COLORADO, USA — A crash that killed three people, including two Colorado Department of Transportation employees, near Grand Junction Wednesday has renewed a call for drivers to obey Colorado's Move Over law.
CDOT employees Nathan Jones and Trenton Umberger were doing maintenance work on the side of Highway 6 when they were hit and killed by a Jeep. The passenger of the Jeep, Kathi Wallace, also died in the crash.
The Move Over law requires drivers to move over one lane if they see a stopped vehicle with its hazards on. In 2017, the penalties for not obeying that law increased in honor of Colorado State Patrol Trooper Cody Donahue.
Donahue was Velma Donahue-Sandberg's husband.
"He’s been gone for about seven years now, and he was wonderful," Donahue-Sandberg said. "He was just perfect and we had a wonderful life together."
In November 2016, Donahue was hit and killed while working a crash on Interstate 25 near Castle Rock. After two mistrials, the man responsible for his death was convicted and sentenced to 30 days in jail.
"He was released one week early for good behavior," Donahue-Sandberg said. "People have gone to prison for a lot less."
It's why Donahue-Sandberg pushed for the Move Over For Cody law. If a driver kills someone because they didn't change lanes, they face a felony charge. It's a law Donahue-Sandberg fought for, and one she wishes more people took seriously.
"It just hurts to see that it's happened again, and it's devastating," she said. "I couldn’t sleep last night. I was just thinking of the heartache and everything [the victims' families are] going to be going through from now, and it’s just devastating."
Colorado State Patrol said they are still investigating what caused this crash, but confirmed the driver was not in the lane they were supposed to be in. They said impairment is not suspected at this time.
"We need to do whatever we can to prevent things like this from ever happening again. This is a tragedy that could have been avoided," Donahue-Sandberg said. "If even one life can be saved through it, then it's worth it."
Donahue-Sandberg said she still visits local high schools twice a year with her late husband's sister to educate students on the Move Over law and the consequences for not following it.
AAA Colorado said the effectiveness of the Move Over law depends on people's willingness to comply. They are urging people to consider if their loved ones were on the side of the road.
AAA gave these tips for drivers:
- Emergencies can occur anywhere on the road. When you see flashing lights of any color, slow down and prepare well in advance to change lanes. Allow others to merge into your lane when necessary.
- If you are unable to move at least one lane away from the stationary vehicle, you must slow down to at least 25 miles per hour on roadways with a speed limit below 45 miles per hour. On roadways with speed limits 45 miles per hour or more, you must slow down to 20 miles per hour less than the speed limit.
- Give yourself extra space when following semi-trucks or large vehicles. If a truck moves into a left-hand lane, don't speed around the right side. They are changing lanes for a reason. Be prepared to change lanes yourself.
- When road conditions are slick, don't make sudden lane changes that can cause an uncontrollable skid. Change lanes early and move over gradually.
- Be a good passenger. Help identify roadway issues and remind the driver to slow down and move over.
- Watch for people on the roadside. People may be in or near a disabled vehicle. Just because you don't immediately see them doesn't mean they aren't there.