WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – Michigan State Police have released BWC and dashcam footage of a tractor-trailer plowing through a crash scene on slippery ice after failing to move over in time.
Video from the Dec.12 incident shows troopers in safety gear and cruisers with emergency lights flashing parked on the leftmost lanes on a highway. Suddenly, the officers can be seen running to climb over the highway barrier.
Dash camera then shows a truck barreling through the scene, sending the cruisers sliding across multiple highway lanes.
No serious injuries resulted from the crash, and the tractor-trailer driver was arrested for reckless driving, according to the video release.
MSP included the video release in an announcement of the launch of an education campaign focused on reminding drivers to move over, in partnership with Wayne County police agencies, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the National Sheriff’s Association.
The initiative comes as MSP continues to see patrol cars struck by drivers on a weekly basis, according to the post. In 2024, the department lost Trooper Joel Popp and Motor Carrier Officer Daniel Kerstetter when they were struck by passing vehicles while on duty.
Michigan’s Move Over Law requires drivers to move over one lane and reduce their speed by at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit when approaching emergency vehicles with flashing lights. This includes police, fire, EMS, tow trucks, construction vehicles and roadway assistance vehicles, according to the post. If moving over is unsafe, drivers must slow down by at least 10 mph and pass with caution.
“When in doubt, move over,” MSP urges.
While it is not legally required, MSP also encourages drivers to extend the same courtesy to other motorists stopped on the side of the road to ensure everyone’s safety.
