RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia State trooper injured when a vehicle hit him on an icy patch of Route 288 in Chesterfield last February said he can expect a lifetime of pain. Trooper Jonathan Glasscock suffered serious injuries and a woman was killed when they were hit while standing in the median near Lucks Lane following an earlier crash.
Glasscock retold his scary story Friday as law enforcement and emergency workers gathered to talk about the importance of drivers moving over a lane to give first responders and others who work on the highway room to do their jobs.
June is Move Over Awareness Month and Friday kicked off a campaign to air a public service announcements in movie theaters around Richmond.
The 30-second special public service announcement (PSA) features members of Hanover County Fire and EMS, Henrico County Police, New Kent County Sheriff’s Office, New Kent County Fire and EMS, VDOT, Virginia State Police and AAA Mid-Atlantic reminding motorists to comply with the state’s Move Over law.
The PSA is running in the pre-show before each feature presentation during the entire month of June in the following theaters: The Bow Tie Movieland at Boulevard Square (Richmond), Carmike Ovation (Midlothian), Regal Short Pump Stadium 14 (Henrico), Regal Southpark Mall 16 (Colonial Heights), and Regal Virginia Center Stadium 20 (Glen Allen).
Virginia's Move Over Law impacts more than just police, firefighters and EMS. In 2010, the law was expanded to include tow truck drivers and highway workers who display yellow or amber flashing lights.
"AAA alone conducts close to 225,000 rescues each year that also require vehicle tows. Not only does slowing down and moving over give emergency personnel, towers, and highway workers more room, it also protects motorists who are stranded and not often in a safe spot of their choosing, but rather wherever their vehicle failed them," Martha Mitchell Meade, Manager Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said. "With distracted driving crashes on the rise and a major concern for all motorists, it makes more sense than ever to respect and protect anyone who is in danger by virtue of the fact that they are on the side of the roadway."
For Trooper Glasscock, who remains off the job and on disability, it all comes down to one thing.
"Imagine that person you're about to pass is your child," Trooper Glasscock said. "How slow would you want that person to go for your child?"
