After Crash Involving Trooper, Officials Call For Drivers To Slow Down
SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- A state trooper is recovering after a crash during the Tuesday morning commute.
He has been released from the hospital and is expected to be okay.
The accident happened during the morning rush at Interstate 494 and Concord Street in South St. Paul.The trooper was pulled over to help with a different crash. While he was still in his car, another car hit him.
He was trapped and crews had to pull him out his squad. A tow truck was also hit in the crash.
The incident is one on a list of crashes involving troopers this year. Since Jan. 1, 18 squad cars have been hit, and that's with minimal ice on the roads.
Last year, the number of troopers hit at this time was 22.
"Troopers have very high exposure and many troopers will say, 'I know it's only a matter of time before I get hit,'" said Lt. Tiffani Nielson with the State Patrol.
On Tuesday, a 49-year-old veteran trooper was hit for the fifth time in his career.
It was far from a unique scenario.
Last winter, trooper Sean Hollencamp said he was responding to crash when he became part of one.
"I was just fortunate not to have any injuries," he said.
During the last snow storm in the metro, trooper Kristie Sue Hathaway was hit on Interstate 494 when she was responding to a crash.
"I believe what saved me was that I had my seatbelt on," she said.
Nielson hopes the troopers' stories – and the images of their smashes squads – will serve as a message to motorists.
"When you see those lights in the horizon, take your foot off the gas, you can make a lane change when it's safe to do so," she said.
Not only is it for the protection of troopers that drivers be more cautious, it's for the protection of others on the road, too.
"We take people off the road to follow up on these incidents, and we want every trooper out there working on days like [Tuesday]," Nielson said.