After Trooper Hurt In I-95 Crash, Leaders Talk 'Move Over' Law

FAIRFIELD, CT — Less than two weeks after a state trooper was seriously hurt in a Fairfield crash, officials came together in an effort to raise awareness about Connecticut's "Move Over" law.

"I ask you, I beg you, I implore you — set an example for others," Fairfield Fire Chief Denis McCarthy said in an appeal to area highway drivers.

Under the law, drivers who encounter a stopped emergency vehicle on a highway are required to slow down and, if they are traveling in a lane adjacent to the vehicle, move over one lane as long as it is safe to do so. The law was approved in 2009, but Connecticut State Police Sgt. Robert Derry said many drivers who are stopped for "Move Over" violations aren't aware that it exists. AAA reports 71 percent of Americans don't know about "Move Over" laws, even though every state has one.

Law enforcement hoped to improve public awareness with Wednesday's news conference at the Capt. Joseph Elias Fire Training Center in Fairfield. The event was held after Trooper Gregory Sawicki was injured while assisting a disabled vehicle in the early morning hours of June 16 south of Exit 22 on Interstate 95 northbound. A vehicle in the left lane veered into the left shoulder, hitting Sawicki's cruiser, which was then pushed into the vehicle he was assisting. Sawicki and the driver of the vehicle that initiated the crash both had to be extricated by the Fairfield Fire Department. In addition to Sawicki's serious injuries, three others suffered minor injuries.

Sawicki has left the hospital and is recuperating at home, Derry said. He is expected to eventually return to work. The investigation of the crash is ongoing.

I-95 and Merritt Parkway are among the most dangerous environments for first responders, according to McCarthy, who said that more responders are killed annually by vehicle incidents than anything else.

Breaking the "Move Over" law can result in a $181 fine, according to Derry, with fines up to $2,500 if the infraction causes injuries and up to $10,000 if the violation results in a fatality.

"We will take a zero tolerance look at this," Derry said.

Derry also noted that summer is the busiest traffic season in Connecticut. Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau said drivers should obey the law and use common sense to avoid injuring first responders.

"We need to protect them," he said. "We owe them that."