Calls For Highway Safety Awareness Following Death Of State Trooper
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)-- The most dangerous thing a police officer can do may not be arresting a person, but the simple act of getting out of his or her car.
Any time a cop or trooper gets out of a vehicle on a highway, they put themselves at risk, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reports.
"Cars are all over the place. They drive close to the vehicles, they're not paying attention, they're looking at the scene," retired NYPD detective Dan Donza said.
Donza used to teach driver training at the police academy.
"The state troopers and officers, whenever they get out of their car are just trying to be aware of their surroundings as best they can," he said.
Police can do their part, but Donza said drivers need to pay attention as any distraction could be deadly.
Just earlier this week, a state trooper was killed after being struck by a car on a highway in southern New Jersey.
Sean Cullen, 31, was responding to an accident on I-295 near Camden at around 8 p.m. when he was struck by a vehicle.
"Every day, the men and women of the New Jersey State Police put their lives on the line to protect our citizens," Governor Chris Christie said in a statement Tuesday. "The sudden and tragic loss of New Jersey State Trooper Sean Cullen reminds us how fragile life truly is and the dangers police officers face daily on the job."