Your in a auto accident and injured, wonder what happens to your gun

[Gripgrabber]

Hello, last year my wife and me hit a red light runner. The air bag almost broke her arm, I was not injured. She was taken to hospital in a ambulance and I rode along, in FL no carry at hospitals. What should a person carrying a firearm do? This could happen to anyone. What say you?
Thanks

 

[Big Cholla]

My wife passed out while driving and took out a significant light pole. She was only bruised,(the airbag did a wonderful job) but they took her to the ER in an ambulance as a precaution. Her car was totaled. I got a call from a spectator who was using my wife's cell phone. I called the City Police Dispatch and gave them my retired LEO ID and informed them to notify the ER that my wife was legally carrying her CCW handgun in her purse. They thanked me and told me that they take care of CCW guns all the time now a days. I rushed to the ER and made sure she was OK. I then went looking for her purse with the CCW handgun. The Security Guard in Charge brought the purse to me and showed me the handgun still in place. I volunteered to take the purse and gun out to the Pickup for storage. He said, "No, just keep it with you and in your possession while you are here in the Hospital." He thought the gun was much more safe for everyone in my possession than stored in an un-watched locked Pickup. I was in the Hospital with my wife's purse containing a CCW handgun and my CCW handgun in my front pocket for four more hours and never gave it another thought.

Now, for someone that is not LEO connected, I think the only change is that Hospital Security would just lockup the gun and then 'walk' the gun out to the car with the CCW person when that person was discharged.

But, I have a fellow motorcyclist friend that had to lay down his Harley Touring Bike on a freeway here in LV to avoid a big smash up that occurred right in front of him. He was carrying in a saddle bag. He was banged up pretty bad. When he sent a relative to the Tow Company yard to get his bike, the handgun was gone. They claimed it was not in the bike saddle bag when they took possession of the bike.

Enough stories: In your stated case, I would inform Security immediately on arrival at the ER that I was carrying and what would they like me to do with my CCW handgun. Then follow their directions to the letter. ...........

 

[whataboutbob]

not against the law in FL to carry in hospital;only against hospital policy...just saying....shhh...

 

[Ed Fowler]

I ignore the sign!

 

[hobby-gunsmith]

your in an auto accident and injured, wonder what happens to your gun

In Florida, F.S. 394.458 states that "except as authorized by law" it is a third degree felony for any person to bring, carry , possess, or transport a "firearm or other dangerous weapon" (or alcoholic beverage) upon the grounds of any "hospital"(or mental health facility) providing mental health service. Almost every hospital and hospital emergency room provides mental health services. However, F.S. 790.06(12) lists all the places you can't go with a CWL and "hospitals or mental health facilities" are not on the list. Since the legislatures have refused to change the law despite being brought up several times and there are no court decisions on this area for now, I would urge caution. I would notify the local law enforcement agency and hospital security of the situation and go from there. If you take position of the weapon in the hospital, you are in violation of carrying a concealed weapon on the premises.

Nick

 

[jpage]

As a Paramedic, I wouldn't allow a non-LEO firearm in My ambulance. I would expect PD to take custody of the weapon.

 

[cmansguns]

Happened to me Oct 2014.....16 yr old girl driving a full size F-150 (father evidently in the passenger seat) blew completely through a red light (not turning to red///solid red and I had solid green) and T-boned me right behind the drivers door..drove me across the intersection and into a steel light pole. Cops on the scene very fast, EMT's had to cut away my seat belts and put me on a "backboard". I was having some trouble breathing (steering wheel jammed into chest) but I did ask the LEO and the EMT's if they could retrieve my carry piece and dump it in my briefcase and let it ride with me to the ER. They did so.......and I was very happy a week or so later when visiting the "supposedly locked" scrap yard because just about everything else of value in that Chevy Impala LTZ was missing....and not from the wreck...in my opinion.

At the ER.........no problem as one of the same LEO who was at the scene....came by to take a statement, and had already told ER personnel that it was OK (they had already seen my CCW when looking in my wallet) and that my wife should "sit on it" in the ER until she went home with my stuff.

All in all............I agree with above.....if you are conscious at least notify a LEO on the scene....they are not going to "mess with" your piece, but I believe they are concerned about spectators, tow people, etc.

When I looked in my bag after being discharged I was somewhat surprised to find my 637 empty in 1 pocket, and the 5 rounds in another pocket. Wife didn't do it, so I guess that original LEO did it while moving it to my bag from the wreck.

 

[wingriderz]

As a Paramedic, I wouldn't allow a non-LEO firearm in My ambulance. I would expect PD to take custody of the weapon.

I worked over 25 years EMS had that happen a few times firearm given to Leo to secure or given to hospital security to secure. Not really thar big of deal. Not enough to make a issuse we didn't and wouldn't not allow it to can are focus witch is patient.

 

[Lee's Landing Billy]

I was hit by a fine lady who ran a stop sign. It knocked me off my motorcycle and slung me UNDER a parked bus. EMTs got me to the hospital, I called over the Security guy and handed him my gun. All was well. no issue at all.

