Upper Chichester Township Fire Police

Good Afternoon Everyone! We are keeping our eye on a potential for stormy weather starting Wednesday night and continuing through Friday. The period of biggest ...concern is Thursday. First, heavy rain is possible. This could lead to localized flooding, especially in areas of poor drainage. The timing for the threat of heavy rain and localized flooding is late Wednesday night through late Thursday night. There is also a slight risk (2 out of 5), mostly west of the I-95 corridor that thunderstorms could be severe with damaging winds. The timing of the threat for severe storms is early Thursday afternoon through late Thursday evening.

Event update including possible vehicle involved.

When you see road closed signs up the road is closed. Just because you can’t see why it is closed, doesn’t mean it isn’t.

Move Over, Slow Down Pennsylvania’s Move Over Law requires drivers approaching an emergency response area who are unable to safely merge into a lane further awa...y from the response area to slow to at least 20 mph less than the posted speed limit. An emergency response area is where an emergency vehicle has its lights flashing, or where road crews or emergency responders have lighted flares, posted signs, or try to warn travelers. The Law Act 105 of 2020, signed on October 29, 2020 and effective 180 days later on April 27, 2021: Creates a new point system that imposes two points for failure to merge into the lane not next to the emergency response area. Sets fines at $500 for first-time offenders, $1,000 for a second offense, and $2,000 for a third or subsequent offense. Requires a 90-day license suspension for a third or subsequent offense. The license suspension also applies to incidents that seriously injure or kill another person. The suspension is six months if the person injured or killed is an emergency service provider or was near a disabled vehicle. Sets additional fines of up to $10,000 for violators who injure or kill an emergency service responder or a person in or near a disabled vehicle. Doubled fines for several traffic violations when committed in an emergency response area when first responders are present. A similar law (Title 75, Section 4572.2) requires motorists to move over or slow down when approaching a stationary trash or recycling truck.

On Wednesday, April 21st, the Exeter Township Police Department conducted a Move Over educational/enforcement detail along Rt. 422 in Exeter Township (Berks Cou...nty), Pennsylvania to raise awareness of the Pennsylvania Move Over Law. Assisting in the Move Over Detail were V&M Towing, Highway Safety Network District 5, & PennTIME - Pennsylvania Statewide Traffic Incident Management Group. Special thanks to the West Chester Borough Police Department for use of their Move Over signs and the Emergency Responder Safety Institute for their Move Over Rack Cards to help bring awareness to the Move Over Law. In 2019, 44 emergency responders were struck & killed in the United States while helping others, in 2020, 46 emergency responders were struck & killed. So far in 2021, 17 emergency responders have been struck & killed (10 police officers, 5 tow truck drivers, 1 fire-police officer, and 1 highway responder.) Two Pennsylvania emergency responders have been struck & injured in the past 24 hours! On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, the enhanced Pennsylvania Move Over Law goes into effect and fines will double for motorists failing to Move Over for emergency responders along the side of the roadway or at incident scenes: 1st offense = Increased from $250 to $500 2nd offense = Increased from $500 to $1,000 3rd offense = Increased from $1,000 to $2,000 In addition, there are additional fines and penalties for bodily injury or death in relation to emergency response areas or disabled vehicles up to $10,000. A motorist will also receive two points on their driving record for violating the Move Over Law. IF A MOTORIST IS UNABLE TO SAFELY MOVE OVER THEY MUST SLOW DOWN! Minimum Speed: If a person cannot pass an emergency response area or while passing a disabled vehicle in a nonadjacent lane because it is impossible, illegal, or unsafe, the person would need to pass those areas at a speed no more than 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit. An example of this is at 55 MPH, a motorist who is unable to Move Over must SLOW DOWN to a speed of NOT less than 35 MPH as they pass the emergency response area. NEW PROVISION: In addition, you must MOVE OVER for a disabled vehicle on the side of the roadway or in an emergency response area if the following is present: Markings by Disabled Vehicles: A disabled vehicle shall use at least two of the following markings: Vehicular hazard signal lamps as provided in section 4305 (relating to vehicular hazard signal lamps) this means "4 Way Flashers" Caution signs or other traffic control devices, (triangles, signs, cones, etc.) Road flares. Two examples: A motorist with a flat tire along the side of the roadway with 4-way flashers on AND a cone or flare behind the vehicle - YOU MUST MOVE OVER if safe to do so if you can't Move Over you must SLOW DOWN. A tractor-trailer on the side of the roadway with 4-way (emergency) flashers, and triangles - YOU MUST MOVE OVER if safe to do so if you can't Move Over you must SLOW DOWN. Move Over Pennsylvania National Struck-By Heroes Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Pennsylvania Turnpike Pennsylvania State Police