When the president comes to visit your hometown, it can be an exciting event. However, the excitement can lead to excess traffic and a lack of safety. A police officer who was in charge of keeping President Obama safe during a Florida motorcade in 2012 was killed after he was trying to stop a vehicle from getting onto the interstate. Although the driver faces no charges, the officer’s widow is suing the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office because of the unsafe premises.
The widow claims that the sheriff’s office did not do enough to prevent the death. Had there been a clear plan in place, the officer would not have had to ride his motorcycle into the path of traffic in order to keep vehicles from entering I-95. The lawsuit is asking for compensation for the widow, the couple’s child and grandchild.
The officer was hit by a pickup truck traveling at a speed of 60 mph. He crossed three lanes and had his emergency lights on as he attempted to keep traffic from entering the freeway on-ramp. The truck could not stop in time and that was when the officer was struck and killed.
Although police work can be hazardous at times, all employers must provide protection for workers. If traffic was not supposed to enter on a specific portion of the freeway, then there should have been signs, alerts and barricades alerting motorists. The motorcycle officer was put into a dangerous situation that ultimately led to his death. He suffered an unreasonable risk of harm due to a lack of security measures in place.
Source: Officer.com, “Widow of Fla. Officer Killed in Motorcade Sues” Jane Musgrave, The Palm Beach Post, May. 28, 2014