Idaho State Police remind drivers to move over and slow down after a trooper was nearly hit by a passing car while attending to a flat tire.
An Idaho State Police trooper was injured Wednesday while assisting a motorist with a flat tire when he was forced to quickly jump back to avoid being hit and went over a concrete barrier, according to a news release from ISP. The injured trooper, who was assisting a driver on eastbound Interstate 84 near S. Ten Mile road, was wearing a yellow safety vest.
“If a trooper or a stranded motorist or someone that we pulled over on a traffic stop get hit by a vehicle going that fast, there could be severe consequences," Idaho State Police Sergeant Curt Sproat said.
The patrol car was parked behind the other vehicle with emergency lights on, according to ISP. Police report one vehicle began to slow before passing the patrol car, but was then hit by another car and caused a chain reaction of four vehicles. Two pickups involved in the chain were pushed left and sideswiped the parked patrol car.
"Traffic stops are very high risk. They're necessary to keep people safe on the road and to help those stranded, but we need motorists' help so we can all go home at night," said Idaho State Police Sgt. Brandalyn Crapo in a statement. "Slowing down and moving over for emergency vehicles and workers isn't just a courtesy, it's the law. Drivers need to be alert to emergency lights and vehicles and always alert to what's happening around them. That keeps all of us safe."
Traffic lanes were blocked on eastbound I-84 for around 90 minutes while officials cleared the scene.
"We want to go home at the end of our shifts to our families," Sproat said. "Both people survived, the trooper and the driver, but it's a reminder and everybody in this community to move over as they see emergency vehicles.”
Idaho's Slow Down, Move Over law, which requires drivers to slow down, change lanes or both when passing police, emergency vehicles, tow trucks or highway incident response vehicles stopped on the roadway.
Thursday morning Idaho State Police had more troopers out to bring more awareness to this law and during a two-hour period — 29 people were given violations for not moving over to vehicles on the side of the road.
