Minnesota Trooper injured

**KaiGywer** · 06-06-07, 02:50 PM

Trooper Hit By Semi In Stable Condition

(WCCO) A state trooper was hit by a truck after he got out of his squad car for a traffic stop on Interstate 94 near Sauk Centre, State Patrol officials said.

The trooper, Gregg Gerhartz, 41, an eight-year veteran of the patrol, suffered a leg injury and was flown to St. Cloud Hospital.

He is in stable condition in a St. Cloud hospital and underwent surgery Tuesday night.

Gerhartz was on the shoulder of the westbound lanes when he was hit around 4 p.m., patrol officials said.

"A semi in the right lane drifted outside the lane onto the shoulder and hit the trooper standing outside the car," said Lt. Sean Meagher.

Under state law, the trucker should have moved over to the left lane when he saw the squad car's flashing lights, Meagher said.

The driver's side of the patrol car sustained extensive damage when the semi struck it, just before it clipped the Gerhartz's leg, just as he was finishing up writing a ticket.

Source: WCCO

Damn semi drivers. Pay more attention next time and follow the laws...

**gozling** · 06-06-07, 02:54 PM

glad to hear he will be ok!

**blackcamaro8895** · 06-06-07, 02:58 PM

Wow......lucky man! God was watching over him for sure!

**kay88** · 06-06-07, 03:11 PM

I don't know about other states, but I've noticed a lot of semi drivers are being ignorant on the roads. Maybe I'm biased because my family and I were in an accident caused by a semi driver. (Ran us off the road, totalled our car while he kept driving not knowing what he did) But it's most definitly good to hear that he'll be okay. By the looks of his squad, he's very lucky to come out alive.

**jmur5074** · 06-06-07, 06:23 PM

The MN law requiring drivers to move a lane over from parked emergency vehicles is coined the "Ted Foss Move Over Law" in memory to MN State Patrol Trooper Ted Foss who was killed 08/2001 when, conducting a traffic stop on the interstate about 20 mins from where I work, a FedEx semi hit his squad, propelling it into the violators vehicle, of which he was standing next to.

Trooper Foss was killed in the accident.

http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=15443

Sorry to take away from the actual story in the thread. Just a little history lesson for ya.

**cwtlady** · 06-06-07, 10:12 PM

I'm glad the Trooper will be ok. Prayers for a speedy recovery.

**Just KC** · 06-06-07, 10:47 PM

OMG that car is just smashed!! Thank God he is going to be OK!

**Willowdared** · 06-06-07, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by kay88

I don't know about other states, but I've noticed a lot of semi drivers are being ignorant on the roads. Maybe I'm biased because my family and I were in an accident caused by a semi driver. (Ran us off the road, totalled our car while he kept driving not knowing what he did) But it's most definitly good to hear that he'll be okay. By the looks of his squad, he's very lucky to come out alive.

I've noticed it too. I think it's harder and harder for trucking companies to get qualified drivers, and retain them. (that Oakland trucker had felonies, for instance)

My uncle was a cross country trucker for years, and he tried to start his own small company. He would have drivers abandon loads all over the country. He ended up having to fly out to the truck, and if the load was perishable, eat the cost himself.

He finally sold his trucks, and went back to driving again, but it's a dangerous way to make a living. It's not unusual for trucks to be hijacked, and drivers are always pressured to push past the cutoff on driving hours.

I'm really glad the patrol car took the brunt of that collision.

**gopherpuckfan** · 06-06-07, 11:23 PM

It appears that this driver was over his time limit by 2.5 hours. I wrote a driver today for the Move Over law. Ironically, the radio station was talking about the Trooper when I was initiating my traffic stop.

Tomorrow, a partner and I are going to back each other up on stops so the backup can go after and cite Move Over violations.

**KaiGywer** · 06-07-07, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by PDawg

It's not unusual for trucks to be hijacked, and drivers are always pressured to push past the cutoff on driving hours.

A lot of truckers don't like Werner Trucking, but one thing they have going for them are electronic logs. Makes it impossible to cheat your logs, and thus the company won't push for that.

Originally Posted by gopherpuckfan

It appears that this driver was over his time limit by 2.5 hours. I wrote a driver today for the Move Over law. Ironically, the radio station was talking about the Trooper when I was initiating my traffic stop.

Tomorrow, a partner and I are going to back each other up on stops so the backup can go after and cite Move Over violations.

Awesome! I wish we would do this sometime.