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 **Learning from an Officer’s Near Miss: Trooper Hit while Helping Stranded Motorist in Inclement Weather** June 2019 | Volume 12 | Issue 5
  Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Near Miss is an officer safety  initiative, developed by the National  Police Foundation with support from the Office of Community Oriented  Policing Services (COPS Office), that allows law enforcement personnel to read  about and *anonymously* share stories of near misses and close calls. Each of these stories offers  valuable lessons and reminders that can be incorporated into training and  policy development to improve officer safety. The following story about how a state trooper narrowly  avoided being seriously injured serves as a reminder of how dangerous an  officer’s job can be. A state trooper stopped to assist a motorist stranded on  the side of a busy highway in severe weather that caused poor visibility. While  the trooper was talking to the motorist, the trooper’s patrol SUV was struck  from behind, forcing it into the trooper and the motorist. Emergency medical  services (EMS) personnel arrived on scene and determined the trooper and the  motorist did not require medical treatment, but the driver that struck the  trooper’s vehicle suffered a facial injury requiring treatment. While that  person was being treated by EMS, another vehicle came from behind and struck her  vehicle, forcing it back into the trooper’s SUV. The driver at fault in the  secondary collision was not injured, and fortunately no other injuries  occurred. None of the at-fault drivers were impaired, but their speed at the  time of the accident was a primary contributing factor. In an effort to learn from this near miss to prevent a  serious injury or death from occurring in the future, the following lessons  were shared for the benefit of officers across the country:**** The amount of time spent roadside, particularly  in inclement weather, should be minimized.
        Recognize the importance of positioning  motorists and officers behind any available cover such as vehicles or guardrails.
        It may be appropriate to leave vehicles that do  not constitute a hazard and transport people out of harm’s way.
        With EMS on scene evaluating patients, consider  requesting a fire engine to block the adjacent travel lane and provide  protection to the first responders, especially during inclement weather.
        Be sure to clear the scene as quickly as  possible. Research on high-risk injuries has shown that serious  injuries and fatalities are often preceded by numerous near misses. It is our  duty in law enforcement to systematically collect and learn from these near  misses—instead of only learning from tragedy—and to improve officer safety and  ensure every officer makes it home to their friends and family after every  shift. Please visit the LEO Near Miss  website for more information or to share your own near miss story so other  officers can benefit.  Tweet
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