Missouri: Close Call Reminds Drivers to Move Over

A normal traffic stop Monday was anything but for a Missouri State Highway Patrolman when his car was sideswiped by a tractor trailer. It happened on Highway 13 near Bolivar.

"As he was just seated in his vehicle, his patrol vehicle was sideswiped by a tractor trailer truck that failed to move over. a few more inches, and it could've caused a collision with the truck and car itself," said Sgt. Jason Pace of the MSHP.

"A few seconds earlier and it could've been tragedy. If it hadn't been a glancing blow it could've been tragedy, fortunately it was just a sideswipe," said Sgt. Jake Angle of the MSHP.

In this case, the patrolman wasn't injured. Angle says this is an important reminder to drivers of Missouri's Move Over Law.

"It's for the safety of officers out there on the roadway whether we're talking about highway patrol, city department, anybody," said Angle.

And it doesn't just apply to law enforcement. When drivers see flashing lights from ambulances, fire department vehicles, and even MoDOT workers, they need to move over.

"It's people out there trying to do their job on a day to day basis," said Angle.

Angle says another way to motivate drivers to move over is the fine, which can vary.

"The judges of the county set the fine, and the fine for the Move Over Law can be pretty stiff," said Angle.

Unfortunately, Jennifer Sampietro's late husband was struck and killed in 2005 by a car that didn't move over.

"It never goes away. You can pull up everything, the day, everything in a second. And I do that everyday," said Sampietro.

Sampietro says moving over is something simple that can save lives.

"There's no reason for it. These cars have lights on them. There's no reason why people can't just slow down and move over. It's not worth it and it affects so many different lives," said Sampietro.

The driver of the tractor trailer that sideswiped the patrolman's car was issued a citation and the car will likely be considered totaled.