SALISBURY — A state trooper was seriously injured when his cruiser was struck by a vehicle driven by a Lawrence man, state police said.
Josue Levi Cuevas Santana was issued a criminal summons for negligent operation, speeding, using a mobile device while driving and failure to move over for an emergency vehicle after the crash Saturday on Interstate 95 in Salisbury, state police said.
A trooper from the Newbury barracks stopped his cruiser with the emergency lights on just before Interstate 495 about 2:15 p.m. to remove a ladder from the left travel lane.
After removing the ladder, the trooper returned to his cruiser and fastened his seatbelt. Moments later, without warning, another vehicle struck the cruiser, according to a state police report.
Troopers from the Newbury barracks and Salisbury first responders gave immediate aid to the trooper, who suffered serious injuries. He was transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire.
The injured trooper was not identified by state police.
Cuevas Santana was taken to Lawrence General Hospital for treatment.
Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials responded to the accident to secure the ladder and clear debris from the highway, state police said.
State police Col. Geoffrey Noble said in a statement, “In the days and weeks ahead, the state police will fully investigate the facts and circumstances of this crash, including the actions of the driver as well as the ladder in the roadway that prompted the trooper to stop in the first place. We do so while keeping our focus on our injured colleague, who has the full support of the Massachusetts State Police as he recovers from several serious injuries.”
“This incident also underscores a broader, ongoing concern for the safety of those who work on our highways,” Noble added. “Far too often, drivers fail in their responsibility to slow down and move over when approaching emergency vehicles displaying their lights. This law exists to protect lives. If not for this trooper’s decision to wear his seatbelt, the outcome could have been even more tragic.”
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