Cpl. Twanna Moore was responding to an emergency call when another driver failed to yield to her lights and sirens, colliding with her.
Meanwhile, Cpl. Bill Vincent was conducting an escort when an inattentive driver nearly struck him and then struck another officer, Cpl. Dena West.
Fortunately, neither Cpls. Moore, Vincent nor West were seriously injured. Each year, dozens of officers are involved in crashes -- some that occurred when officers were "running hot" to an emergency. It doesn’t happen a lot, but such mishaps can be avoided.
According to state laws, drivers are required to move to the right hand lane or shoulder. They also should slow down and stop if it’s safe to do so.
Shreveport officers were involved in 128 crashes last year. This year’s number is down about 8 percent over this time last year. However, the public can go a long way in helping those numbers if they would follow the laws regarding emergency vehicles.
To educate motorists on the laws, the Shreveport Police Department is launching a public service campaign called "Pull to the Right."
While many drivers do pull to the right and let the emergency vehicles pass, others have been seen doing the wrong thing. Some have even been known to slam on their brakes in front of the officer’s vehicle, stopping traffic altogether.
It is unknown why drivers respond the way they do. It may be that they do not realize the officer is behind them, they panic when they see the lights and siren or think they are in trouble themselves.
It is hoped that these drivers will "pull to the right" when they see the lights.