Emotional reminder of why Move Over Law exists

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KMSP) - To this day, Shirley Foss still carries her son's picture and badge in her purse everywhere she goes. For Mrs. Foss, it's not just a badge of honor, it's a badge of remembrance.

15 years ago, her son, Minnesota Trooper Ted Foss, had pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 90 in Winona when he was struck and killed. The accident led to the state legislature passing the Ted Foss Move Over Law. But all these years later, it still hard for his mother to talk about it.

"I wake up every day thinking Ted will still walk through the door at any moment,” Shirley said. “And he'd be alive today if the driver had just moved over and let Ted do his job in a safe way."

"One statistic that we don't have, and we're fortunate not to have, there have been no deaths since we enacted this law with an officer being hit,” State Patrol Lt. Tiffani Nielsen said. “So we know we've saved lives."  

The law requires all of us to move over into another lane if we come across a police vehicle, ambulance, fire truck or tow truck pulled over along the side of the road. Starting Monday, Aug. 31 on the anniversary, law enforcement across the state will be stepping up enforcement of the Move Over Law.

If you get caught not moving over for an emergency vehicle, it’s a $100 fine.