Local news report: A truck plowed into two police vehicles that were working a wreck on I-24 this morning. The officers were LUCKY! Both were treated and released. The Tennessee State Trooper was in his SUV when it was hit... photo #1 below.









Sorry, photos cut and paste from news app (no web link)

I have been on the receiving end of this. We had a single car into the right hand guardrail accident about 6 years ago. I was driving the rig and stopped and blocked the shoulder and right lane to protect the scene with the truck. I got out of the truck and went to the first compartment to grab my coat and helmet (never drive a fire truck with turnout cost) and some jackass decided to try to skip the line of traffic and pull right by the truck taking my jacket with him on his mirror.
My helmet ended up in his back window. He was arrested when state PD arrived.

Another reason I love the Ford Explorer police SUVs. They are designed to absorb a 75mph rear-impact and allow survivability.

When I have the opportunity to stop people for violating this, I write them. Every time.

Tennessee law requires you move over OR if you just can't, due to traffic or whatever, to slow to 45% of the speed IIRC. So about 30 MPH on the interstate. At first it was just for LEO but I believe they have expanded it to Ambulances and Wreckers etc.

When the law first went into effect the THP did some stings to educate...

One Trooper parked on shoulder all lit up... three more waiting ~1/4 mile up the road pulling over the violators, but I have not seen or heard of this being done in years. The traffic reporters on the radio would warn of it going on in their reports, but it seems maybe they need to do this more often.

Sometimes I can't move over, traffic in the next lane doesn't always give you a hole, but if that's the case I always slow way down. That of course, pisses off the driver behind me but my attitude there is "tough shit, I'm not going to endanger a cop or amber lamps guy."

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
Another reason I love the Ford Explorer police SUVs. They are designed to absorb a 75mph rear-impact and allow survivability.

When I have the opportunity to stop people for violating this, I write them. Every time.

It is absolutely amazing how well it did. I don't think a 4runner would be so lucky.

What are the odds the truck driver wasn't paying attention?

Be it a radio, smart phone, GPS, flat screen tv. Whatever, it kills more and more people every year.

People are stupid, stupid, stupid. 3/4 of ‘em should not be on the road. I dealt with this constantly when I was a paramedic. It drove me nuts.

I tell people all the time, they probably pay more attention pushing a shopping cart than they do driving a vehicle. The texting while driving has gotten to the point where you can look around at other drivers and see half of them texting away as you drive down the road.

The Interceptor SUV has been a complete home run for Ford; this is just another accolade to throw on the pile. I am very happy to be in one.

The THP vehicle looks well off the road. I take it the impact pushed it there?

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
Tennessee law requires you move over OR if you just can't, due to traffic or whatever, to slow to 45% of the speed IIRC. So about 30 MPH on the interstate. At first it was just for LEO but I believe they have expanded it to Ambulances and Wreckers etc...

TN Code 55-8-132 doesn't say how much you have to slow down if it's unsafe to move over or if you are on a two lane road. It applies to emergency vehicles, utility vehicles, and TDOT vehicles with flashing lights. As of 7/1/2017 it applies to any motor vehicle stopped on the side of the road that has its hazard lights on.

I only looked it up because because reducing speed to 45% of posted speed limit seemed odd. Florida's law says move over if safe or reduce speed to 20mph less than posted speed or 5mph, which ever is greater.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Sometimes I can't move over, traffic in the next lane doesn't always give you a hole, but if that's the case I always slow way down. That of course, pisses off the driver behind me but my attitude there is "tough shit, I'm not going to endanger a cop or amber lamps guy."

That's fine in Florida. If it's a 2-lane highway, or if you can't move over, you are supposed to slow down to 20 below the posted limit.

I got clipped by a mirror one night on a traffic stop.... Jumped back in the patrol car and ran the guy who tagged me down. Turns out he was three times over the limit, DWI, lucky for me his mirror caught my portable radio on my left hip and only the radio got damaged.

Blue lights attract drivers like bugs to a bug zapper.

Everyone is so busy Lucy-looking instead of driving!!!grrrrrrrr

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MikeinNC,

I had maybe a half a dozen close calls and two that resulted in damage to my vehicle. One was a sideswipe that took out the left side of my patrol car AFTER I had jumped over the hood with 1/2 second to spare. That was a drunk.

The other was a fatigued driver , possible asleep, who ran into the rear of my Crown Vic at 55 or 65 mph. I was training a new Trooper and she sustained serious back injuries. Ended her career!

We were always too lenient with these idiots here in Montana. I would work other Troopers scenes and stop only the really fast drivers....going by at 60 or 70 mph. Write them a Reckeless. NEVER lost any that went to Court.

Yup the same law in VA... we will also stage mock TS to stop folks and have a chat with them.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
I only looked it up because because reducing speed to 45% of posted speed limit seemed odd. Florida's law says move over if safe or reduce speed to 20mph less than posted speed or 5mph, which ever is greater.

Thanks for the clarification / correction.

Apparently my memory isn't what I remember it to be.

I almost got zapped on a traffic stop a couple weeks had lean into the door to avoid the pain. After getting a Grand Prix shoved up my butt a couple years ago working an accident I try the passenger side approach everytime I can.

In NE the state statute specifically states you cannot have a selective or mock TS to snag up move over violators. Dumb if you ask me.

quote:

Originally posted by 357fuzz:
I almost got zapped on a traffic stop a couple weeks had lean into the door to avoid the pain. After getting a Grand Prix shoved up my butt a couple years ago working an accident I try the passenger side approach everytime I can.

In NE the state statute specifically states you cannot have a selective or mock TS to snag up move over violators. Dumb if you ask me.

Anytime I’d back up another officer on a stop on a multi-lane highway, I’d look for one to go after as they were wrapping up their stop. Unless one came too close before.

There was never, ever, a shortage of opportunities.

Then the first officer would back me on my new traffic stop, and do the same. We called it “leapfrogging”. Tried to do it every few weeks when I was on patrol.

The hardest decision was when to pull out into traffic to go after one, without being hit by the next jackass going 70mph+.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:

quote:

Originally posted by 357fuzz:
I almost got zapped on a traffic stop a couple weeks had lean into the door to avoid the pain. After getting a Grand Prix shoved up my butt a couple years ago working an accident I try the passenger side approach everytime I can.

In NE the state statute specifically states you cannot have a selective or mock TS to snag up move over violators. Dumb if you ask me.

Anytime I’d back up another officer on a stop on a multi-lane highway, I’d look for one to go after as they were wrapping up their stop. Unless one came too close before.

There was never, ever, a shortage of opportunities.

Then the first officer would back me on my new traffic stop, and do the same. We called it “leapfrogging”. Tried to do it every few weeks when I was on patrol.

The hardest decision was when to pull out into traffic to go after one, without being hit by the next jackass going 70mph+.

Absolutely. Says nothing about your cover Officer. But, you are right. Sometimes had to weigh the decision to pull out and get a violator and play Frogger with th other morons. Sometimes the best decision was to cuss at them under your breath or, if possible, get a plate and pay a visit later.