Massachusetts Police Searching For Driver Who Sideswiped, Injured Lieutenant

I've said it once and I'll say it again: Move over.

A Massachusetts State Police lieutenant is recovering after the driver of a tractor-trailer failed to move over and sideswiped not only a police cruiser, but also the lieutenant himself, who was outside the vehicle.

MSP shared details of the incident Wednesday afternoon and said the lieutenant was stopped along 495 north in Hopkinton Wednesday morning around 10:30, checking on a tractor trailer that was stopped along the side of the road. Despite seeing that there were vehicles stopped on the side of the road, an oncoming tractor-trailer continued along the route in the far right lane and never stopped, even after sideswiping the lieutenant and the cruiser.

The lieutenant, who has remained unnamed at this time, suffered injuries to his arms and hands and was transported to UMass Medical Center in Worcester for treatment.

Get our free mobile app

Police were able to obtain dash cam video of the tractor trailer at fault from the tractor trailer stopped along the shoulder, which shows the vehicle passing with a blue cab and a white trailer. MSP said they believe the truck's make is a Freightliner and the model year may be somewhere between 1998 and 2001. The trailer may have some minor damage or white paint on its passenger side from the collision.

Anyone who may have information about the incident should call Massachusetts State Police's Charlton Barracks at 508-721-4040.

Massachusetts' Move Over Law went into effect in 2009, but day in and day out, I still see drivers coming dangerously close to stopped emergency vehicles along Massachusetts roads and highways. Luckily, it does not seem like the lieutenant in Wednesday morning's incident sustained major injuries, but that's not always the case.

Slow down. Be vigilant. Move over.