On Monday evening, two Oklahoma highway patrol officers were injured while investigating the scene of a fatal accident. Reports indicate that a distracted motorist crashed into one of the patrol cars, which pushed the trooper’s vehicle into the other patrol car.
Reportedly, both troopers suffered minor injuries because of the accident. After receiving treatment for these injuries, both officers were released. The incident serves as a reminder for Oklahoma residents to practice caution when approaching the scene of an accident.
The incident also brings up memories of a similar but more tragic accident that occurred in 2015. One trooper died on impact and another suffered injuries when a motorist failed to move or slow at the scene of a separate accident. Reportedly, one of the troopers in the 2015 incident had placed emergency lights at the scene to alert drivers about the need to change lanes in order to avoid the accident.
The motorist responsible for this fatal pedestrian accident admitted to police personnel that he saw the lights but did not move or even slow down. The driver also told police that he was using his mobile phone seconds before the pedestrian accident occurred.
While these two incidents victimized authority figures, they could just as easily have involved ordinary citizens. For example, if a person had to exit an automobile for any reason on the road, a distracted motorist could fail to notice and strike him or her resulting in serious injury or death. A personal injury lawyer can help victims seek compensation for expenses related to a pedestrian accident, but a lawyer cannot make a victim’s suffering disappear. This is why prevention and caution is always the best option.
Source: KFOR.com, “Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers injured while working accident after being hit by driver,” K. Querry, March 28, 2017
