DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. -- When there's a crash on the highway, two of the biggest challenges can be the resulting traffic and safety risk to first responders. To help solve both, Colorado State Patrol is showing off a new tactic: pushing your wrecked car off the road.
CSP did a show-and-tell of how and why at the new Douglas County Emergency Vehicle Operation Center on Friday.
"Moving a car without a tow truck isn’t what we did a lot of times," Trooper Gary Cutler said.
Until now.
"We have the ability now with the push bumpers on our patrol cars to push these out of the way," he added.
CSP officials said when rollover crashes don't result in serious injury, they will be pushing the wreck to the shoulder to allow for traffic to move by and to keep themselves safe.
“The last two-and-a-half years we have lost three troopers in the line of duty all as a result of crashes and secondary crashes,” a CSP member reminded the group gathered for the demonstration.
The goal is to keep troopers out of as much road traffic as possible to minimize the risk from other drivers.
State Patrol officials said they have the right to clear the road of hazards like a wreck, even if it results in additional property damage to the vehicle. Each case will be to the discretion of the troopers on scene, they said.
