Michigan State Police out of the Paw Paw post patrolled Van Buren and Kalamazoo counties looking for violators of Michigan’s Move Over Law on Friday. It was the 22nd anniversary of Trooper Rick Johnson’s line of duty death that occurred on May 6, 2000. State police say Michigan’s Move Over Law requires drivers to slow down and move fully over to the right lane if an emergency response vehicle is headed in their direction with its lights activated. Trooper Johnson was killed in 2000 as a direct result of a violator of the move over law. Also, just last year, a trooper out of the Paw Paw post was injured when his patrol car was struck by a semi on I-94 in Van Buren County. Michigan State Police note a driver who violates the Move Over law could get a $400 fine. A violator who causes an injury is looking at a two year felony, and a driver who causes a death faces a 15 year felony.
