Car Strikes Firefighter at Fire Scene in Beaufort County, North Carolina

BEAUFORT COUNTY, NC- Witn.com writes that a driver struck and severely injured a firefighter who was working at the scene of a fire this week in Beaufort County.*

The incident took place in the evening when the twenty-year-old victim was working to block traffic on Highway 306 at its intersection with Bergin Road. A woman driving northbound tried to drive around a firetruck and struck the young woman. The victim was brought to the Vidant Medical Center, where her condition is critical. The crash is still under investigation, but police have not yet filed charges against the driver. 

When responders are working on the side of the roadway, North Carolina law dictates that drivers must move over to give those emergency workers space. Pursuant to the state law, drivers must move over a lane to protect emergency responders if the driver is able to do so safely. If it is not possible to move over one lane, the motorist must slow their vehicle down, but maintain a safe speed. 

Responders who work along the side of the road are at great risk of being injured or killed in a crash when motorists are passing by. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the biggest threat to the safety of on-duty police officers.  Tow truck drivers are also on the list of personnel who are protected by law. However, even if the vehicles on the side of the roadway are civilians, drivers should move over to prevent a tragic crash from occurring. Many people die every year in crashes that occur on the side of a highway or high-speed interstate. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:https://www.witn.com/content/news/Pamlico-County-firefighter-hit-by-car-while-responding-to-fire-568554611.html and https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/law-enforcement/state-highway-patrol/laws/move-over-law and https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/leo/default.html