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Dad-To-Be Wins Speeding Ticket Fight

MANCHESTER, N.H. (CBS) - A Londonderry man who was hit with a speeding ticket after rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital was found not guilty Monday afternoon.

State Police cited John Coughlin of after he was clocked driving 102 miles an hour in a 55 mph zone September 18.

WBZ-TV's Sera Congi reports.

When police tried to pull Coughlin over, he called 911 and told officers that his wife's water broke and was later escorted to the hospital. A tape of the 911 call was played in court on Monday.

"It just brings me back to that night, and no one knows what it was like in that car except us. We did what we thought we had to do," said Angela Coughlin.

His wife gave birth to a boy six minutes after they arrived.

Troopers then gave him a speeding ticket. He faced a $500 fine and could have lost his license for a month.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports.

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"Life and death, delivering a baby, certainly outweighs getting a speeding ticket, and that was the argument," said Mark Stevens, the defense attorney.

Even though the judge cleared Coughlin, he did admonish him for driving so fast.

"I'm just relieved. I'm glad to put it behind us. I'm glad the people...saw our side of it, not just breaking the law," said John Coughlin.

A State Police spokesman said they respected the judge's decision.

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