Dangerous Workplace for Officers on the Road
"This is the end result and fortunately I'm still standing here to be able to talk about it."
In January of 2003, state trooper Brian Zaemisch was hit twice in the same day while pulled over on the interstate.
"I looked in my rearview mirror and I saw headlights that didn't appear they were going to stop and just braced for impact and was struck in the rear end."
Luckily, he walked away from that accident.
But incidents like this one bring back his haunting memories.
Video was caught on the patrol car dash cam of a Minnesota officer.
A pick up truck lost control and slammed into the officer.
"We see cars spinning out all the time, it can be right near by or distance away and unfortunately for him it happened right on top of him."
Trooper Zaemisch says traffic is the most routine part of his job, but it's also the scariest.
"The most dangerous part of our job is to stand out here with traffic whizzing by at 80 mph even with lights it doesn't deter anyone. They assume we're busy and it's a free ride until the next officer up the road."
But he says it takes just a split second to cause a lifetime of damage.
"Everyone's goal is to get to ther destination safely and we would just like to be able to get home safely."
According to state law, when you see emergency lights of any kind, you're required to move over to the left lane. If that's not open, you must slow down.
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