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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- For the first time, the Utah Supreme Court says it is adopting a rule that bars police officers from suing if they get hurt while helping people in distress.
The court ruled in a case involving a state trooper who was hit by a car and seriously injured while helping another motorist.
The trooper, Richard Fordham, wants to sue Ryan Oldroyd, a man whose vehicle slid off an icy highway ramp.
The state Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling and said no. Justices say police officers and firefighters have a relationship with the public that calls on them to confront certain hazards.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
