AUGUSTA — In the wake of six state police cruisers being struck by motorists over the last six weeks, state troopers are beefing up enforcement of the state’s “move over” law.
State law requires drivers to slow down and give emergency responders room while they are stopped along highways with lights flashing.
Three cruisers were struck last week, and another three in December, according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland.
“This is serious. When you see a police officer stopped along the road with their emergency lights on — it’s time to slow down and move over to give them room to work,” said State Police Col. Robert Williams.
Cruisers were damaged in Portland, Brewer and north of Lincoln last week, with the troopers stopped along the Interstate with their emergency lights on in each case. Three similar crashes involving troopers took place during December, in York, Manchester and Sanford. Four troopers were injured in the crashes.
Monday night, 40 vehicles were stopped in the Portland area in two hours as part of the campaign, McCausland said. Three other troopers were monitoring traffic while another handled the traffic stop. Forty summonses were issued, including 11 for not moving over.
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- A Trooper was slightly injured last week when her cruiser was struck from behind on Interstate 295 in Portland, just south of Tukey’s Bridge. Trooper Jessica Shorey was treated and released from Maine Medical Center for neck and back pain. She was seated in her cruiser when it was struck by another car, which lost control on the slippery road. The Trooper was parked in the southbound breakdown lane at the site of two other cars, that had earlier slid off the road.
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