BILLINGS — The Montana Highway Patrol is reminding people to slow down and move over at the scene of a crash after two patrol cars were sideswiped by an oncoming vehicle earlier this week.
The incident occurred Monday night when two troopers were responding to a crash near Billings.
The troopers were parked on Interstate 90 partially in the right lane investigating the crash when the oncoming car failed to slow down and instead hit the sides of their vehicles.
According to the MHP, the troopers were not in their vehicles and no one was injured.
This follows a separate incident near Billings on October 25th when a car killed tow truck drivers Nick Visser and Casie Allen after failing to move over.
MHP Sergeant Eric Gilbert said it’s not unusual anyone who’s responded to a crash has had a close call.
"It's absolutely terrifying. In 18 years of doing the job," said Gilbert. "The closest calls that I've had that I actually feel like where I'm in danger where all on traffic crashes. They weren't on traffic stops or anything like that, it was always on a crash scene where somebody came in too fast or wasn't paying attention."
Gilbert stresses it’s not just law enforcement, but often paramedics, fire personnel, and tow truck drivers.
The best thing people can do is slow down, increase following distance, move over, and pay attention.