 

[Bastogne71]

In Dec 2006, a woman ran a red light and T-Boned us and pinned me in the driver's seat with a fractured pelvis. I remember the responding officer asking if I was armed and where it was. He retrieved it and it was tagged and bagged and kept in their evidence room until several months later when I recovered enought to go retreive it. All they required was valid ID and that I sign a receipt to clear it off their books. Even got back all the ammo!

 

[ken158]

Either I or one of my guys working an accident have taken firearms into "protective custody" on many occasions. As a gun guy, I always treated said weapon as carefully as if it were mine. Never put into property room without wiping it down with oily rag and attaching a tag with a string rather then a wire. Nobody plans on having an accident and ends up taking a gun into a protected area with intent to violate a law.

 

[CQB27]

The outcome will vary from state to state, jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In my neck of the woods if you don't take your pistol/revolver with you and choose to leave it in the car, it will be added to the impound/inventory document and secured in the car. If you requested that the police take custody of it for safekeeping, we would do that, although there is no legal responsibility to do so. We would do it out of compassion/service for the requestor. We do not however take anyone's property without legal justification unless requested to. Even then the evidence technicians cry about having to secure "safe keeping" property. Believe it or not, some folks never come and secure their property and the evidence technicians end up having to add it to the huge inventory of accountable property that has to be inventoried yearly.

In GA, for a weapons permit holder it's not a crime to carry a pistol/revolver into a place with a "No Guns" policy. I personally would conceal it, carry it, and go about my business. As always, YMMV.

 

[michaelt]

I gave mine to a deputy sheriff . He had no idea how to clear it. It was a little Beretta 950 25auto He never seen a tip up barrel . Wife arrived I was only 2 miles from home . She then showed him how to tip up barrel .
When I went down on my bike last year I landed on the none pistol sign . I just kept and gave to EC who gave to my wife. Local hospital wouldn't treat me sent me to UK in Lexington Ky and ER put me in the trauma ward . I kept telling ever one I wasn't really hurt. X rays and tests showed different. Lesson Sometimes you are hurt way more than you believe. Always get checked out To be safe.

 

[S&WIowegan]

Guns in a wreck

Back in the late 90s, a friend rolled and totaled his near new Ford pickup. It was very early AM on a rural road. He had a valid carry permit. His truck cab contained "several" guns which got scattered in and near the ditch. He went to the ER for eval. and minor patching. The deputy sheriff who handled the call strolled into the ER with a bag full of my friend's guns which the deputy had policed up. My friend was free to take them home.

All this proves to me is that where the accident happens is very important. Local attitudes vary dramatically so in practical terms, no answer to your question can be totally valid.

 

[gregintenn]

Your in a auto accident and injured, wonder what happens to your gun

Likely stolen I'd imagine.

 

[HorizontalMike]

This past February I hit my 3rd deer on my Harley (7 ribs, collarbone, shoulder-blade and collapsed lung on day-5, all on left side) in Texas. I was conscious as the EMTs & LEO were assessing my condition. I informed the LEO that I had a CCL and asked if he could "keep" my gun because I was going to be headed to the hospital. The LEO did exactly that (plus my speedloader).

I got my gun back on day 33 after the accident. After all, I had just spent 32 days in the ICU, hospital and VA re-hab center. In other words, I was able to pick up my gun BEFORE my ride got me home. It was kept at the county PD.

Sometimes LEO does things correctly.

 

[Poohgyrr]

I'd expect it to depend on where you are. A guy ran a red light some years ago and T boned my wife. I don't know who, but either the Cops or Fire helped her phone me. When I arrived, Fire brought me her purse with her pistol inside (and ID/CCW/etc). In the few minutes it took me to arrive, my wife was already in shock and unable to answer simple questions.

I was very appreciative of one witness (out of about eight) who saw it happen and stopped to give her statement.

Some places are better than others. Same with people.

But all dogs are pretty much terrific.

 

[kwill1911]

As a Paramedic, I wouldn't allow a non-LEO firearm in My ambulance. I would expect PD to take custody of the weapon.

Why? What is it that worries you about it?

 

[rwrod]

in Colorado

We, we're I work in Colorado it best if some can take it at the scene of the accident. Happens all the the time. If for some reason that doesn't happen it goes downtown as personal property. No real problem but, a inconvenience. The one problem in Colorado is you have to get a background check to get it back. Some departments do that by mail. That can take TWO weeks or more.

 

[Retired Chief]

Horizontal Mike, you need to find a way to keep those deer off your Harley! Deer are notoriously bad bike riders, but perhaps you should shoot them off rather than hitting them. Hitting 'em doesn't seem to be working well.
If, on the other hand, you were on the Harley and hit the deer, I suggest to you that there are much more efficient ways to successfully harvest a deer, and most of them are a LOT less expensive.
Seriously, glad to hear you are alright. Car/deer collisions are bad, motorcycle/deer collisions are almost always worse.