A man recently suffered serious injuries on Interstate 55 while he was on the shoulder of the highway.
According to police, the man was driving a pickup hauling a trailer and heading north. He had apparently pulled over to the shoulder of the road and had also left his vehicle, although police did not give any reasons why he did so.
A big rig was in the right lane and got too close to the shoulder, striking both the vehicle and the driver. The wreckage from the collision caused damage to another vehicle; the truck driver who hit the man also subsequently over-corrected and wound up flipping his truck.
The man whom the truck driver hit had to be flown from the scene of the accident, but the police expect the victim to survive.
Police issued a citation at the scene to the truck driver for improper lane use and a Scott’s Law violation.
Scott’s Law is designed to protect rescuers and the public
Scott’s Law requires that motorists who come upon any emergency vehicle, including a police vehicle or tow truck aiding a distressed motorist, to slow down and, when possible, give at least one lane of space.
The State of Illinois passed this law after a firefighter died while working a crash scene; however, the law is not just on the books to protect police, firefighters and other professionals.
Emergency vehicles are generally present when there is a crash or stalled vehicle. In other words, members of the public are also usually present, and Scott’s Law protects them too.
Truckers in particular need to follow Scott’s Law in part because the sheer weight of their vehicles can cause catastrophic damage. In this case, a truck driver’s failure to follow the law led to an injury.
Whether due to fatigue, distracted driving or just inattentiveness, this driver’s carelessness caused someone else to incur medical expenses and, quite possibly, other losses. The driver can be held financially accountable for these costs.
