BETTENDORF, Iowa — Two Bettendorf police cruisers were crashed into by a passing vehicle on Sunday, according to the Bettendorf PD's Facebook page.
Around 12:30 a.m., two Bettendorf police officers parked their vehicles in the right lane of the roadway in the 500 block of River Drive with emergency lights on while conducting a routine traffic stop. A passing vehicle failed to change lanes or reduce their speed before striking the rear of one of the squad cars. The police car that was struck then crashed into the other one.
One police vehicle is presumed totaled. Both police officers were outside of their vehicles at the time of the crash and were not injured.
This incident was announced just days after two construction workers were struck by a passerby and killed while working on Great River Bridge near Burlington by a diver who was violating Illinois's Scott's Law, which requires drivers to move over or slow down for emergency vehicles.
The Bettendorf Police Department would like to remind drivers of the dangers of impaired driving and the requirements for passing stopped emergency vehicles. Drivers must approach stationary emergency vehicles while lights are flashing with due caution and do one of the following:
- Make a lane change into a lane not adjacent to the authorized emergency vehicle if possible in the existing safety and traffic conditions.
- If a lane change would be impossible, prohibited by law, or unsafe, reduce the speed of the motor vehicle to a reasonable and proper speed for the existing road and traffic conditions, which speed shall be less than the posted speed limit, and be prepared to stop.
Watch more news, weather and sports on News 8's YouTube channel
