BRICK – Township police are reminding drivers of the Move Over Law after one of their own had a close call.
Officer Williams was conducting a motor vehicle stop recently when a passing vehicle struck his cruiser just before he was getting out.
“Thankfully, despite the extensive damage to the police cruiser, Officer Williams is okay,” Brick police reported. “The driver stopped after the collision and was issued a summons for Improper Passing of an Emergency Vehicle (Move Over Law).”
The Move Over Law states that if an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, with its emergency lights on, drivers should move over a lane if it’s safe to do so. If they can’t move over, they should at least slow down to well below the speed limit before getting near the emergency vehicle, and be prepared to stop if someone comes into the roadway.
The law was inspired by the loss of New Jersey State Trooper Marc Castellano, who was struck and killed while working on Route 195 in 2010.
“Too many emergency personnel get injured or killed while on the side of the road by inattentive drivers,” Brick police stated. “Please keep our emergency workers safe. If you see an emergency vehicle with its lights activate on the side of the road and you fail to move over or significantly slow down as you pass safely, you will receive a summons, and even worse, you might seriously hurt someone.”
