(NBC News) – Alarming results of a new survey by the National Safety Council show more than 70 percent of drivers admit to either taking a photo or video of accidents when they see flashing lights from emergency vehicles on the side of the road.
Nationwide, 17 emergency responders have been struck, with several killed, in the first quarter of this year.
On Wednesday morning the tragic scene played out again, this time in Maine, where a state trooper was struck and killed while helping a disabled vehicle on the interstate.
It happened on the same day an Illinois State Trooper was laid to rest after suffering the same fate last week.
Trooper Brooke Jones-Story was the 15th state trooper hit by a vehicle and the second killed this year in Illinois alone.
“Folks need to be mindful of when they see their flashing red lights, slow down and move over,” warns Nick Smith of the National Safety Council.
Giving that extra space to emergency responders on the roadways could literally be the difference between life and death.
The National Safety Council survey also found 16 percent, more than one in ten drivers, admitted that they either have struck or nearly struck a first responder or emergency vehicle stopped on or near the road.
Read more: http://bit.ly/2TVwSd8
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.