Joining the highway patrol in any state can be a frightening occupation–in the blink of an eye, it is possible to be “trunked,” or in other words, be hit from behind by an oncoming vehicle. When Rachel Zubal jointed the Utah Highway Patrol over three years ago, this was one of her primary concerns. She commented, “When you’re out in five lanes of 70-plus mile-per-hour traffic, you feel very helpless and out of control.”

Zubal’s fears were confirmed this past Satuday night when she was struck by a minivan as she stepped out of her patrol car in the left meridian on northbound I-15. According to law enforcement officials, the vehicle that hit Zubal was traveling twenty-five to thirty-five miles-per-hour and dragged the patrol officer over seventy five feet. When the minivan finally stopped about one hundred feet later, Zubal’s jacket was still caught on the front grille of the car. According to the driver, he moved into the middle lane but lost control of his vehicle when another car forced him to move into the left lane.

As a result of the accident, the mother of two sustained a broken pelvis and could require some skin grafts. Despite this, she is very lucky to be alive, given the circumstances of the crash. In response to this accident, and several similar accidents, the Utah Highway Patrol is pleading with drivers to slow down and proceed with caution when passing stopped vehicles on the highway.  In past years, two troopers would be on the scene of a pulled over vehicle–one officer would interact with the driver, while the other would alert traffic to the pulled over cars. However, according to to UHP Col. Daniel Fuhr, the Department of Public Safety had to lay off twenty-one troopers last year, and has been instructed to downsize another four percent this year. “We no longer have the staff to do that,” he commented. “Our troopers are working harder than they’ve ever worked before,” as they sometimes handle up to twenty accident on snowy days.

Snowy, winter weather creates ideal conditions for car accidents, as seen by the example of Rachel Zubal. It is vital that all motorists exercise extreme caution while on the road at all times, otherwise, severe personal injury or death can result. An experienced personal injury attorney can help provide answers to the many questions that an injured individual will undoubtedly have regarding their case. Car accidents can have life-changing consequences including irreversible and permanent personal injuries or death. For this, you may be entitled to damages and compensation for your pain and suffering. To find out all of your options, it is important to contact a hard-working and aggressive personal injury lawyer for representation. The Law Offices of Bredell and Bredell are ready to help provide help for you regarding your case.