`Move Over' law getting attention.

Byline: Rebecca Taylor The Register-Guard

Of the 27 Oregon State Police troopers who have died in the line of duty, three were hit by cars while stopped on the side of the road.

To prevent any increase in that number, officials are working to raise awareness of Oregon's four-year-old "Move Over" law, designed to protect police and other emergency personnel.

The law requires drivers who approach any type of emergency vehicle - police car, ambulance, fire truck - working on the roadside with emergency lights flashing to move to another lane and provide as much room as possible for the emergency vehicle. If a lane change is not possible, drivers must slow down to ensure safety.

Failure to comply can result in a fine up to $355.

The law was enacted after a Sept. 4, 2001, accident that killed state police senior trooper Maria Mignano, 39, and off-duty Albany police officer Jason Alan Hoerauf, 29.

Mignano, Hoerauf and 41-year-old state police Sgt. John Burright were standing alongside Interstate 5 in Marion County when a pickup truck veered toward them, hit one of the police cars and struck all three officers.

Burright survived but his injuries forced him to retire. The driver of the truck, Jacob Todoriko of Salem, said he had fallen asleep at the wheel. He was given probation and ordered to speak to groups about the dangers of driving while tired.

Although the wreck made headlines, not many people know about the law sparked by the tragedy.

"The few motorists who are aware of the law are moving over or slowing down," state police Lt. Gregg Hastings said. "But we're still seeing that violation on a frequent basis."

State police and the Oregon Department of Transportation want to change that.

ODOT has begun placing signs on state highways alerting people to the "Move Over" law. In coming months, they hope to have them installed throughout Oregon, spokeswoman Shelley Snow said.

The campaign also includes billboards, radio advertisements, bus signs, posters at rest areas and brochures promoting the "Move Over" safety message.

The goal is 100 percent compliance, said Steve Vitolo, ODOT's statewide law enforcement and judicial program manager.

"Police, fire, EMS and other emergency personnel put their lives on the line every day to deliver often life-saving care to travelers," Vitolo said in a statement. "Helping to ensure they make it home safely at the end of their shift is the goal of this stepped-up campaign."

Hillsboro police officer Clint Chrz knows the danger firsthand. He was struck last November after stopping a motorist on Highway 99W during a multi-agency traffic enforcement effort.

As he spoke with the stopped driver, a car came up behind them and hit his motorcycle, which flew forward and hit the officer. He was seriously injured but survived and returned to work a month later.

A video recording of the crash hit the Internet and Chrz was soon the poster boy for the "Move Over" law. Just last week he appeared on NBC's "Today" show to talk about the crash.

"Those emergency service workers are on the side of the highway doing a specific job," Chrz told "Today" host Matt Lauer. "Their attention is concentrated on what they are doing, so they may not be fully concentrating on the cars driving by.

"That's where the public driving by needs to be aware ... if they could just move over one lane and give that extra 10 or 12 feet and hopefully we can save some lives and save some injuries."