I've spent the past 5.5 years in trauma and emergency medicine (mostly peds), including a concurrent few running comms for incident command training throughout the southwest, and have seen many times the effects of the one-sided battle between pedestrians and vehicles.

For years I've been asking why Salt River PD continues to stop people on the 101, and often at busy merge areas (on ramps, in particular). It is the single most dangerous position an officer can put himself it, yet it continues to happen in areas with an exit every mile, if not half-mile.

The latest event is tragic and I don't wish it on anyone, but I have to wonder if the conversation will turn to their policies regarding stops on the freeways; seems they are playing with a time bomb here, since we all know distracted driving isn't becoming less of a problem. Quite the contrary.

I never stop on the freeway even for DPS - I hit the emergency lights to acknowledge and then make the next exit and turn off to a protected area. I've had a few get a little annoyed, but those to a "T" have each been grateful for the consideration after I tell them why.

Anyway, I'm as much upset by the news as annoyed. I know plenty of local guys - Mesa, , Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert, Chadler, DPS - including family, and will be asking them as well, but figured someone here could shed some light in the meantime.

And before anyone gets any ideas, this isn't a blue-line blah blah for-or-against thread, so spare me that. If you know that guy or his family, know that I'm sorry about the whole thing.

Those people just need to be held responsible for their negligence, can’t solve a problem by not confronting the actor.

With all due respect, there are two actors here.

The very reason I posted this is because all the coverage focuses solely on the negligent driver, and he should be held responsible to the greatest extent, but to pretend there aren't ways to mitigate the opportunities is nonsense.

You can try to plan where a traffic stop will occur, but it’s always in the offender cars control on where they stop . Even if you tell them over the intercom to exit , they don’t.

Those giant Amber Alert electronic signs should have driving tips on them, instead of the "Drive Hammered Get Nailed" bullshit I always see.

Stuff like;

You can turn right on red
Left lane is for faster traffic only
If it steers, it clears; get off the freeway (for people in fender benders who insist on treating it like a crime scene)
Use your turn signal
Exit the freeway if you are being pulled over

I can understand that. In fact I've witnessed it firsthand and the person usually acts like they've heard Zeus himself and are stunned frozen.

Too bad there isn't a law that forces people off the freeways for traffic stops; not necessarily for the penalty in it, but to make it a formal affair.

Anyway I feel better this afternoon - thanks for letting me rail a minute.

I agree 100%. They are very underutilized.

It is the stupid driver at fault.  You cannot control people with laws and policies.  Drivers are getting worse every year.  We need to make the driver's test mandatory and more difficult.  We need to educate drivers better.

Lawmakers continue to make more laws about guns.  Guess what it does stop criminals from doing bad things.

Frankly, I don’t think cops should be able to pull you over on the highway/freeway at all. Every time it feels like rush hour an hour or two before it should...you finally make it a half mile or so...there, bingo! - cop off on a shoulder with his lights on. Every damn time. One guy was caught speeding or whatever, so now, hundreds or thousands are impacted on their commutes home, or to wherever. Get the fuck off the highways with your lights on unless there actually is a serious issue. Billy Bob getting lit up for 15 over should not also affect the rest of us currently on that roadway.

This is not analogous at all.

Tens of thousands of deaths yearly on Americas roads, with countless more injuries, could all be eliminated if drivers were more responsible. It's a damn shame.

So as a guy who has made thousands of traffic stops on the freeway in my 19 year career at DPS, I will chime in.  What happened is tragic, and I will be there for the viewing and funeral.

Every time you get out on the roadway, in a police vehicle or not, it is inherently dangerous.  Every time you walk down the street next to a road, cross the street, it is as well.

There are somethings we do as Troopers to help us be safer when conducting traffic stops on the highway.  The biggest is passenger-side approach.  I rarely approach a vehicle on the traffic side.  That is about training.  If I can have a vehicle move off the highway after the initial stop, I do that as well.

More police officers are killed each year in traffic collisions that by gunfire every year.  I am blessed not to have been in a serious collision in my career.  I will tell you that my patrol car has been sideswiped twice while I was on a traffic stop.  If I had been on the traffic side at the time, I would not be here today.  So if officers are going to make traffic stops on the highway, they just need to make conscious decisions on the extra safety steps.

The Salt River PD guys do make a lot of contacts on SR101.  We see them every day.  It is in their jurisdiction.  Not sure if it is a personal preference or a policy, but we appreciate them being visible.  They back us up, we back them up.  A few Troopers I know were great friends with Clayton, and everyone is hurting.  RIP to him, and prayers to his family.

+1, great idea!

Laws only "control" the law-abiding; criminals by definition break laws.

As it stands, every state has their own traffic laws; yes, there is significant overlap & uniformity (based mostly on the lobbying of insurance companies). However, unless it becomes a national issue it is a non-issue. When I have moved from one state to another all I had to do was show up at the MVD/DMV, whatever the state calls it, and surrender my out-of-state license and be issued an in-state one. Here in AZ I had to go a second time because they screwed up and forgot my motorcycle endorsement. Having to redo the written and driving tests would be a monstrous hassle!! I can't say I've met anyone that doesn't say they hate the MVD & would probably agree with me. I'm actually surprised they don't force us to renew before age 65, or charge more for a replacement, due to al the revenue they miss out on--maybe it's the outrageous registration they rape us with. I would rather pay $20 for a new license every 7 years and $35 registration per year than an $8 license only a handful of times and $100+ registration per year.