Thursday, June 29, 2006
Contact: Spence Jackson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Toughens Move Over Law; Designates Highways to Honor Law Enforcement Officials
JEFFERSON CITY–Gov. Matt Blunt today signed legislation increasing penalties for motorists who fail to comply with the state’s Move Over law, and designating portions of Missouri’s highways in honoring law enforcement officials killed in the line of duty.
Senate Bill 872, sponsored by Sen. Michael Gibbons, enacts tougher provisions to help ensure highway workers’, emergency workers’ and all Missouri motorists’ safety. By law Missouri motorists must move over to the other lane when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle or when approached by an oncoming emergency vehicle. Senate Bill 872 upgrades failure to comply with this law to a Class A misdemeanor from a Class B misdemeanor. The legislation also creates the crime of endangerment of a highway worker. Individuals are guilty of endangering a highway worker if the speed they are traveling is greater than 15 mph, if they pass another vehicle in a work zone that results in the death or injury of a highway worker, if they fail to obey work zone traffic control signal or move equipment used to control traffic flow, or if they assault a highway worker with their vehicle or other instrument.
“There is no excuse for recklessness and lack of consideration that risks the lives of those who work everyday to make our roads safer,” Blunt said. “I am honored to sign this important legislation protecting the safety of all Missourians while they travel and work on our roads and highways.”
Senate Bill 667, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Engler, designates memorial highways and bridges. The bill names the portion of State Highway M within the city limits of Irondale as the Trooper Robert Kolilis Memorial Highway. Kolilis died in 1988 from injuries sustained while assisting with a traffic accident in Washington County. The legislation designates the portion of U.S. Highway 54 located in the eastern limits of Macks Creek to the western limits of Camdenton as the Trooper Ross S. Creach Memorial Highway. Creach died in 1943 as a result of injuries sustained after being struck by a drunk driver.
The bill also designates bridges on U.S. Highway 60 over the Current River in Van Buren as the Sgt. Dewayne Graham, Jr. Missouri State Highway Patrol Memorial Bridges. Graham was killed in 2005 from an ambush in the front of his home in rural Van Buren. The legislation also designates a portion of U.S. Highway 60 from the intersection of State Route MM to the intersection of State Highway 181 as the Trooper D. Kevin Floyd Memorial Highway. Floyd was killed while making a traffic stop on Highway 60 in Texas County.
Senate Bill 667 names a portion of Interstate 44 (I-44) from mile marker 91 to mile marker 94 in Webster County as the Corporal Jay Sampietro Missouri State Highway Patrol Memorial Highway. Sampietro died in 2005 while investigating an early morning accident on I-44 in Webster County. The bill also names a two mile portion of I-44 heading east from the US Highway 50 intersection in Franklin County as the Trooper Ralph Tatoian Memorial Highway. Tatoian died in 2005 while responding to a search for an individual suspected of shooting a sheriff’s deputy in Franklin County.
Senate Bill 990, sponsored by Sen. Carl Vogel, designates a portion of State Highway 179 in Cole County as the Wyman S. Basinger Memorial Highway, and a portion of State Highway H in Dent County from the intersection of State Highway 72 to the intersection of State Highway DD as the Deputy Joann Barnes Memorial Highway. Basinger served as sheriff of Cole County for over 17 years and passed away due to medical complications after being involved in a traffic accident while responding to an emergency call in 1986. Barnes was killed in 2002 after being shot while responding to a house to investigate a double murder that had occurred earlier in the day.
Senate Bill 1139, sponsored by Sen. Michael Gibbons, designates a portion of State Highway 21 from the intersection of Lindbergh Avenue to the intersection of Gravois Road in St. Louis County as the Sergeant William McEntee Memorial Highway. McEntee was shot and killed in 2005 while responding to a call.
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