Police car hit, officer nearly struck by passing car during traffic stop

An RCMP vehicle was hit and an officer was nearly struckby a passing car on a highway in Upper Sackville, N.S., on Tuesday afternoon.

RCMP say an officer completed a roadside stop on a vehicle on Highway 101 at about 1:45 p.m. While he was out of hispolice car, a passing Honda Civic hit it.

The officer was almost hit as well, but was uninjured.

The driver of the Civic was "shaken up," according to police, but was also uninjured. The 31-year-old Halifax man was issued a summary offence ticket for failing to move over a ticketthat comes with a $350 fine for a first offence.

The incident was captured on a camera inside the police vehicle, which was parked behind and slightly to the left of the car that was pulled over for the traffic stop.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay said police vehicles are usually parked slightly "offset" from the pulled-over vehicle to give officers a "safety pocket" to work in.

"That's the reason our officer wasn't hit," Tremblay said. "That leaves him that area to work in that's safe and, luckily, that was just enough for him not to get hit."

Both vehicles had minor damage.

The police car had its emergency lights on at the time of the collision.

RCMP say drivers must slow down to 60 km/h when an emergency vehicle is pulled over with its lights flashing, or drive the speed limit if it is lower than 60 km/h.

On roads with two or more lanes going the same direction, drivers must also move into the lane that is farther away from the stopped vehicle, if safe to do so.