[kellyhound]

Two law enforcement squads were struck by motorists who were driving too fast for conditions Sunday morning, three days after Winnebago County authorities launched a campaign to raise awareness about a state law requiring drivers to move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles

Squads from the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office and Wisconsin State Patrol were hit by passing motorists while responding to separate crashes on U.S. Highway 41 after the season's first snowfall left roadways slippery.

No one was seriously injured in the crashes, but they could have been avoided, authorities said.

"All they had to do was slow down and perhaps move to the center," said Winnebago Sheriff's Lt. Steve Verwiel, whose vehicle was struck twice in a matter of minutes. "Once things start to deteriorate, things deteriorate quickly."

The crashes started at 8:11 a.m. when the vehicle of a Wisconsin State Patrol officer responding to two single-vehicle crashes in the southbound lanes of Highway 41 near County Trunk II in Neenah was struck by a passing vehicle.

Verwiel was driving north on Highway 41 to that crash when he stopped for a Ford Ranger that had lost control on the Lake Butte des Morts bridge at 8:42 a.m.

Verwiel brought the driver into his Ford Expedition to gather information and then went to move the woman's vehicle which was in traffic and facing the wrong way.

"I had just gotten into the seat of her vehicle when seconds later the patrol vehicle was struck by a black Ford Edge that had slid out of control, sliding into my squad and it crashed into the vehicle I was seated in. So I watched all of that through the front windshield as it occurred."

About a minute later, after Verwiel had checked on the two drivers and was back inside his patrol vehicle, it was struck again by a second vehicle that had lost control.

The Winnebago Sheriff's patrol vehicle is believed to be totaled and the State Patrol cruiser is severely damaged.

The crashes came three days after the agencies stopped 21 drivers for Move Over Law violations during an enforcement effort on the highway Thursday.

Wisconsin's Move Over Law requires drivers to shift lanes if possible and slow down to create a safety zone for law enforcement vehicles, tow trucks, ambulances, fire trucks, highway maintenance or utility vehicles that are stopped on the side of the road with its warning lights flashing.

"This isn't something new, every year we have cars struck from behind," Wisconsin State Patrol Sgt. Tim McGrath said.

"We didn't think it would happen three days later that both of us would have cars struck a half hour apart. We're pleading with the public to slow down and move over."

[30564U]

Ouch...black ice?

[Shakey]

Glad I don't have to drive in that shit.