I agree. He'd been using an inhaler all night without relief. When they decided he should go to the hospital, they should have called for an ambulance. He would have had emergency medications much sooner and without risking others.
Bingo to a reasonable response.
Asthma attacks can be life threatening events. One my first questions to a patient in this situation is "have you ever been incubated for this?" If the answer is yes, kick the treatment into a very aggressive high gear.
Calling EMS is the right response. I actually groaned that the article said the ambulance waited 2 and a half minutes, further delaying getting to the hospital.
When you're in the back of an ALS ambulance, you are in the ER right there on the street. The same front line treatments of inhaled and IV medications are available as well as skilled intubation.
Speeding through red lights could have killed them both as well as uninvolved people. It happens. Calling 911 from their home instead of going out to the car would have brought the hospital to them, more quickly and more safely.