Driving the state's highways this lovely Summer weekend, I noticed that digital signboards that usually give traffic reports or remind people to buckle up had a new message:
"It's the law - Slow down and move over for stopped emergency vehicles."
This message follows an accident that occurred early Friday morning in which a state trooper working a detail was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver as he tended to another suspected drunk driver on the side of the road.
This is an example of state agencies attempting to capitalize on the organizational learning theory of crisis management. The accident and death of Sgt. Douglas Weddleton has been highly publicized the entire weekend. By posting the message to the state highway signboards, state police officials are hoping that raised awareness from this crisis will lead to new behaviors in drivers - in this case, being cognizant of law enforcement vehicles and taking caution when they are stopped on the side of the road.
Sgt. Weddleton was the father of four and his death was tragic. Our primary hope is that this incident helps more people use caution when approaching stopped emergency vehicles, so his death won't be in vain.
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