HIGHWAY PATROL TO ANNOUNCE "OPERATION MOVE OVER"

During the week of October 18-24, 2004, the Highway Patrol will be conducting “Operation Move Over” statewide. Troopers will be enforcing all traffic laws; however, they will be focusing their efforts on motorists who fail to obey the “Move Over” law that requires motorists to reduce their speed and move over into the lane that is not the lane nearest to an emergency vehicle.

Two Troopers were struck and killed by commercial motor vehicles as they had violators stopped on the side of I-40 in Western North Carolina. Both commercial motor vehicles failed to move over.

During the past two years 55 Troopers have been struck by motorists on our state’s highways, of those, 26 were injured.

A press event will be held on October 18, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. in front of the Kerr Scott Building on the State Fair grounds. Bryan Beatty, Secretary of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, and Colonel Fletcher Clay, Commander of the Highway Patrol, will speak at the event. Trooper Anthony Digiovanni, who was struck on I-95 in Johnston County this past Memorial Day weekend, will be present at the event and available for interviews. Trooper Digiovanni’s car will be on display at the Kerr Scott Building during the State Fair to draw attention to the importance of this new law for the safety of first responders and the public.

For further information please call First Sergeant Clendenin at 919-733-5027.