Firefighters and state troopers working in Rocky Hill on Monday night became the latest example of the need for improved roadway safety after a car breached an active scene off of Interstate 91.
The Rocky Hill Fire Department said it responded just before 10 p.m. Monday to a reported vehicle fire on Interstate 91 North at Exit 23.
According to fire officials, a vehicle traveling northbound on Interstate 91 “took a hard right turn to get off the highway at Exit 23” while officials were working to extinguish the fire.
The vehicle then bypassed the blocking pattern officials had established around the scene and entered the area where firefighters and state troopers were working, officials said.
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The Rocky Hill Fire Department noted that “all fire apparatus were positioned properly” and that “all firefighters were wearing the appropriate reflective gear while maintaining their distance from the travel lanes.”
The car stopped immediately, according to fire officials, and no one was injured. State police ticketed the driver.
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But the close call in Rocky Hill is emblematic of a larger issue in the state. Monday night’s incident comes amid a huge push from state leaders about road safety awareness following the roadside deaths of three Connecticut workers in a five-week period.
And it’s far from the only close call in recent months.
In early June, a 25-year-old Rhode Island man was charged after police said he drove through an active highway construction zone on Interstate 84 West in Southington while under the influence of alcohol.
Less than three weeks later, three Greenwich firefighters were injured while responding to a crash on Interstate 95 when a car carrier struck their fire engine.
“Please help us to be safe,” the Rocky Hill Fire Department said, mentioning the recent roadside deaths of a state trooper and a Department of Transportation worker. “This is a reminder for everyone to follow the state ‘move over’ law, which requires motorists to move over one lane away from any emergency, maintenance, or wrecker vehicle on a highway.”
