Dash Cam Video Shows Ohio State Trooper on Highway Shoulder Almost Get Obliterated by a Semi
The Ohio State Highway Patrol shared a frightening dash cam video of a trooper who stopped on the shoulder of the roadway. As he was just coming to a stop, a semi-truck went flying past him, on the right, missing his police cruiser by mere inches.
The trooper recorded the video at night on Interstate 76 in Medina County, Ohio. The road was slippery due to winter weather conditions.
As the law enforcement officer was traveling down I-76, a car ahead of him lost control directly in front of him. The vehicle slid off the left side of the roadway, crashed into the median cable barrier, and came to a halt in the passing lane.
The trooper from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Ashland Post immediately flipped on his flashing lights. He then quickly decelerated and pulled off the highway onto the right-hand shoulder.
Just seconds after coming to a stop on the shoulder, the trooper must have noticed a semi-truck was bearing down on him in his rearview mirror. Because he started creeping his cruiser forward, back into the roadway. That’s when the tractor-trailer, which appeared to be hauling three pickup trucks on a flatbed, went blowing past his vehicle on his right-hand side. The semi missed plowing into the trooper’s vehicle by mere inches.
“This video is a reminder to slow down, increase following distance and move over for emergency vehicles during winter weather,” the Ohio State Highway Patrol wrote alongside the video on Facebook.
Viewers of the video shared their reactions to the close call (and who was at fault)
“In fairness, he probably expected the trooper to pull behind the crash and that’s just what he had to do not to pancake the trooper when he stopped on the shoulder he was planning to use,” one viewer commented, adding, “And shame on the dude in charge of their social media for acting like the trooper really gave the truck many options.”
“Everybody’s bashing the truck driver, I’m sure he had good distance behind the trooper but the accident happened in seconds and the trooper slammed on the brakes and flipped the lights and there’s snow and ice on the road, that 18 wheeler has no time to slam on brakes and stop like that,” another viewer wrote. “Way too much weight, could’ve been 3 bus lengths behind and still wouldn’t have been able to stop.”
“Great driving by that truck driver rolling heavy!! Talk about skill!” someone else praised the trucker. “No way he’s backing down that load in a safe manner to avoid further damage or injury to the incident. Hopefully Trooper is thankful for his reaction and abilities!!”
“Retired LEO here and level IV Crash Recon. Terrible example of ”Pull Over for Emergency Lights’… Troopers fault!” read another comment. “That was less than 10 seconds from him pulling right and they are trained in crash reconstruction in the academy. That truck was fully loaded and had to choose a path at the last minute without knowing if the Trooper had already stepped out of his cruiser to the left. The trucker prob saved lives here.”
Not everyone shared the same opinion (most did, but not all)
Meanwhile, someone else wrote, “That truck had 12 full seconds to see the car spinning and the patrol car lights. He was driving too fast!”
Needless to say, many of the other viewers of the dash cam video didn’t take that comment very well.
