INJURED VIRGINA TROOPER HELPS KICK OFF HIGHWAY 'MOVE OVER' EFFORT

Virginia State Police Trooper Kristopher Chapman is reminded everyday how critical it is for drivers to steer clear of officers and rescue workers stopped along Virginia’s highways. Now, he is helping to insure that drivers entering the commonwealth know it’s their duty by law to do so.

Chapman nearly died Feb 2 after he was struck by a drunken driver while conducting a roadside stop in Smyth County.

On Wednesday, the trooper joined fellow law enforcement officials from around the commonwealth and John Marshall, the Virginia secretary of public safety, for the unveiling of three new signs intended to remind drivers that they are required by state law to slow down and move over when they see police or rescue vehicles ahead.

The signs will appear along Interstates 81 and 77 where traffic enters Virginia from Tennessee, North Carolina and West Virginia. While the signs are new, the Move Over law has been on the books in Virginia for six years. Out of 40 states with a Move Over law, Virginia’s is among the harshest. Violators face a $2,500 fine and up to a year in jail.

Despite the serious punishment, authorities say many motorists still fail to move over, possibly because they take for granted how potentially serious of a threat they are to others, Chapman said. "A vehicle also at 2,000 some odd pounds can be used as a weapon very easily. Everyone gets in a car and moves out to their day-to-day lives, but nobody thinks of that car as being a potential weapon," he said.

Marshall said the law also helps protect drivers. "The vast majority of the time when a trooper is stopped on the side of the highway, a citizen either broke down on the side of the road or was involved in a crash or someone received a traffic stop. Ultimately, by keeping the cars off the police vehicle, we’re also making it safer for the citizens," he said.

Chapman is still recovering from the crash and was seated in a wheelchair when he pulled the sheet away to reveal the new signs at the Virginia Welcome Center on Interstate 81 in Bristol. Although he’ll likely continue to use the wheelchair for several more weeks, his recovery has stunned family and colleagues, many of whom were at the Wednesday news conference.

"Six weeks ago, we didn’t know where we would be," Chapman’s wife Susan said. "This is a godsend and a blessing, especially for our kids." Chapman has been rehabilitating with a physical therapist and plans to return to his job as soon as he’s able. Helping reveal the new signs that he hopes will keep his co-workers safe was a first step.

"Mentally and emotionally to me, I’m in good spirits," he said. "If it keeps one person from even getting a scratch on them, I’ll do whatever it takes."