CIRCLEVILLE –A trooper was transported by air helicopter around 8 am this morning when during a traffic stop was hit by a semi driver that failed to move over for emergency vehicles. This was the headline last month when a semi truck driver didn’t move over and hit the troopers stationary car during a traffic stop.
As construction season gets underway, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio State Highway Patrol urge motorists to Move Over when you see a stationary public safety vehicle, emergency vehicle, road service or highway maintenance vehicle on the side of the road with flashing or rotating lights. From 2014-2018, Ohio State Highway Patrol cruisers were involved in 56 crashes that appear to be related to the Move Over law. These crashes resulted in the deaths of two civilians, and 29 civilians and 50 officers were injured.
“With the start of road construction season, drivers should be alert and ready to move over for first responders and road workers,” said Governor DeWine. “Motorists have a responsibility to drive safely, and that includes giving law enforcement and road crews room to work.”
In 2018, troopers wrote 6,039 citations for violating the Move Over law, 59 percent more than in 2017. From 2014 to 2018, the Patrol has recorded 18,127 Move Over violation citations.
Ohio law requires all drivers to move over to an adjacent lane when approaching any vehicle with flashing or rotating lights parked on the roadside. If moving over is not possible due to traffic or weather conditions, or because a second lane does not exist, motorists should slow down and proceed with caution. The Move Over law now exists in all 50 states.
Alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in 29 percent of move over crashes, while wet roads or those covered in snow or ice accounted for 59 percent.
“As a driver, when you move over, you are doing your part to help protect the lives of everyone who works on or uses our roadways,” said Lieutenant Steven K. Herron, Circleville Post Commander. “Every Move Over crash is preventable. So moving over isn’t just the law; it’s the right thing to do.”
