Posted in Car Accident,Negligence,Pedestrian Accident,Personal Injury,Tennessee Accident Law on October 9, 2015
Hendersonville Police Officer Injured While Responding to Accident Scene
A police officer in Hendersonville, Tennessee, suffered injuries after his patrol car was struck by another vehicle while he was in the process of responding to an accident scene where a 14-year-old had been struck by a car.
According to a report by wkrn.com, the accident occurred on Old Shackle Island Road. Both the officer and the driver of the vehicle that struck his patrol car were transported to a local hospital to receive treatment for their injuries. A spokesperson for the Hendersonville Police Department says the officer involved in the crash will be fine.
The teen who was struck by a car was first transported to a hospital in Hendersonville for treatment, but later transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center via LifeFlight helicopter to receive more intensive treatments.
Hendersonville police officers told wkrn that they are unsure if the driver who struck the teen was taken into custody or fled the scene of the accident and is still at large.
Officials with the Tennessee Highway Patrol plan to investigate the accident scene to determine what happened.
Tips for Driving near Emergency Vehicles with Flashing Lights
If you see or hear a police cruiser, ambulance, fire truck, or rescue vehicle approaching your location with its lights flashing and siren blaring, there are a few important steps you should take to both protect yourself and allow the emergency responders to get to their destination as quickly as possible.
These steps include the following actions:
If you hear sirens or see lights in your rear-view mirror, you should begin planning to pull your vehicle over to the side of the road as soon as possible. However, make sure you check your mirrors to see if any vehicles, bicyclists, or pedestrians are between you and the shoulder of the road. Once you’ve made sure the area is clear, turn on your turn signal, begin slowing down, and move your vehicle out of the emergency vehicle’s path.
Even if you have a green light or the right of way at an intersection or four-way stop, you should always allow emergency vehicles to pass through the intersection first. In some cases, you may even need to pull over to the side of the road if traffic is dense and the driver needs to maneuver in the opposite lanes of traffic in order to bypass gridlocked sections of the road.
If you come upon an emergency vehicle that’s flashing its lights and blaring it siren, keep a safe distance behind it. In most cases, emergency vehicles exceed the speed limit in order to reach accident scenes more quickly, and staying within close range of the vehicle can put you and others on the road in serious danger.
If you see an emergency vehicle pulling over to the side of the road to assist at an accident scene, switch lanes away from it as soon as possible. Once the vehicle stops, Tennessee’s “Move Over” law applies, and it requires all drivers to leave one lane behind their vehicles and stopped emergency vehicles on all highways and interstates.
Emergency responders serve an incredibly vital purpose in Middle Tennessee, and their quick response times can be the difference between life and death for countless people every day. But in order for them to respond to accident scenes quickly and safely, it’s important for all drivers to give them the room they need to maneuver and avoid potential delays.
Matt Hardin Law’s team of Hendersonville auto accident attorneys knows that the hard work of emergency responders saves lives, but many innocent victims are left with accident-related expenses they can’t afford. If you or someone you love was injured in an accident caused by a negligent driver, we want to help. Just dial (615) 200-1111 or complete a free online consultation form to speak with our legal team today.
