Tearful relatives lend support to proposed ‘move over’ law

The survivors of two police officers killed in recent months when motorists crashed into them gave tearful testimony Wednesday in favor of a bill requiring drivers to leave a safety zone or slow down when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle.

Hawaii is the only state without a so-called "move over" law.

The sister of officer Garret Davis and the wife of officer Eric Fontes Jr. testified at the state Capitol in support of the bill.

Davis, 28, was killed Jan. 21 on the H-1 freeway in Aiea near the Kaonohi Overpass when a pickup truck slammed into his police car. He had pulled over along the narrow left shoulder to help the driver of a stalled vehicle.

Fontes, 45, died Sept. 13 when he was struck by a pickup truck beside Farrington Highway near Ko Olina while assisting another officer during a traffic stop.

Amanda Stevens, Davis’ older sister, said her brother came to Hawaii from his native California several years ago to fulfill his lifelong goal of becoming a police officer.

Stevens and her husband, Isaac, are in Hawaii from Sacramento to deal with Davis’ affairs, and to testify on the bill.

"While it should be common sense to slow down and move over, the public isn’t doing that," Stevens said. "There’ve been two police officers killed in fourth months. That’s unacceptable."

Li Ann Fontes said her husband, Eric, and Davis might still be alive today if the "move over" bill had been law.

"The cost of raising awareness is nothing compared to the cost of a life," she said. "A life is something we can never get back."

The state House Public Safety and Transportation committees advanced House Bill 2030 after the hearing.

The bill, as approved by the two committees, would apply not only to all police, fire, emergency response and other first-responders, but to tow truck drivers as well.

Language in the bill was changed to make a violation a petty misdemeanor rather than a full misdemeanor, on the advice of the police department, prosecutors and the Public Defender’s Office.

The bill will be heard next by the House Judiciary Committee. Several other versions of the bill also are still alive.