Franklin, TN – This was the scene on I-65 near Moore’s Lane this morning after a passing motorist plowed into a Franklin Police car conducting a roadside DUI investigation.
This morning at approximately 4:00 am Officers stopped a suspected DUI driver on I-65 near Moore’s Lane. Arresting officers were preparing to transport the DUI suspect to jail when a passer-by slammed into one of the three Franklin Police cars on the shoulder. Thankfully, the heavily damaged squad car was unoccupied at the time of impact, and amazingly no one was injured. The Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to investigate this crash, and the driver who caused it was cited for Violation of the “Move Over Law.”
Tennessee’s “Move Over Law” requires motorists to move over into an adjacent lane on the approach of emergency vehicles (and others) on the side of the road. The law, designed to protect police officers, firefighters, and other emergency personnel and utility workers, was passed in 2006. Violators are subject to a fine of up to $500 and 30 days in jail.
According to preliminary statistics from The Department of Safety, this is the 34th crash involving a roadside emergency vehicle, this year in Tennessee, where the “Move Over law” was simply disregarded.
