Yesterday morning, Trooper J.C. Horniak of the NC State Highway Patrol was shot during a traffic stop along I-95 in Cumberland County.  He is in critical but stable condition.  Please keep Trooper Horniak and his family in your thoughts and prayers (latest word is that he will make a full recovery).

What does this have to do with the Move Over Law?  EVERYTHING!  For any law enforcement officer, their number one priority is what is happening in the vehicle they have stopped.  They should not have to worry about what is coming up behind them.  They should be able to do the job at hand…ensuring our safety.  It is our duty and responsibility to provide them with the protection they need in turn.  Rather than a law enforcement officer worrying about what is approaching them from behind, let us allow them to only worry about what is in front of them.  How can we do that?

MOVE OVER AND SLOW DOWN!  Tell everyone you know!  Because guess what…

The life you save may very well be your own!

Think about this, Marvin Johnson (the man arrested for shooting Trooper Horniak) is one of the 10 most wanted suspects in Richmond, Va. He was convicted of murder and on parole, but he had been wanted on a parole violation at the time of Monday’s shooting. He is also wanted on breaking-and-entering charges, felonious assault and two counts of domestic assault unrelated to Monday’s shooting.

You could have been Johnson’s next victim.  Trooper Horniak protected us by simply making the traffic stop.

That is what the men and women in law enforcement and emergency services do…they protect us.  They make our lives safer.  Because of them we make it home at the end of the day.  Give them the space to work so they can return home as well.

For those of us who live in North Carolina, please join me in thanking the NC Department of Transportation.  Late Saturday night I was traveling on I-40 in Haywood County, NC.  I was actually just halfway between where Trooper Calvin Taylor and Trooper Anthony Cogdill were killed.  Looming above the interstate was a message board stating “MOVE OVER OR REDUCE SPEED FOR STOPPED EMERGENCY VEHICLES.”  Not a half-mile after the sign I could make out the flashing blue lights of a patrol car stopped on the shoulder.  Guess what?…Every single vehicle in the right-hand lane was MOVING OVER!  As I passed I glanced into my review mirror and guess what?… Every single vehicle in the right-hand lane was moving over!

As silly as it sounds, it brought tears to my eyes.  My husband was on duty that night (although it ended up being another trooper making the stop).  Thanks to NCDOT and to all of the motorists who moved over that night, I slept easily knowing my husband was just a little bit safer.

On November 10th, Stan Cogdill and I had the opportunity to speak at a Move Over Symposium in Jackson County, NC.  Connie Farmer and Westcare EMS hosted and organized the symposium and invited a man named Tim Hayes to be the keynote speaker.  Tim is a medic lost his legs responding to a minor accident in Mecklenburg County.  Visit his website at www.timhayes.org.  His presentation was outstanding!  Stan, Tim and I will once again join forces and speak in Macon County at the courthouse in Franklin on December 8th at 6pm.  If you have the opprtunity, please join us.  Tim’s presentation is really amazing (mine and Stan’s is not too bad either ).

On a final note, this past Friday morning, Dot Cogdill (mother of our VP Stan Cogdill and grandmother of Trooper Anthony Cogdill) passed away.  Please keep Stan and his family in your thoughts and prayers.  If you would like to drop Stan a card his address is 345 Allens Creek Road Waynesville, NC  28786.