experience made me not want to bother calling driving complaints in any more.

 

[Hoosierdood]

Out here in Lake County the dispatchers are the call takers for the most part until we get this new great (purple) consolidated 911 centre. Stupid idea.

Anyway, I had occasion to call 911 on an erratic/road raged driver the other week. I called 911 got through to Griffith, but I needed Highland, so she transferred me, fair enough. The call gets transferred according to which cell tower it hits so no problem there.

I tell the call taker all the details, where I am, where he is, where he's headed, make/model/colour (no plates) who's driving it what he's doing. She says something like ok thank you. Phone gets put down.

I have a scanner in my car so I was waiting for the call to go out... Nada. I call back when the guy turns onto US41 from 45th and get Munster, I ask Munster to xfer me back to Highland. I tell Highland where the guy turned into and that he was following someone aggresively and I thought it was about to go down.

Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero.

Maybe its just Highland but I know Schererville respond to calls like that and they really love it when people stay in touch with the offending vehicle. Nothing sucks more than to be told of a DUI/erratic driver and the AP is no longer behind/following or whatever.

The experience made me not want to bother calling driving complaints in any more.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that it was illegal to have a police scanner in your vehicle. Guess I'll have to look that one up.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

what kind of money do dispatch workers make? I want that job, sounds interesting.

 

[LtScott14]

Do the ISP Troopers carry 45 acps now? G17s were standard, replacing G22s a few years back. Scanner legality is a good question, thought it was a B Misdemeanor unless it is a licensed radio dealer, or emergency responder.(EMT, Fire/Rescue). When our guys were off duty, most carried a portable radio, (before all the cell phones popped up)and would contact County if assistance was needed. Did use one on a couple accident calls with injuries. The radios are suppose to be getting centralized to eliminate this fiasco of 5 depts. The op attempted to do the right thing, and has my respect for" hanging in there" through the mess. Idiot drivers are abound. Road rage happens all the time, not getting better. Caution.

 

[Randrayla]

You can have a scanner in your car if you have an amateur radio license.

I really don't have much interest in amateur radio but I studied and got my license so I could scan while mobile legally.

ETA: http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/2010/title35/ar44/ch3.html IC 35-44-3-12

 

[fullmetaljesus]

You can have a scanner in your car if you have an amateur radio license.

I really don't have much interest in amateur radio but I studied and got my license so I could scan while mobile legally.

ETA: Indiana Code 35-44-3 IC 35-44-3-12

As a radio guy, this makes me sad.

 

[Mackey]

I'm thinking that it's be very difficult for the ISP to pull over vehicles on demand. While you are clear on exactly who you think needs to be stopped, I'm thinking that the ISP don't care too aweful much about your particular concerns. They must field a large number of such calls and they'd be crazy to jump to every one like the sky was falling down. As in your case, I'm sure the vast majority of time, nothing bad happens. I know you assume he was impaired. Well, maybe he was just an innatentive asss.

 

[strahd71]

had a situation similar up in Michigan while we were staying up there. called 911 the dispatcher kept on the line and asked us to stay with the vehicle if we could. that was no problem it took them a bit to get there but they got him, it felt good.

but its hard to compare the michigan state police are pretty much Nazi's

jake

 

[Randrayla]

As a radio guy, this makes me sad.

Sad that you cant scan while mobile or sad that I'm not into amateur radio?

Honestly I do enjoying learning about all of the aspects of radio, I'm just not a big talker. I tend to be quiet in my daily life so talking on the radio would be a bit strange for me.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Sad that you cant scan while mobile or sad that I'm not into amateur radio?

Honestly I do enjoying learning about all of the aspects of radio, I'm just not a big talker. I tend to be quiet in my daily life so talking on the radio would be a bit strange for me.

I can scan mobile, I've been a ham for 2 years, a radio guy for 4 or 5. Sad that you don't get into the awesome hobby of Ham radio. I don't talk a lot on the radio, but I love to listen and chime in when ever the chat sparks my interest.

 

[Boost Lee]

Interesting story.

I have to say, you did more than enough by trying to help, but you'r absolutely right - No reason to risk your life.

+1

 

[Kutnupe14]

what kind of money do dispatch workers make? I want that job, sounds interesting.

They make good money $40K plus