South Brunswick police highlight 'Move Over' law after two patrol cars struck
SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Motorists are being warned to move over while police conduct vehicle stops, following two incidents in which township police SUVs were struck.
“In the past three weeks, we have had two patrol officers SUVs struck while conducting motor vehicle stops," Chief Raymond Hayducka said. "We are lucky that in both cases no officers were injured, but one police car was totaled."
It is dangerous to be stopping vehicles on the highways sometimes only feet from trucks and cars going 55 mph, Hayducka said.
"We need drivers help at moving over or reducing their speed when they see a police car with its lights on," he added.
In the first incident, which took place at 3:37 a.m. April 29, South Brunswick Officers Jorge Robles and Ben Salihi, and Sgt. Jesse Blake were already on a car stop for an impaired driver on Route 130 near Viking Way, police said.
As they were evaluating the driver with a field sobriety test, a second vehicle crashed into the rear of the police SUV at a high rate of speed. The driver of the second vehicle, Gonzalo Najera, 30, of Princeton, was found to be driving while intoxicated and arrested. Najera was charged with multiple offenses including driving while under the influence. The patrol SUV was totaled in the crash.
The second crash occurred at 8:30 a.m. Thursday on Route 130 near Broadway Road, police said.
Officer Jason Gassman was conducting a vehicle stop with his emergency lights activated. While the officer was speaking to the driver of his traffic stop, a grey Honda Odyssey minivan side-swiped police SUV damaging its driver’s side. The driver continued northbound without stopping.
South Brunswick Police Traffic Safety Bureau is still investigating the hit and run.
“These two incidents highlight the danger officers face every day," Hayducka said. "If Gassman had been on the driver’s side yesterday, this would be a much different story."
New Jersey law is clear on the requirements to move over or slow down as you approach an emergency vehicle operating in the roadway.
“It only takes seconds to slow down and move over, but the difference by not doing so can be a tragedy," the chief said.
South Brunswick Police have also implemented a crash reduction plan called STOP – Stopping, Traffic, Obstacle, Problems.
The plan was put in place in response to an increase in fatal crashes statewide in the first four months of the year, with Central Jersey leading the state in fatal crashes and Middlesex and Monmouth counties seeing the most deaths.
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: South Brunswick cops highlight 'Move Over' law after patrol cars hit
