Police say too many drivers aren't obeying the law that says motorists must move over one lane for police officers who have stopped on the side of the road. So, they are backing a bill that would increase penalties for failing to comply with it.
Dayton Police Officer Byron Branch was seriously injured last year when he was alongside the road and a driver hit his car, slamming it into Branch.
“I lost my right leg. I had a fractured rib. I had a laceration that was probably five inches wide and three inches deep on my right hip that needed to heal. I’ve got 15 fractures and my teeth, my two front teeth are fake- they are still missing.”
Currently, failure to move over is a minor misdemeanor. But the bi-partisan bill Branch and officers are supporting would increase it to a higher level misdemeanor if the motorist's actions result in injury or death.
Copyright 2017 The Statehouse News Bureau
