Cody Police Vehicle Damaged Monday

A driver ignoring a safety law on Monday meant a near miss for a Cody Police officer, but heavy damage to his vehicle.
On Monday, November 13, Cody Police Officer Scott Burlingame had pulled a vehicle over for a routine traffic stop near the intersection of 8th Street and Canyon Avenue. According to Police Lieutenant Jason Stafford, Officer Burlingame had his overhead emergency lights activated, but when the officer opened his door, a passing motorist struck his open door, nearly missing the officer.
Lieutenant Stafford says that because the passing motorist had not observed state law that dictates that oncoming traffic must move into another lane when passing emergency vehicles, the officer could have been the victim of a fatal incident.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol investigated the incident, as it involved another law enforcement agency. Several people, commenting on a Facebook post put out by the Highway Patrol, questioned the position of the Police Officer’s truck, as it was parked slightly in the lane of traffic. Stafford says that parking in that position is standard procedure for the department.

The driver of the passing vehicle was cited for failure to yield or move over for an emergency vehicle, which carries a fine of $235. Stafford added that this incident serves as a caution to everyone to move over to the inside lane of travel to provide a safe space for emergency vehicles.