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Ohio Highway Patrol renews push for "Move over and slow down" campaign after recent tragedies

Posted at 4:46 PM, Feb 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-21 19:51:12-05

Middleburg Heights police officer Ryan Nagy was in the Metro trauma center for 52 days when he was nearly killed after being hit by a pickup truck in 2005.

Nagy suffered numerous injuries including losing his right leg that was crushed by the truck.

He was in a coma for weeks.

Nagy was on I-71 writing a ticket on the side of the road when he was hit.

Last summer, State Highway Patrol trooper Kenny Valez was struck and killed on I-90. Cleveland officer David Fahey was hit and killed on that same highway last month.

Now, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is renewing a statewide push of the "move over and slow down" campaign.

The campaign reminds drivers to move over to another lane, when they see a police or emergency vehicle on the side of the road, and to slow down if there's only one lane.

Despite his brush with death, Nagy still patrols and urges drivers to move over and slow down, because even now he still has close calls.

"There's been plenty of times since my accident, but it feels like it almost happened again because people don't move over or try to get out of the way," Nagy said.

The law applies to any vehicle with flashing lights, like a construction crew or tow truck driver.

A ticket for not moving over costs $140.