COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. (WRIC) — One crash investigation spiraled into another on Sunday, when a van veered off of the road along Interstate 95 and hit a Virginia State Police trooper who was pulled over investigating another crash.
Police confirmed the patrol car’s lights were on when it was hit on Sept. 10.
No one involved in this incident was severely injured, but officials are urging people to use this as a reminder of the state’s ‘Move Over’ Law, which requires drivers to change lanes or slow down for stopped vehicles that have their hazards lights on, display road flares or other warning signs.
Janet Brooking with Drive Smart Virginia — a nonprofit organization that spreads awareness about safe driving — said it’s frustrating how often these types of avoidable crashes happen.
“Our law enforcement, particularly, are here to protect us,” Brooking said. “They’re on the side of the road, endangering their lives to protect us every day. And we don’t even have enough respect to to have some situational awareness about the roadway.”
In Sunday’s incident, both the driver of the van and the trooper were treated for minor injuries, but officials said distracted driving can be a major problem. It is unknown at this time exactly what caused the van’s driver to veer off of the road, but Brooking reminded the community — any form of distracted driving is not just dangerous, it’s illegal.
“First of all, it’s common sense to move over and get out of the way when you’ve got emergency vehicles with flashers or hazards on the side of the road,” Brooking said.” Secondly, it’s the law.”
When followed, the law can help create a cushion between at-speed traffic and vulnerable, stationary cars. If a driver sees any vehicle pulled over, they should move to the middle travel lanes — or if doing so safely isn’t possible — they must slow down.
“If the law were followed,” Brooking started. “All of us would be safer.”
According to police, the driver who hit the Virginia State Police trooper was charged with following too closely.
