A Good Samaritan claims he was slapped with a £155 parking fine after he waited for an ambulance with an elderly woman who had broken her hip.
Alastair Kelly, from the Isle of Wight, was on his lunch break when he noticed the pensioner who had taken a fall and hurt herself.
After calling for an ambulance and waiting with the woman – who he described as partially blind – Mr Kelly returned to his vehicle to discover a parking ticket.
The 45-year-old warehouse manager had parked outside M&S in Cowes to buy a sandwich for his lunch during his break on June 15.
He said he feels ‘frustrated’ that he received a penalty for doing a good deed and said he didn’t understand how he could still be fined after explaining the circumstances to the parking company.
Mr Kelly explained how he immediately stopped to help the woman when she fell as he has first aid training.
He described the woman as ‘partially blind and in her nineties’ and he thought she had broken her hip.
Mr Kelly appealed the ticket and was confident the circumstances would exempt him from the fine given by parking company Euro Car Parks.
He explained how Euro Car Parks website specifies the grounds for appeal and said one of them was an ‘extreme circumstance’ which prevented a driver from returning to their car.
‘I thought that’s bang on’, Mr Kelly said.
He then supplied the company with call logs to show he was providing medical assistance and waiting for an ambulance, but he was shocked to be told they would be rejecting his appeal.
As he did not pay the initial £50 fine, it has now been increased to £155.
Mr Kelly said: I just want to raise awareness about this. It’s extremely unfair.
‘The actual event itself in dealing with [a] first aid crisis is very stressful, then to have this on top is even worse.
‘When I called 999, they specifically told me to stay with the patient. I couldn’t just say to the lady, “Do you mind just waiting while I go move my car?” ‘
Mr Kelly, who has since paid the fine, said he spoke to a local councillor about challenging the ticket in court but was advised it would cost more than the fine itself.
Euro Car Parks has been contacted for comment.
