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Nevada Emergency Response/Road Workers Remind Motorists to "Move Over"

CARSON CITY, Nev. – On March 30, 2015, Nevada Department of Transportation maintenance employee Ron Raiche, Jr. was struck and killed by a semi-truck while making repairs to Interstate 80 west of Battle Mountain. Ron is the most recent NDOT employee, and the 24th department employee since 1948, to tragically lose their life in the line of service. 

On the sixth anniversary of Ron’s death, NDOT and traffic incident responders are reminding motorists that Nevada’s “Move Over” law requires drivers to slow down, proceed with caution, and if safe to do so, move over one lane when passing a roadway incident. This includes passing the following vehicle(s) pulled over on the side of the road with flashing amber or non-flashing blue lights on:

  • Emergency response/law enforcement vehicles
  • Nevada Department of Transportation or official city/county vehicles using flashing amber warning lights 
  • Freeway Service Patrol
  • Tow and utility vehicles
  • Any traffic incident including stalled vehicle or debris on the roadway 

Drivers found guilty of violating the law can be charged with a misdemeanor.

KEEPING ALL ROAD WORKERS SAFE

Over and above Nevada’s law enforcement, fire and first responders, the following road workers are included in Nevada’s move over law:

ROAD WORK: NDOT has approximately 850 roadway maintenance and 350 construction administration professionals responsible for maintenance and construction of more than 5,000 miles of state roadway. NDOT maintenance professionals perform nearly 100 different road maintenance tasks, from resurfacing state roads to removing snow.  FREEWAY SERVICE PATROL: NDOT’s Freeway Service Patrol vans patrol fixed freeway routes during peak travel hours to provide traffic control and safety at incident scenes, from crash-related lane closures to removal of roadside debris. The patrol also helps keep the freeway clear by assisting motorists to remove stalled vehicles, as well as providing basic first aid, extinguishing minor vehicle fires and more. TOW/UTILITY TRUCKS: Similarly, Nevada tow and utility providers routinely work on the road to assist stranded motorists and repair and improve vital utilities. Nationally, 14 tow truck operators and three mobile mechanics were struck and killed in 2019, accounting for 27 percent of emergency responder all struck-by-vehicle fatalities that year (Emergency Responder Safety Institute).  Drivers should always give full attention to the road and follow all road work zone signs and speed limits, keeping a safe distance from road workers, traffic barriers, construction equipment and other vehicles.