M. Eric Williams

Special to the American

Everyone is probably familiar with the tragic loss of two Sumrall firefighters recently. Sadly, this is just the latest incident in a string of accidents that have injured or killed those who work to protect you and me.

I will not use this forum to discuss the details of that incident. The suspect in that case will have his day in court where the facts will come out. However, it is a solemn reminder of an all too forgotten common courtesy and Mississippi statute: It is the law to make space for emergency vehicles on the side of the roadway.

Simply put, move over means move over.

My commute takes me on about 7 miles of Interstate 59 each day. One morning, there was a disabled semi-truck on the pull-off shoulder. His flashers were on, and the reflective orange triangles were in place at the rear. Out of the line of five or so cars that were in the right lane, only two of us moved to the left to give room. One car actually attempted to pass me in the right lane.

Are we that busy in our day-to-day lives? The utter disregard for human life that we see on our roadways is mind-boggling. Robert Rhodes, a gentleman from the Bay Springs area that I have the pleasure of knowing, once summed it up nicely: “If I have to get anywhere that fast, I think I’ll just leave earlier.”

Having spent the last 15 years as a paramedic working the roadways, I cannot stress how dangerous it has become. Many times, it is just a single ambulance, police car or fire vehicle that is attempting to render aid with two, three and sometimes four lanes of traffic moving at interstate speeds. You cannot understand how fast 70 mph is until you are standing still watching cars zoom by less than 3 feet away. To make matters worse, many drivers will “zone in” on the incident and completely ignore the emergency personnel on scene.

Of course, police, fire and EMS crews are aware of the danger. However, we are sometimes overcome by our duty to render aid and our focus falters. Imagine yourself only feet from an open interstate lane with a screaming patient who will die without your intervention. Would you lose track of your surroundings from time-to-time? I have on numerous occasions.

We rely on motorists to obey the law and give us a wide berth. The consequences of noncompliance are staggering. I can think of no greater tragedy than a person becoming injured or killed in an attempt to help their fellow man. It’s like seeing a guardian angel become hurt or killed.

Mississippi passed legislation in June 2007 called the “Move Over Law." This statute requires motorists to move at least one lane away from emergency vehicles that are parked on the roadside with lights flashing. This law also encompasses tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles.

Common sense dictates that moving over is a good idea. If you are on a two-lane road and can’t yield right-of-way, slow down! Give us time to see your approach and react to it.

I will ask again: Are we that busy in our lives that we cannot move over and reduce our speed for those who are working to protect us? Please give us a break, obey the law, and let us do our jobs. The person we are assisting might just be your family.

M. Eric Williams is a syndicated columnist and assistant director of Emergency Medical Technology Education at Jones County Junior College. He is a current doctoral researcher at Delta State University and has 15 years’ experience in emergency medicine. Contact him at eric.williams@jcjc.edu.