The first time you ding your car, it’s fair to blame it on an unseen hazard. The second time, maybe you could pin it on a faulty rearview mirror. But the third time it happens, maybe it´s best to take a look at your driving skills and admit the fault might lie with you.
For one North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper, his issue was with his squad car being hit by drunk drivers. A recent incident, shared on Facebook, marked the third time in three years that his vehicle had been in the swerving line of a DUI, this time almost involving him, too.
It was while performing a regular traffic stop that the trooper and his car became the target of another drunk driver. As he opened his driver’s side door, another motorist failed to see him, didn´t move over, and struck his door.
Pushing the Limit
Thankfully, the trooper was unharmed in the incident. But it was a close call, and yet another war wound for his poor patrol car.
The driver blew a 0.201, which is significantly over the limit. They admitted to texting while driving and not seeing the trooper opening their door onto the road.
The boozy racer admitted that they weren´t paying attention while they were driving because, as well as drinking behind the wheel, they were also texting at the time. They face charges of driving under the influence, with an open container, failure to maintain lane, and no insurance.
The post on the North Dakota Highway Patrol Facebook page stated that this was the fifth DUI arrest the driver had earned in 10 years. Who keeps letting these repeat drink drivers behind the wheel?
Fool Me Three Times, Shame on Both of Us
Of course, getting hit by a drunk driver is clearly the drinker’s fault, but three times is quite remarkable. It’s clear that North Dakota has a drink driving problem, but this particular trooper always being in the firing line does suggest something.
Opening a door onto a busy highway, highway trooper or not, deserves some caution. Nobody does something like that without checking over their shoulder for bikes or stray cars. Having had his car crunched by drunk drivers three times does suggest that the trooper may not be paying quite enough attention while in the firing line of cross-eyed motorists.
It is a blessing that despite the trooper having their patrol car hit three times by drunk drivers and almost being harmed themselves, they have never been injured. Hopefully, they take more care in the future, and it stays that way.