Michigan: 'Move Over Law' protects emergency responders, tow truck drivers, highway workers

A tow truck driver and a St. Joseph County police officer are recovering after being struck Sunday night.

Police say they see close calls all the time, but in this case they're grateful it wasn’t a deadly learning lesson.

WSBT 22 rode along with an officer and the first two cars that passed us on the U.S. 20 bypass did not move over. Corporal Aris Lee he said that's something he's dealt with too often.

Corporal Briana Glueckert was assisting at a crash along U.S. 20 Sunday night when an alleged drunk driver crashed into her.

Not long after that, “a second car came up and struck the tow truck driver while he was outside of his truck,” said Lee.

Luckily, both escaped with their lives, but were injured.

Lee has patrolled those roads for four years. During that time he's had five close calls -- including once where he had to jump onto the hood of his car.

“You feel a car going past you doing 60-70 mph and you look up and that car is probably not even two feet from you," said Lee. "It’s a very scary situation."

The Move Over laws in both Indiana and Michigan have been in place for years -- drivers must slow down or move over whenever they see the lights flashing!

Last week, the state of Michigan expanded that law.

" The previous law only required motorist to use due care and caution when passing emergency responders with lights active," said Sergeant Tim Thompson, Michigan State Police. "The new law requires a 10 mph reduction speed below the posted limit."

It also now protects tow truck drivers and other highway workers who have their emergency lights on.

“Those guys are out there in bad weather and often times they are out there without a police vehicle behind them,” said Thompson.

The Michigan update does reduce the charge from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction. But Thompson says for the law to work, drivers must take responsibility.

“Just because the law exists, doesn’t make the operation safe. We need the motorists to pay attention, slow down and move over,” said Thompson.

The Move Over law in both states now requires drivers to slow down and switch lanes as long as there are no hazards or traffic preventing that.

Again, the change to the Michigan law extends to tow truck drivers and highway workers, along with police, fire, and emergency medical workers.