LATEST TROOPER ACCIDENT PROMPTS WARNING FOR DRIVERS

Police are warning drivers to move over and slow down after four Indiana State troopers were hit within 48 hours. The latest accident happened Thursday in Bloomington on State Road 37 south of 3rd Street. It's yet another reminder that not paying attention can result in pain and penalties.

Trooper John Patrick's cruiser is looking a little worse for wear. The driver's side door is banged in. The side view mirror is barely hanging on and the back end near the gas tank is also damaged along with the trunk.

But Patrick is thankful he was not seriously hurt. "We've had four troopers hit in the last 48 hours. And all of them have walked away from it or at least been okay; have not been hurt seriously," he said.

The crash happened Thursday morning in the southbound lane of State Road 37 near state road 48. Trooper John Patrick spotted a fellow trooper on a traffic stop. "Check to see if the trooper was okay and before we could take off south we were rear-ended by another vehicle and pushed into the median."

On Wednesday, paramedics airlifted Trooper Hank Kalina to Methodist Hospital after getting hit. It happened after Kalina stopped a speeding motorist on I-465 east of Allisonville.

On Tuesday, a tractor trailer driver sideswiped Trooper Gaven Wilson. It happened in Daviess County on US 50. Doctors treated and released Wilson.

Now police want nothing more than for drivers to pay attention."Put down the cell phones, cups of coffee, music and concentrate on what you need to do and that is driving," said Sgt. Ray Poole.

State Law requires every driver to move over when approached stopped emergency or work vehicles. If you can't move over, then you must slow down 20 mph below the posted speed limit.