Sarah Cassi
The Express-Times, Easton, Pa
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. — A fire truck from a Lehigh Valley fire company at a Route 22 crash scene was struck Friday morning by another vehicle.
Luckily, no one was hurt in the secondary crash, and there were only minor injuries in the initial collision, Nancy Run fire officials said.
Fire officials are using the incident as a warning for driver’s to heed the state’s recently beefed-up “Move Over” law.
The fire company in Bethlehem Township said it was called a little before 5 a.m. to a crash with injuries involving a tractor-trailer and a car on Route 22 East.
The Nancy Run fire truck was used as a “blocking vehicle” in the right lane of the highway, to protect the emergency responders and people involved in the crash.
Right before crews were set to clear the scene, a vehicle struck the fire truck, damaging the driver’s side panel and bumper.
“Fortunately, this incident was minor and no one was hurt. However, many injury accidents are reported across the country between stationary fire apparatus and vehicles on the highways,” the fire company posted on Facebook.
State law, previously known as the “Steer Clear” law and rebranded this year as the “Move Over” law, requires drivers to move over on roads for all emergency responders, including police, firefighters, EMS, tow trucks, PennDOT personnel and roadside assistance vehicles.
If a driver can’t safely change lanes, they must slow down to no more than 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
After crashes persisted, including a tow truck driver struck and killed in July while offering assistance on Interstate 78 in Berks County, the state legislature added more teeth to the law.
Now, law’s fines are $500 for the first offense and up to $2,000 for a third offense, and a violation adds two points to a person’s driving record.
___
(c)2020 The Express-Times, Easton, Pa.