In the hustle and bustle of our every day lives, we often get caught up; distracted by any and every little thing around us. We are all guilty of using our cell phones while driving, or screaming down the road with other things on our mind, wishing we could get to our destination just a little bit faster.
We just want to get there, where ever that might be.
August 31st marks a sad anniversary: The untimely passing of Minnesota State Trooper, Corporal Theodore Joseph “Ted” Foss.
Trooper Foss was killed 17 years ago on a routine traffic stop. While walking back to his car on the shoulder of the road, a semi trailer collided with the back of his squad car, drove over him, and struck the car he had pulled over. Trooper Foss was killed, and the occupants of the stopped car were injured also.
As a result, the Ted Foss Move Over Law was passed in Minnesota. This law requires that, on a road with two or more lanes moving in the same direction, a driver must move over one full lane to make room for stopped emergency vehicles (with their lights activated). This law does not pertain solely to law enforcement vehicles, but for ambulance, fire, maintenance, and construction vehicles as well, and also for tow trucks. Basically, the law states that if lights are flashing from the rooftop, and it is stopped on the side of the road, move over and give them some space.
There are, of course, instances where you can’t move over due to traffic. When this happens, hit the brakes and slow down. To date in 2017, seven State Patrol squad cars have been struck while parked, and three state troopers have been injured.
