State Trooper's Car Struck by Box Truck in Madison County, North Carolina (SC)

MADISON COUNTY, NC- My40.tv writes that a police vehicle was struck by a box truck this week on Interstate 26 in the early afternoon. The incident led to lane closures while crews worked to clear the scene.*

Reports indicate that the officer had initiated a traffic stop, and was inside of the car when the collision took place. The truck also collided with a median wall and then ignited. The driver was able to escape the burning truck. The car that the officer had stopped was not involved in the crash. The officer and the truck driver both suffered injuries. Responders transported the victims to the Mission Hospital in Asheville. The crash is still under investigation. 

Move over laws are designed to protect officers and others when they pull over to the side of the road. If a driver sees cars on the side of the roadway, North Carolina law dictates that the motorist must move over to give those responders space and reduce the risk of a crash. In cases where it is not possible for individuals to pull over, they are still required to slow down significantly to reduce the chances of a collision and the risk of injuries or death. 

In 2019, North Carolina increased the penalties for motorists who violate the move over law in an effort to save lives. Starting in December of 2019, drivers who do not slow their cars or move over when approaching emergency vehicles could face prison time if someone is injured or killed. 

The increased penalties were made in response to a tragic crash in which a police officer who was investigating an accident scene was struck and killed. 

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 a 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:

http://my40.tv/news/local/portion-of-i-26-closed-in-madison-county-due-to-crash-detour-information-here

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/north-carolina-approves-tougher-penalty-for-move-over-law-violations/275-0825a1c2-5391-4d8d-b11d-6b9179770eda

https://wpde.com/news/local/today-harsher-penalties-for-violating-north-carolinas-move-over-law-in-effect?fbclid=IwAR1H-uIS2QgKMeZrg08rIzP9AfacTrax5G7gaTgylSLn1-LoLR1HSYuyync