United States & Mahoning Valley - All U.S. states require motorists to move over and slow down for emergency vehicles with flashing lights. National Move Over Day serves as an opportunity for agencies such as the Ohio Department of Transportation to remind drivers to be mindful of emergency vehicles for the safety of everyone involved.

Move Over Day lies on the third Saturday of October every year, but this Saturday it is especially relevant for Mahoning Valley residents following the death of State Trooper Nicholas Cayton.

Trooper Cayton was sitting in his vehicle on the side of State Route 11 with his emergency lights on when a truck crashed into his vehicle, sending him forward into the tractor-trailer that he had pulled over to assist. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

As a full reminder, the move over and slow down law instructs drivers that, when a vehicle with flashing lights is stopped on a roadway, drivers should:

  • Change into a lane not immediately adjacent to the vehicle or
  • Slow down to a reasonable speed if you're unable to safely make a lane change