January 06, 2022
On December 23, 2021, at approximately 8:45 AM Pacific Time, a Trooper with the Nevada State Police, Highway Patrol Division, was investigating a weather-related crash on Interstate 80 near mile marker 209 in Humboldt County. This location is approximately 35 miles east of Winnemucca. The Trooper’s patrol vehicle (Ford F150 truck) was parked on the shoulder with its emergency lights on when it was struck by a pickup truck. The driver lost control of the pickup because it was traveling too fast for the icy road conditions. Fortunately, the Trooper was away from his vehicle at the time and the driver of the pickup was not injured.
Another recent incident took place on December 27, 2021, at approximately 7:35 PM Pacific Time, when a Trooper was investigating several weather-related crashes on I80 near mile marker 226 in Lander County, approximately 5 miles west of Battle Mountain. The Trooper was inside his patrol vehicle (Ford Explorer SUV) while it was parked on the shoulder with its emergency lights on. A commercial motor vehicle (CMV) was driving too fast for the snowy conditions and failed to slow down or move over into the adjacent lane. The CMV crossed over the white fog line and side-swiped the patrol vehicle, causing major damage. The Trooper sustained injuries and was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and released later that night.
Both crashes were preventable had the drivers reduced their vehicle speeds, and in the second crash, had the driver moved over. The Nevada Highway Patrol would like to remind everyone that moving over and decreasing speed is not only the safe and courteous thing to do, but also the law.
NRS 484B.607 identifies the duties of a driver when approaching illuminated emergency vehicles, which includes police, fire, ambulance, department of transportation, construction, tow, and even passenger vehicles with their hazard lights on. NRS 484B.600 identifies how a driver must drive at a rate of speed that is reasonable for the conditions, regardless of the posted speed limit. According to the Emergency Responder Safety Institute’s Fatality Report for 2021, nationwide, 28 law enforcement officers were struck and killed by.
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