01/30/2026
FLORIDA ROAD RANGER STRUCK NEAR TAMPA
MOVE OVER LAW IGNORED YET AGAIN
TAMPA, FL — A Florida Road Ranger vehicle was struck while parked on the shoulder of a Tampa-area highway during an active roadside assist. The Road Ranger involved is thankfully reported to be okay. That outcome should not be mistaken for success. It is luck, and luck has a short shelf life on the side of an interstate.
Florida Road Rangers operate in some of the most dangerous working conditions in the state. They assist stranded motorists, manage traffic flow during incidents, and help prevent secondary crashes. Despite clear warning lights, high-visibility vehicles, and a well-established Move Over law, these responders continue to be hit at an alarming rate.
Florida’s Move Over law requires motorists approaching a stopped vehicle on the shoulder displaying emergency or hazard lights to move over one lane when possible. If a lane change cannot be safely made, drivers are required to slow down significantly. This law applies not only to law enforcement and fire apparatus, but also to Road Rangers, tow trucks, utility vehicles, and disabled vehicles.
This crash near Tampa is not an isolated incident. Roadside responders across Florida are struck far too often because drivers refuse to pay attention, refuse to slow down, or believe the law somehow does not apply to them. Every one of these crashes is preventable.
“Road Rangers are not obstacles. They are people doing a job that protects everyone on the road,” said a spokesperson for roadside safety advocates. “When drivers ignore the Move Over law, they are making a conscious decision to endanger lives.”
Florida has expanded its Move Over protections in recent years, yet compliance remains dangerously low. Enforcement alone will not solve this problem. Driver behavior must change. Until it does, responders will continue to get hit, injured, and killed while simply doing their jobs.
The Road Ranger survived this crash. The next responder might not.
Slow down.
Move over.
Every single time.
Because excuses don’t stop crashes, and flashing lights are not decorations.