COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper was injured after a semitrailer struck the back of his patrol vehicle on Interstate 70 in Madison County early Tuesday morning.
OSHP says the trooper was providing traffic control due to a vehicle fire on I-70 in West Jefferson around 2:30 a.m. when the driver of an International commercial truck reportedly failed to move over and struck the rear of the cruiser. The patrol cruiser had its emergency lights on at the time.
The trooper was taken to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center with minor injuries, according to OSHP. The driver of the truck was uninjured.
OSHP reminds motorists to help keep everyone safe by moving over when they see a stationary public safety vehicle, emergency vehicle, road service or highway maintenance vehicle on the side of the road with flashing or rotating lights.
“It's a problem, not just for troopers but all law enforcement, fire and EMS, public service workers such as ODOT or tow truck drivers. Across Ohio every year we have officers, tow truck drivers, roadside worker that are being struck by people who are not moving over and slowing down through construction zones or emergency scenes,” said OSHP Lt. Nathan Dennis.
This is the fifth OSHP cruiser struck this year through the end of May. Here's a look at previous years:
- 2018: 8
- 2019: 14
- 2020: 15
- 2021: 8
- 2022: 11