Crime Wyoming

Highway Patrol Reminds Drivers: Move Over for Emergency Vehicles

Highway Patrol Reminds Drivers: Move Over for Emergency Vehicles
Montana Highway Patrol

The Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) is doubling down on a simple message after a scary crash on I-80: yield to emergency vehicles.

The reminder comes after one of their own patrol cars was hit by a semi in Carbon County late Tuesday morning. Around 11:38 a.m., a trooper was responding to a separate crash and tried to turn into the median when a westbound semi clipped the patrol car, according to WHP.

Thankfully, the trooper wasn’t seriously hurt. He was taken to Rawlins Hospital for a quick checkup and released later that day. The truck driver walked away without injuries. No citations were issued in the crash.

Even though this incident ended without major injuries, WHP says it’s a sharp reminder that not yielding to emergency vehicles can have serious consequences. At minimum, it can mean costly delays in getting help to crash scenes — at worst, it can cost lives.

By law, when emergency vehicles come up behind you with lights flashing or sirens blaring, you’ve got to yield the right-of-way. That means moving over safely if you can, or at least slowing down to give them space.

WHP also noted that ignoring this rule isn’t just dangerous — it’ll hit your wallet, too. Fines start at $235.

The original story by Mark Rattner for NonStop Local Billings.

Joe Yans

Joe Yans is a 25-year-old journalist and interviewer based in Cheyenne, Wyoming. As a local news correspondent and an opinion section interviewer for Wyoming Star, Joe has covered a wide range of critical topics, including the Israel-Palestine war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and the 2025 LA wildfires. Beyond reporting, Joe has conducted in-depth interviews with prominent scholars from top US and international universities, bringing expert perspectives to complex global and domestic issues.