EPPING — In October 2021, a tractor trailer struck and killed Staff Sgt. Jesse Sherrill of the New Hampshire State Police on Interstate 95 in Portsmouth.
In a court hearing for the driver who struck him, State Police Col. Mark Hall called him one of the greatest troopers in the State Police’s history, WMUR reported at the time.
On Monday, Hall spoke about the fallen officer again, this time during a ceremony at the State Police barracks in Epping devoted to tightening and renaming a law meant to protect law enforcement or anyone else who finds themselves on the side of a busy road.
“From this day forward, this law will be known as ‘Sherrill’s Law,’ a lasting testament to Jesse’s service, sacrifice, and the values he embodied,” Hall said. “This legislation expands the original ‘Move Over Law’ to require drivers to move over and slow down for all vehicles stopped on the side of the roadway. It reflects Jesse’s enduring concern for the safety and well-being of others, something he demonstrated every day, both in uniform and in life.”
Roughly a month before the ceremony, Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed into law Senate Bill 273, sponsored by state Sen. Donovan Fenton. Previously, pursuant to state law, drivers were required to slow down and give a wide berth, if practical, to any vehicles partially or completely blocking a road following a crash, as well as vehicles involved in police traffic stops.
The change expands the law to include any “stopped or standing vehicle” displaying emergency lights or warning signals, such as road flares, traffic cones, or caution signs, and anyone inside or outside of their vehicle. The legislation also renames the “Mover Over Law” as “Sherrill’s Law.” The law goes into effect Sept. 13.
At the ceremony Monday, Ayotte signed a proclamation honoring Sherrill.
“Ultimately, what happened to Jesse Sherrill was preventable,” Ayotte said. “We have a duty to make sure we learn from what happened to honor Jesse’s tremendous legacy, and to do all that we can to make sure that this does not happen again.”
Sherrill, a native of Exeter, started his law enforcement career in 2001 with the Hooksett Police Department before joining the State Police in late 2002, where he served until his death. He was guarding a construction project the day he was killed.
Jay Medeiros, the driver, pleaded guilty to felony negligent homicide and felony reckless conduct and was sentenced to a year in jail. He was accused of having marijuana in his system and in the vehicle.
Sherrill’s Law is one of a few traffic safety measures approved this year. The House bill sponsored by state Rep. Terry Roy and signed into law by Ayotte this year, makes wrong-way driving an “aggravating factor” for driving while intoxicated charges in New Hampshire. That means drunken drivers who travel in the wrong direction face more severe penalties than in a typical DWI.
That law was spurred by State Police troopers who told legislators they were having issues with wrong-way drivers in New Hampshire.