On the above date and time, an ISP squad car was parked on the right shoulder of Interstate 280 eastbound near milepost 13.5, with the emergency lights activated, stopped to assist another motorist. The trooper was sitting inside the squad when it was sideswiped by a truck-tractor semi-trailer. The truck did not stop after the impact and continued eastbound on I-280. The trooper’s squad car was drivable and able to follow the truck, initiating a traffic stop near milepost 15. No injuries were reported. The driver of the truck-tractor semi-trailer, 65-year-old Mark V. Powell of Columbus, OH., was issued a citation for the Move Over Law – Failure to Yield to Stationary Emergency Vehicle.
In 2022, ISP had 23 Move Over Law-related crashes where eight troopers sustained injuries. In 2023, ISP had 21 Move Over Law-related crashes; 2024, ISP has suffered 11 to date. ISP reminds the public that the Move Over Law requires all drivers to move over when approaching an emergency vehicle, or any vehicle with their emergency or hazard lights activated.
A person who violates the Move Over Law, commits a business offense and faces a fine of no less than $250 or more than $10,000 for a first offense. If the violation results in injury to another person, the violator’s driver’s license will be suspended for a mandatory period of anywhere between six months and two years. Additional information can be found at the following link: https://isp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/340d57cd956c453da2de25af804c268d.
03/13/24 ISP Troop 2 Squad Car
All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
