Earlier this month in Laurel, Maryland, a Maryland State Trooper was seriously injured when he was struck by a passing motorist as he was conducting a traffic stop. According to one local news source, the accident occurred during the afternoon rush hour on Wednesday, July 9.
Evidently, the State Trooper had pulled over a Ford that he believed had invalid license plates. The Ford pulled over on the side of Interstate 95, between Routes 175 and 32. As the Trooper was approaching the vehicle, a Mercury traveling down I-95 left its lane of travel and struck the Trooper’s vehicle.
Once struck by the Mercury, the Trooper’s vehicle then struck the Ford, which struck the Trooper and sent him over the guardrail. The Trooper was flown to University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore. The driver of the Mercury and the Ford were also taken to a nearby hospital and are expected to fully recover from their injuries.
While police have not yet issued any citations in relation to the serious accident, they did indicate to reporters that the Trooper’s emergency overhead lights were on as he conducted the traffic stop.
Maryland’s “Move Over” Law
Back in 2010, Governor O’Malley signed Maryland’s first version of a “Move Over” law, which requires passing motorists to move over one lane, if possible, for emergency vehicles that are on the side of the road. The vehicles that are included under the move over law were originally:
- Law enforcement vehicles,
- Fire trucks,
- Ambulances, and
- Other state vehicles conducting official state business, such as clean-up crews.
Just last year, the law was expanded to cover tow-truck drivers as well.
The seriousness of the offense depends on whether an accident was involved. For example, for a first offense with no accident involved, the fine is $110. However, if an accident involving serious injury or death is involved, the fine increases to $750.
In addition to any ticket that may be issued to a motorist, an accident victim who is injured by a motorist’s failure to “move over” may seek financial compensation for their injuries from the negligent driver. To learn more about Maryland car accidents, contact a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney.
Have You Been Injured in a Maryland Highway Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured in a serious or fatal accident in Maryland, and you believe that the accident was caused by the negligence of another driver, you may be entitled to monetary damages. These cases, however, have the potential to be extremely complex due to the myriad nuances in Maryland accident law. Therefore, it is advised that anyone considering filing a lawsuit against another driver consult with one of the skilled personal injury advocates at the Maryland law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers. Call 410-654-3600 today to set up a free consultation with a dedicated personal injury attorney.
More Blog Posts:
Underage Drinking May Be Responsible for North Potomac Crash that Claimed Two Teens’ Lives, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published July 2, 2015.
Car Struck and Cut in Half By Amtrak Train, No Fatalities, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published June 10, 2015.