On Monday, January 31, 2011, Spencer Pass, a Georgia DOT Highway Emergency Response Operator (HERO) worker, was killed as he assisted a stranded motorist on I-85 near the Atlanta Airport.

According to WSB-TV, Mr. Pass, 45, was killed when a truck sideswiped his unit and hit him and the vehicle that was stranded.

Apparently, the offending truck in question did not abide by Georgia's "move over" law, which requires vehicles to move over at least one lane to the left (or otherwise slow down if traffic makes it impossible to move over) whenever encountering an emergency vehicle (and yes, HERO units are emergency vehicles) on the side of the road. As a result of the driver's negligence, the Pass family is now dealing with the sudden, unexpected loss of a beloved family member.

As a Georgia motorist, I appreciate the fact that such HEROs are patrolling our Metro Atlanta freeways and are doing their part in helping people who get stranded. For that matter, anyone who has to put themselves into harm's way on the freeways (law enforcement, EMS, firefighters, tow truck operators, and GDOT HEROs) is more than worthy of our gratitude.

If there is anything that we, as drivers, can learn from this incident, it's that we must always be aware of what's happening whenever we drive a motor vehicle. Not only could we jeopardize our own lives, but we also needlessly jeopardize the lives of others when we fail to drive in a responsible manner. After all, we do not have the right to operate a motor vehicle. By law, it is a privilege which can be legally taken from us should we constantly fail to obey the rules of the road.

In the meantime, I ask you to keep the Pass family in your thoughts and prayers, and please pay your greatest tribute to Mr. Pass by driving safely.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please visit often.

SOURCE: "Family Mourns DOT Worker Killed On I-85", WSB-TV, January 31, 2011.

 

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