Michigan State Police troopers hit by suspected drunk driver
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Two Michigan State Police troopers are expected to be okay after they were hit by a suspected drunk driver during a traffic stop over the weekend.
The two troopers were stopped on I-96 for a traffic crash when a Ford F-150 didn't move over and hit their fully marked car.
"Troopers were out policing a crash and we had a drunk driver that was behind the wheel of a pickup truck, struck the bank of our patrol car. Fortunately the troopers had their seatbelts on," said MSP Lt. Mike Shaw
The troopers were hospitalized for a few hours but were released and are expected to be okay.
"When we made contact with the driver, naturally he was given a field sobriety test. Once he failed those we got a search warrant for blood and he was lodged at the Detroit Detention Center," Shaw said.
According to Shaw, they're seeing drunk and distracted driving crashes more often – including one in Southfield at nearly the exact same moment.
"At the same exact time that our truck got hit, our Tahoe got hit on the freeway, Southfield Fire truck got hit in Southfield by a drunk driver," Shaw said.
Don't drink and drive. And put your phone down.
"Just have a plan to get home and there’s so many different ways from you know public transportation, to ride-sharing. We don’t care if you get a piggyback ride from your best friend just to keep you from behind the wheel cuz this is what happens," Shaw said. "You know we shouldn’t be on the phone. We should have both hands on the wheel. All the things that we all learned in driver's ed that try to keep us out of these crashes people just aren’t going anymore and that’s, that’s a tough part."
Michigan law requires you to move over for police, ambulance, fire crews, or two trucks. You also have to slow down – 10 MPH below the speed limit.
"We look at all these crashes that we have here in Michigan, risky driving behaviors. I mean they’re all preventable," Shaw said.
The prosecutor will now determine what charges the driver will face.