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Karen Scullin ReportingA close call for a motorist and a highway patrol trooper as a semi-truck sideswipes them along I-15 near Cedar City. The accident, which was caught on the trooper's dashboard camera, highlights the need for motorists to be cautious when passing by vehicles stopped on the side of the road.
The anxiety of getting pulled over for speeding was nothing compared to what was about to happen. It was a sudden and strong sideswipe by a passing semi-truck. The driver --covered in shattered glass--was shocked and scared.
When Trooper Larry Orton sat down to take a look at his dash-cam video he knew he was very lucky.
Trooper Larry Orton, Utah Highway Patrol: “I was glad i approached the car on the right hand side, and not the left side. If I'd been standing on the left side of the car that truck would have hit me, and at the very least I would have received some very serious injuries and probably would have been killed."
The little red car pulled over on the side of the road was totaled, the entire left side smashed. The trooper's car was also damaged. Orton says it should be a big reminder to slow down and be very cautious when there are vehicles stopped on the side of the highway. And obey Utah's new "move over law" which, when possible, requires drivers to pull into the next lane, away from emergency vehicles assisting motorists.
Trooper Larry Orton: “Just be extra careful. We like to go home at night. We've got families we want to be with and things we want to do. It's scary enough without having somebody come that close to you."
The recent winter weather has especially brought out a lot of emergency vehicles that are out helping accident victims get their cars to the side of the road, or assisting for other reasons. In any case, the Utah Highway Patrol says just slow down and be careful.
