GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Newly released dashcam video from Michigan State Police shows the crash that happened on US-131 back in May when a trooper was trying to stop a wrong-way driver.
13 ON YOUR SIDE obtained the video through the Freedom of Information Act.
The crash happened around 11 p.m. Saturday, May 20 night near Hall Street after an MSP trooper saw a wrong-way driver.
"We are getting a few calls that he [the wrong-way driver] slowed down and is trying to turn around near Franklin and Hall," the dispatcher tells the trooper responding to the crash.
A few seconds later, the dashcam video shows the trooper getting closer to the wrong-way driver, driving southbound in the far left lane of Northbound US-131.
State police say the trooper attempted to stop the driver by slowing traffic and cutting off that vehicle. The driver, however, did not stop.
The video shows the trooper then attempting to do a U-turn and chase after the driver but was hit by a different vehicle going the right way. A third vehicle then rear-ended that car.
"You good?" the trooper asked the driver of the truck involved in the wrong-way crash. The truck's driver appears to get out of his truck holding his arm after the crash.
MSP data from 2021 showed more than 400 wrong-way crashes happening in the state, up dozens from 2020.
The trooper wasn't hurt, but the passengers of the other two cars were left with minor injuries.
Michigan State Police Public Information Officer Lt. Michelle Robinson says this crash is a good reminder about Michigan's Move Over Law.
"With this particular dash cam video, the one thing that is so important is that when motorists see an emergency vehicle with their lights and siren activated, responding to an emergency, the safest thing to do is to pull off to the side of the road," Lt. Robinson said.
The law requires motorists to slow down and move over for stationary authorized vehicles with flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights activated.
“The safety of the public is our number one priority and we need your help to move over when you see any officer with their emergency lights activated,” Lt. Robinson said. “They may be responding to a dangerous situation that you are not yet aware of.”
In the video released by Michigan State Police, you can see the trooper's lights activated but drivers are not moving over the make room for the trooper.
"Go to the lane directly to wherever the opposite lane of where that emergency vehicle is located at," Lt Robinson said. "And oftentimes people don't and there's been several close calls of not only troopers, but a lot of emergency responders that are narrowly getting missed because people are not moving over to the safely to the next lane."
Michigan’s Move Over law requires motorists to slow down and move over for stationary authorized vehicles with flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights activated.
If you are driving and see a first responder with lights activated, drivers are supposed to slow down to 10mph below the speed limit and move over into an open lane.
If you cannot move over, slow down at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit and pass with caution.
As the crash remains under investigation, an MSP spokesperson cautioned anyone who sees a wrong-way driver should pull over to the shoulder of the road as soon as it is safe to do so and call 911.
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