GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – It’s a simple reminder that is too often overlooked, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Dave Ross.
Ross was just one of numerous local and state transportation officials on-hand Tuesday morning at the Brown County Sheriff’s Department to honor first responders on Wisconsin roads.
The temperature at the time of the event was a not so brisk 20 degrees, which served as a bone-chilling reminder to the level of commitment from first responders in the state.
“This is a good reminder of the conditions our first responders work under,” says Secretary Ross. “In highway conditions of cold, wind, winter storms and summer heat.”
The event was part of Traffic Incident Response Week in Wisconsin, which Governor Walker declared to take place from November 11 through November 17.
First responders work to keep the state’s roadways safe, but too often their own safety is put in danger by the public.
“Too many secondary crashes are happening here in Wisconsin,” Secretary Ross says. “2,100 in just the last two years alone.”
One of those directly affected by a secondary crash is Ashwaubenon Public Safety Officer Brian Murphy.
Officer Murphy was struck by a vehicle on July 22 while assisting a car fire on I-41.
Murphy spent a month in the hospital due to the injuries he sustained and the driver was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading no contest to injury by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.
Officer Murphy says roadside safety is a two-way street.
“We do what we can on our end to make things safe up on the roadways,” he says. “But we need the help of the public to ensure that we go home safely and that members of the public go home safely.”
He reiterated the importance of the simple message from Secretary Ross.
“When you see the flashing lights, whether they are red, blue, or amber, slow down,” says Officer Murphy. “Move over and give yourself a chance to react to what’s coming up.”
Transportation officials have made a considerable effort to utilize data in order to improve road safety, but too often it’s inattention from motorists that are the cause of accidents.
“Road design enforcement and all the other things can not make up for errors made by drivers,” explains Secretary Ross. “So we need to be alert and be aware, especially when coming upon an incident here in Wisconsin.”
Emergency responders from eleven different counties in northeast Wisconsin were represented at the event.
