Firefighters ask drivers to “Move Over”

Shari Harris, Publisher

“What is it going to take to get people to slow down?” asked Licking Fire Chief Bobby Hearty.

Near misses are a regular occurrence for fire fighters and other first responders at motor vehicle accidents on highways. One volunteer firefighter for the Licking Rural Fire Department (LRFD) received more than a near miss on the morning of Wednesday, October 15, when his foot was run over by a passing vehicle at an accident scene north of Licking on Highway 63.

At 6:07 a.m. LRFD was dispatched to assist at the accident scene. The firefighter involved in the incident was holding a lighted stop paddle to direct traffic around the scene when a motorist failed to move over enough and ran over his boot. He was taken by ambulance to be assessed at the hospital, but luckily, the firefighter experienced no injuries. He is very thankful for his steel-toed boots.

Another driver created a close call at an accident scene in February 2025. Two Licking firefighters were testifying at her trial on the same day the firefighter had his foot run over.

Licking Fire Chief Bobby Hearty and Rural Fire Board Member Donnie Trout shared that multiple close calls happen at every accident response, despite the department’s efforts to provide more warning to drivers with cones, lighted paddles and reflective vests. They are currently considering changing the color of their lights to green and white to further alert drivers, along with adding body cams and dash cams to better document incidents.

Since 2005, at least six Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers have died as a result of vehicle-related incidents, including a community member, Trooper Donald K. Floyd. Work zones on Missouri highways have been the location of 12 fatalities just in 2025. One firefighter’s wife said she worries far more about her husband going on traffic related calls than to fires.

The solution is simple. Motorists need to slow down and move over.

Missouri’s “Move Over” Law is defined in Missouri Statutes and on the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) website as follows:

“Upon approaching a stationary vehicle displaying lighted red or red and blue lights, or a stationary vehicle displaying lighted amber or amber and white lights, the driver of every motor vehicle shall:

“(1) Proceed with caution and yield the right-of-way, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the stationary vehicle, if on a roadway having at least four lanes with not less than two lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle; or

“(2) Proceed with due caution and reduce the speed of the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for road conditions, if changing lanes would be unsafe or impossible.”

Not moving over is a Class A misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of $2,000.00 and a prison sentence of one year.

The fire department will be announcing a flagger training on North Main Street in the near future, and they invite everyone to drive through the area during the training, to give both drivers and flaggers experience on how to respond safely. Licking Police Department Sergeant Brian Allgire, who is also on the rural fire board, is a certified trainer and will be providing more training to firefighters on traffic control.

Chief Hearty says his number one goal is to get his volunteer firefighters back home to their families after every call. He asks for the community’s help to make this happen, by changing dangerous driving habits. Volunteer firefighters give hours of their day for their community. They are asking for minutes (or less) of a driver’s time to ensure their safety.