COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. (WRIC) — First responders are reminding drivers to slow down and move over, following a close call on the highway in Colonial Heights.
Colonial Heights Fire, EMS and Emergency Management posted on its Facebook page saying a tractor trailer struck a fire truck’s mirror.
The department told 8News that crews responded to a crash scene along I-95 Monday morning.
One of the fire trucks pulled up to the scene with emergency lights on, while trying to block off two lanes.
The driver of a car slammed on their brakes because they weren’t paying attention, said the department.
A tractor trailer then tried to move out of the way, but it hit one of the fire truck’s mirrors.
On July 1, Virginia’s current Move Over law will expand.
If at all possible, drivers will soon be required to move over, or slow down, on the highway for any car parked on the side of the road, regardless of its markings.
The state’s current law only mandates drivers switch lanes or slow down on the highway if they see an emergency or law enforcement vehicle parked on the side of the road.
Lori Massengill with the Virginia Department of Transportation, said ignoring the law can be dangerous.
“We see a law and sometimes it’s not necessarily one that we’re excited about, to move down if we’re in a hurry to go to work or whatever it is, but we really have to remember that someone’s life could be at risk,” she said.
A poll by AAA in 2021 revealed 28% of Virginia drivers believed a “Slow Down, Move Over” law didn’t exist or they were unsure of its existence.
AAA also reported that in Virginia, 28 people were killed in crashes while outside of a disabled car between 2016 and 2020.
“You just need to slow down and be alert. Be cautious, drive safe,” Massengill said. “There’s a lot of things we can’t control, but slowing down and moving over is one.”
