After two Brentwood police cars were struck while stopped on the side of I-65, the Brentwood Police Department is reminding drivers to move over when emergency vehicles are stopped on the side of the road or when they are blocking traffic.
The Brentwood Police Department shared the video above of Officer Seth Young’s patrol car being hit and totaled on I-65. Officer Young’s car was stopped on I-65 south near mile marker 72 last Friday night. He was assisting Officer Destin Legieza who had called for assistance. Both officers were aiding a driver who had a flat tire. The disabled car was parked against the center dividing wall.
The officers blocked the lane closest to the center retaining wall to allow for a safe work zone and called a wrecker for the disabled vehicle. Both patrol vehicles were parked behind the disabled vehicle with emergency lights activated. Officer Young’s vehicle was unoccupied and was parked several car lengths behind Officer Legieza’ s vehicle.
The force of the crash pushed Officer Young’s patrol vehicle into the rear and side of Officer Legieza’s vehicle. Fortunately neither officer was injured. The owner of the disabled vehicle was transported to Maury Regional Medical Center, but was not seriously injured. The driver of the vehicle which struck the patrol cars suffered minor injuries and was arrested at the scene by THP.
The Brentwood PD wrote on Facebook: “Thankfully our officers went home unscathed. We can replace cars, but we can’t replace lives.”
What is the Move Over Law?
The “Move Over Law,” which passed in 2006, is a part of the “Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicles Law” and requires motorists to move over into the adjacent lane of traffic, when safe to do so, or alternatively to slow down for emergency vehicles. In 2011, the law was expanded to include utility service equipment to the list of vehicles for which motorists are required to either slow down or move over.
