Tennessee: Highway workers urge motorists to move over after T-DOT employee killed
A state agency is mourning the death of one of its own after an employee was killed in a crash.State investigators said a tractor trailer hit a Tennessee Department of Transportation truck on Interstate 40 just outside Nashville.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said one of its trucks pulled over to repair a flat tire. As they were waiting on another truck to arrive, a tractor trailer veered off the right side of the road, killing a T-DOT employee and injuring three others. The driver of the tractor trailer was also injured.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said, the driver clearly violated the state’s Move Over Law
Owner of C &K Auto Sales and towing company, Wesley Johnson works on dangerous roads every day, towing vehicles from the interstate and trying to avoid motorists who sometimes do not move over.
“I would say every single time we go out… someone does not move over,” said Johnson.
Johnson said close calls happen far too often when he is working on busy roadways.
“There have actually been times when I’ve climbed up under the truck bed…or beside of the truck, just because someone swerved over.”
Tennessee passed the Move Over Law in 2006, which requires motorists to move over, not just for police but any crew on the side of the road.
Lt. Rick Garrison with Tennessee Highway Patrol said the law applies to every driver in every state.
“You have to move over for ambulances, wreckers, service trucks, such as cable companies, electric companies… if they are set up with their equipment and their The penalty for violating the Move Over Law in Tennessee is a maximum of 500 dollars and up to 30 days in jail.
“Bottom line is, we want to go home at the end of our shift,” said Lt. Garrison. “That’s one thing that keeps us safe. We’ve got our guns; we’ve got our vests…. but those blue lights, they save our lives too.”
For Wesley, he considers himself lucky that so far he has been safe. But has a simple message for anyone who gets behind the wheel.
“We’re there working, doing our job, and if you see flashing lights…just move over in the other lane or slow down at a safe speed.”
Tennessee’s government website shows Sullivan County is the second highest in the state for move over violations. The first is Knox County.
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