SMITHFIELD, Va. – Every year, first responders are killed while working along the roadside. Not just police officers, but firefighters, paramedics and tow truck drivers all put themselves in harms way when responding to a wreck.
Smithfield Spirit Ride
It is the other drivers on the road that make the work dangerous, according to Ryan Brown, a tow truck driver at Dave’s Service Center.
A casket has been traveling around the state for weeks now, bringing awareness to this issue.
“It looks real so we really get everyone’s attention, this is what happens to us and we want to go home at night,” said Brown.
The Spirit Ride is an organization that sponsors the casket and moves it from city to city spreading the message; Move Over!
“That’s our office, that’s our desk space if you just move over one lane, slow down –we don’t come driving through your desk while you’re at work, just give us room to work and make it safe for us,” Brown says.
The Move Over Law is in place to keep first responsders safe. Cars passing an emergency vehicle, police car, tow truck or vehicle with hazards flashing are supposed to move to other furthest lane to allow room for those on the right side to work.
To track the Spirit Ride click here.
