In this particular instance not many people will likely shed a tear for the man who was pronounced dead after he reached the hospital seven minutes later than he should have. But imagine for a moment if this hadn't been someone suspected of shooting a cop. Imagine instead that the person was actually innocent, or perhaps that the person being transported was a little girl who had been found unconscious in a swimming pool?
There is also some talk that emergency vehicles should be exempt, but how safe can it actually be for any vehicle to simply shut down in the middle of traffic. Imagine if this had happened at a railroad crossing, and the vehicle were a school bus, or van on the way to summercamp?
This is not to say there should not be any emissions standards for vehicles, but it seems awfully dangerous to impede the operation of a vehicle.
