A state trooper is out of the hospital after his patrol car was struck Sunday.
Around 7:45pm, Trooper R.C. Riley, a six year veteran of the Highway Patrol, was sitting inside his vehicle on US70 near LaGrange investigating an earlier collision.
Trooper Riley had one lane of US70 blocked with his patrol car as a wrecker was attempting to remove the earlier wrecked vehicle.
A car driven by Dylan Thomas Smith, 22 of LaGrange, ran into the back of Trooper Riley’s cruiser.
Riley was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Smith was cited for failing to slow or change lanes for an emergency vehicle, also known as the Move Over Law.
Since 1999, more than 164 law enforcement officers across the U.S. have been struck and killed by vehicles. Originally enacted in 2002, the Move Over Law, directs motorists to change lanes or slow down while passing an emergency vehicle with flashing lights. In 2002, the law was revised to include public service vehicles displaying amber lights.
A recent study suggests 71% of drivers are not aware of the Move Over Law.
