An Iowa police officer is expected to be okay after a patrol vehicle was struck while the officer was working along the interstate. The crash is now serving as a pretty dramatic reminder that flashing lights on the side of the highway aren’t something drivers should ignore.
According to the Ames Police Department, the officer suffered injuries when another driver struck the patrol vehicle. Police didn’t provide additional details about those injuries, but said the officer is expected to recover.
The driver accused of causing the crash didn’t simply leave with a ticket, either. Police say the individual was arrested and charged with Failure to Change Lane Upon Approach to an Emergency Stationary Vehicle Causing Injury.
It’s easy to treat “slow down and move over” like another sign you pass on the highway. When a patrol vehicle ends up looking like this, and an officer gets hurt, though, it’s pretty clear why those few seconds of extra caution matter.
Ames Officer Injured While Working Along Interstate
The Ames Police Department says its officer was working on the interstate when the patrol vehicle was hit. Exactly what the officer was doing immediately before the collision wasn’t detailed in the department’s post.
Police also didn’t identify the driver accused of causing the crash. However, the department confirmed that the driver was arrested afterward for allegedly failing to change lanes when approaching the stationary emergency vehicle, resulting in injury.
Fortunately, the officer is expected to be okay. Police used the incident to remind drivers that officers aren’t the only people who depend on motorists paying attention when passing vehicles along the shoulder.
Firefighters, EMS personnel, tow truck operators, construction crews, highway workers, and others routinely work only feet away from moving traffic. As Ames Police put it, “One moment of inattention can change everything.”
Roadside Workers Know Exactly How Dangerous This Can Be
The comments quickly filled with people who have apparently experienced that danger themselves. One construction worker described traffic flying past work zones with little more than cones separating workers from vehicles, adding that the wind and vibration can sometimes be strong enough to nearly knock someone over.
Another commenter offered a pretty striking description of highway patrol work. After jokingly dismissing chasing armed suspects and dealing with angry crowds as the scariest parts of policing, they described sitting alongside freeway traffic as considerably more frightening because of the “2 ton missiles” flying past.
Others shared similar experiences from jobs that require working alongside traffic. One mobile mechanic recalled having close calls with drivers who wouldn’t move over, while another commenter said drivers should extend the same courtesy to any stationary vehicle on the shoulder — not only police cars.
Some also believed the patrol vehicle itself may have prevented a considerably worse outcome. One person noted that police sometimes position their cruisers as protection during roadside stops and argued that, in this case, the damaged vehicle may have saved the officer’s life.
“Material things can be replaced, lives cannot,” they wrote.