DRIVERS IN CHARLOTTE IGNORE LAW AND ENDANGER ROADSIDE WORKERS

Drivers in Charlotte are putting emergency workers in danger and risking hundreds of dollars in fines, Channel 9 Eyewitness News learned on Tuesday night.

A news crew saw firsthand how close drivers on I-85 came to hitting a first responder with the Incident Management Assistance Patrol (IMAP) who had stopped to help a stranded motorist change a tire.

Some cars came within inches of Ron Pharr, a supervisor with IMAP, as he knelt between the lane of traffic and a stranded vehicle.

Pharr said he never turns his back to oncoming traffic.

IMAP asked Channel 9 Eyewitness News to accompany one of its trucks to see the danger and report on the devastating effects of violating the law-- on both workers and drivers.

Pharr said many drivers do not realize that the "move over" law applies to IMAP as well as to police, fire, and medic.

The law requires drivers to move over one lane when approaching an emergency vehicle stopped on or beside the road.

Drivers who cannot move over because of heavy traffic must at least slow down.

Anyone who violates the law can be fined $250 and assessed two driver's license points.