IL State Trooper Struck And Killed On I-55

A map view of MM 62 on I-55 in IL indicates that stretch of road is straight as an arrow for miles either side and I know it's level as a pool table, too. Could the fact he was on a bike with reduced lights and visibility (of a LE vehicle) have been a factor? If you're vision is legal to drive, it's good enough to see a person standing next to the vehicle on the shoulder and that should cause every motorist involved to do whatever is necessary to allow other vehicles to move over.

 

oh give it a rest the trooper stepped back into traffic,his mistake costly but his and only his mistake

 

sympathies to the family of the officer and prayers of healing for the trucker.

Come on Pete... yur attitude toward this situation stinks...

 

Exactly.

When I am on an accident scene, before any movement I check both ways.

 

Good point. Not ever do you see them there.

 

I was in a situation like this a couple of months ago when a kid under a broken down pickup truck on the shoulder popped out from under it into the right lane. I had seen the truck for a while and had first my blinker on and then my 4 ways. Slowing down the whole time. When the a holes to my left would STILL not let me over when this idiot popped up into the right lane, I went over into the middle. End of story. If I hit them in their cars after exhibiting all warning signs to the people around me that SOMETHING was going on in front of me or that there was SOME problem, it was preferable to me to hit one of them in their car instead of splattering somebody all over the road.

 

Man, I cannot believe so many fellow truckers are willing to say "Oh yeah, it's the truckers fault - nail his butt and move on". We've all been in the situation that the 4 wheeler's will not budge. So I'm supposed to lock 'em up and say a "Hail Mary" for those behind me? 65MPH+ is not conducive to a stop on a dime maneuver...if someone asspacks me from behind ITS MY FAULT. Sorry about the LEO, but we need to get real on the answers to this and many other scenarios. Lawyers pointing the finger at truck drivers is only ok because WE ALLOW IT. Until we address 4 wheeler behaviors it will continue to be a problem.

 

I don't recall one post stating "it was the truckers fault". Seems like most are either blaming the cop or blaming the traffic in the fast lane that refused to respond to signaling from the truck and to yield and let the trucker out of a dangerous spot.

How is a trucker getting rear-ended his/her fault? (assuming your stop lights are functioning correctly) I don't advocate an e-stop either, but at the very least you are to slow down, and move over if at all possible. The law is very clear on this.

 

I agree, the only post I read that alluded to any fault on the trucker was from Pete.

 

Because I see maniacs in trucks blowing by pulled over cars and trucks with people on the side of the road almost every day. For every one that slows down or moves over, there is one who doesn't. I see trucks passing other trucks on bad curves and almost slapping trailers. I see trucks at night blowing through construction areas on bridges, which are usually really tight who don't even slow down. It's a wonder that there aren't more accidents. A lot of it is because of cars, but a lot of it is people's reaction to cars. They freak out and hammer down.