(COLORADO) — On Monday, Nov. 18, Governor Jared Polis signed a proclamation officially designating the week as Crash Responder Safety Week.
Governor Polis signed the declaration after multiple crashes injured and killed members of law enforcement and state employees while they were working on the side of the road.
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn was responding to a roadside crash when an impaired driver allegedly sped into the scene, killed Officer Dunn and severely injured another officer. On Wednesday, Nov. 13, Colorado State Patrol trooper Tyler Atkins was injured while investigating a crash on Highway 115 in El Paso County. Two CDOT employees were killed while working road maintenance on U.S. 6 in Mesa County in September.
Crash Responder Safety Week is designed to recognize and promote the safety of first responders working alongside the road. The proclamation is also to raise awareness about Colorado’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to move over a lane or slow down if they can’t move over when approaching responders on the shoulder.