The RAC has come under fire after what it described as “a misunderstanding” following a breakdown in Worcestershire.
RAC member Emma Brownley was rushing her five-week-old baby, Ruben, to hospital with her partner Jake when the car broke down on the A38.
Emma and her baby were rescued by a family member who took them to Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where Ruben was assessed for suspected bronchiolitis. Emma’s father, Peter Brownley, who stayed with the car to deal with the recovery, was told the RAC wouldn’t deal with the breakdown unless Emma was at the roadside.
After much to-ing and fro-ing, the RAC finally agreed to recover the car at 3.45am the following day – some 19 hours after the initial callout.
Peter Brownley told Worcester News: “Being a dad myself, I know the feelings when you can’t get to the hospital.
“It was the way they were like, your daughter is not ill, she should be there, but she has an ill baby. For someone to say that shows a lack of compassion when you’re in exceptional circumstances.
“For them to say that, it really affected me.”
In response, the RAC has given Emma £330 as a gesture of goodwill. A spokesperson for the company said: “We’ve apologised to Emma and her father for their experience when they broke down in an extremely stressful situation.
“We rescue thousands of members every day in all sorts of situations but, in this instance, there was a misunderstanding at our end, which meant we didn’t prioritise her as we should have.
“We’ve agreed a suitable gesture of goodwill and are pleased to say they remain valued members.”
Source: Worcester News