Maryland State Trooper seriously injured by tractor trailer truck

In yet another violation of the “move over law,” a Maryland State Trooper has been seriously injured while on duty. The accident occurred along Interstate 70 in June however authorities have just recently released the dash camera video of the incident in hopes of educating the public about the dangers of not obeying this relatively new law. The Maryland State Trooper was seriously injured in the accident, which according to the video could have been much worse.

The trooper had pulled over another vehicle and was talking to the driver of that vehicle when a tractor trailer truck swerved onto the side of the road and side-swiped the trooper’s patrol car that was behind the stopped vehicle. The tractor trailer then pinned the trooper against the driver’s side of the vehicle he had stopped. The frightening video shows the trooper able to stumble over to the guardrail before he collapsed.

Maryland’s move over law, which is similar to other laws around the country, was passed in May of 2010 and became effective October first that same year. According to Maryland’s DOT website, the law requires all motorists to move over one lane when an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road if at all possible. If a driver cannot safely move over to allow a safety lane for the emergency vehicle and its occupant, drivers are required to slow down or they could face a ticket and fines.

Violations of this law can result in an $80 fine and one point for a first offense, or a $120 fine and three points if the violation results in an accident. Other reports of the incident indicated the truck driver in this accident was cited for violating the move over law. The state trooper is said to be recovering from the several serious injuries he suffered in the accident however, doctors are unsure if the man will ever be able to use his right arm again or if he will be able to return to his job as a state trooper.

When a person is injured through the negligent driving of another, that driver can be held accountable for damages caused by his or her actions. In this case the state trooper may decide to file a personal injury claim to recover medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and future lost earnings, which may be especially important if his injuries are shown to be permanent and he is unable to return to his former employment.

Source: NECN, “Maryland trooper hit by tractor trailer caught on dash cam,” Sept. 7, 2012

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