GOOCHLAND, Va. -- The date came last year — May 15, 2022 — when a South Hill Volunteer Fire Department vehicle permanently became a display.
“It’s a day I’ll never forget," said Lt. Derek Hazelwood. "It’ll really make you slow down and think about it.”
Members of the all-volunteer crew were called out for a crash on Interstate 85 when a distracted driver hit the commander's pickup truck that was stationary with its light on responding to the scene.
Hazelwood said the speedometer of the vehicle that caused the secondary wreck was stuck at 72 miles an hour.
"[The fire truck] was actually thrown off in the median 40 to 50 feet away. The car that hit this was under the [fire] engine that was past it, so it actually threw this and ran under the next fire engine," he said while standing next to the mangled wreckage. "You can never explain it until you see it and do it. When you get out and see what pandemonium was going on because of the entire scene, not as much as responders but there were people everywhere there were cars littered around the interstate.”
Several people were badly hurt but survived, Hazelwood said. Instead of taking the insurance money and totaling the vehicle, South Hill Volunteer Fire now uses the truck as a glaring example of what can happen if people drive distracted and do not move over for disabled or emergency vehicles.
"This was something that definitely can be prevented then, today, and in the future," Hazelwood said.
Hazelwood and the wrecked truck were invited to the Goochland County rest area on I-64 Tuesday morning, as driver safety groups AAA Mid Atlantic, Drive Smart Virginia, and VDOT unveiled one of 24 banners going up across the Commonwealth to remind people of the updated Move Over Law in Virginia.
Now in Virginia, drivers who approach any stationary vehicle along the roadway displaying flashing lights or other warning signals must slow down and move over one lane, if it is safe to do so, or face a fine. The Move Over Law now applies to any emergency vehicle, tow truck, or passenger vehicle.
It's approaching a decade since the reason behind Deputy Brad Hughes' advocacy on this issue occurred.
In 2014, while working a crash scene during inclement weather for the Chesterfield Police, Hughes was hit by a driver who lost control and crushed him against another vehicle.
Hughes was declared dead several times on the way to the hospital that night and lost both of his legs because of the wreck.
"Although we’re getting close to Halloween, this isn’t a Hollywood prop," Hughes said, referencing his legs. "It reminds them that, ‘Hey, this could happen to you.’ I tell them about the criminal side of it, the financial side behind it, and how the individual who caused this injury pretty much-lost everything he owns."
While the message sinks in for many people Hughes gets to address, sadly Virginians continue to experience the worst outcomes created by distracted drivers who fail to move over for first responders or their neighbors in a tight spot.
"A couple of days ago, I went to visit a young lady who’s 20 years old. She was involved in a crash in Henrico. She ended up losing her left leg and her right leg, she might lose it. She was just an average person on the side of the road who went to close her trunk. That’s why this law is being enacted," Hughes said.
"They’re brothers, they’re sisters, they’re mothers, and they’re fathers. You’re taking away somebody’s life just because you don’t want to move over. Please, I’m begging you, slow down, and move over so we all can come home.”
Hughes and Hazelwood want to remind drivers Virginia is a "hands-free" state, meaning you cannot by law hold a phone while driving for any reason, which they said is a huge part of the distracted driving problem.
Hughes said it is important to move over for a stranded driver or emergency worker as soon as you see them ahead of you on the roadway.
"Don’t wait til the last minute to make the move because it’s all about respect. Put yourself in their shoes when you’re driving past them. Remind yourself of the wind that’s blowing off their body when you come zipping past them," Hughes said.
"Just give everybody that same common courtesy and respect so that everyone can come home alive.”
AAA Mid Atlantic reports that 75% of fatal wrecks occur when it is dark outside, a statistic that makes the Move Over Law even more important during the longer fall/winter nights.
You can read more about the Move Over Law here.
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
