Can police ignore accidents if they're off duty?

[AlaskanSuperduty]

I was driving to lunch today from a garage I was working on going into town. It's on a good stretch of road, probably about ten or so miles until the Richardson highway. Anyway, about two miles from the garage I was working on, a police officer pulled out of a road, probably starting his shift, who knows, but he wasn't wearing a uniform, and it was a Fairbanks Police car. Anyway, he pulls out after I drive by him, and he catches up, so we're all doing about 55-60, no biggie. About 4 miles later, I come around a corner and there's a red Mazda Protege that's flipped over on its side on the right side of the road, the windshield had pealed away from the car and the driver was walking to a truck that had pulled up to help out. Normally, I would have pulled over to help, but I know the police officer was behind me, so I switch into the left lane (it turned into a four lane road), and passed slowly knowing full well the police would stop to offer assistance. I look in my rear view mirror, and he just drives by! I couldn't believe it, I just glared at him in my rear view mirror (he couldn't see me, but it made me feel better). Now I'm regretting not stopping to offer any assistance, but what concerns me more is the police, even off duty, not stopping for something that obviously requires police attention. Sorry for the rant, I guess I'm just venting. I did drive by on my way back to the garage, and the car was being loaded onto a flatbed, so I'm hoping everyone was okay.

 

[Boadie]

It may of been just a mechanic or the guy in charge of cleaning or something.

 

[AlaskanSuperduty]

That thought crossed my mind, as well, but I remember that on that street he pulled out of, there is a cop that lives on that road (I worked on a house up that road a few years ago and I saw a cruiser parked in the driveway almost every day that I drove by).

 

[silverF250]

I don't know if they have to stop or not but I do know that they are never off duty. I play golf with a couple of the local cops and I asked them why they are always packing heat and they told me we have to, because as a cop they're always on duty. You would think that he would have stopped, but I guess he was to busy.

 

[Sawboy]

I seem to remember here in Chicago that an off duty cop got killed while trying to help in a situation. He left a wife and two or three young kids. Because he got killed "off duty" the city would not cover his funeral, nor give the death benefits to his family that they were entitled to. Went to court for a few years and there was an "agreement" made.

So before passing judgement, and saying things like he was too busy, it might be the same kind of situation there as well.

 

[Maxtor]

Many years ago when I was a cop, I was off duty going home and stopped at a store. I was in uniform. A guy came up to me and told me that he just saw a car crash about a 1/4 mile away from the store. I went to the scene of the accident and rendered help to the accident victims.
When you are a cop, you are always on duty.
No I did not carry a gun when off duty, but many of my colleagues did.

 

[silverF250]

Yeah I'm not trying to pass judgement on anybody. He may have had a perfectly good excuse for not stopping I don't know, but he was driving a cruiser, it wasn't his personal car.

Besides I said he may have been busy not lazy.

 

[Dogman]

I know here in Florida that they are required to stop and give help even if there Off duty. Untill a on duty cop shows up.

 

[Sawboy]

.........

 

[Sawboy]

Besides I said he may have been busy not lazy.

I never said that you said he was lazy..........