Was anyone on Route 9 South this morning between Newington and Cromwell at ~8:15?

Submitted by SourPix t3_11342j8 in Connecticut

My girl was on her way to work in Middletown this morning and called me at 8:22 to tell me that she had just witnessed something crazy on the highway. She said that on Route 9, she ran into a traffic backup. She saw ahead that a police SUV had its flashers on, going around 40 mph in the right lane, causing the backup, due to other drivers' reluctance to pass the cruiser. Eventually, as she neared the cruiser, and was right behind it, the cruiser started doing giant slalom esses across all three lanes of traffic, and was otherwise driving erratically (e.g., when someone went to drive around the cop, the cop sped up as if to pursue the person, only to go back to slalom esses after a few seconds). Eventually, my girl went around him and sped away. I was flabbergasted, and I was just wondering if anyone else on here happened to witness it (she said there were a lot of other drivers).

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RededHaid t1_j8ntuyz wrote

When she gets the ticket in the mail please update,

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Proud-Breakfast-8429 t1_j8ntymh wrote

I would assume the cop is doing a traffic break. Most likely a pursuit or something and the police don’t want anyone catching up to whatever is going on ahead.

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RunnyDischarge t1_j8nz69n wrote

Uh, I think the police didn't want you to pass them because of something up ahead. I mean the fact that the car had flashers on, was going 40mph and went across lanes when somebody tried to pass them wasn't kind of a red flag??

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gerlach t1_j8o0fpt wrote

Yes, definitely a traffic break maneuver. Here's a video of one in action, you can see the driving looks erratic at times, but the cruiser is trying to slow down the flow of traffic because of a hazard that's ahead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9IsAu_96oo
I don't know why anyone would think it a smart idea to pass a police car with flashing lights in this situation!

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RunnyDischarge t1_j8o2crl wrote

>I don't know why anyone would think it a smart idea to pass a police car with flashing lights in this situation!

It's really amazing, isn't it? The cop car with its lights on is trying to stop me from passing? Better speed up and go around!

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Aaron351 t1_j8orr29 wrote

“Babe on my way to work some asshole cop was blocking the road but I sped around him”. Imagine telling on yourself like this.

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as1126 t1_j8rme4y wrote

And the idiot that he is encouraging this behavior! This is why driving every day means you are risking your life with people like this on the road.

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kimwim43 t1_j8wd58u wrote

It's one of the things that pushed me over the edge to retire early. 84 was going to be the early death of me.

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Aaron351 t1_j8y1zyl wrote

It’s brutal. I just put dash cams in all my work trucks. People don’t realize the pain and possible death they are signing up for every time they cut off a commercial vehicle.

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kimwim43 t1_j8ymm7u wrote

My son drives a 63ft tractor trailer from Springfield, PFG, to Bangor ME, twice a week, over night trips. He tells me enough, but I know it's not him that's in danger, it's the idiot in the 4-wheeler. I still want a dash cam w/ rear view for my fiat.

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as1126 t1_j8o0ru7 wrote

I think their express desire to not let anyone pass was a function of them pursuing someone ahead, or a possible a fire/hazard/explosives in transit or something to protect drivers from themselves. I once was the first car at the George Washington Bridge tollbooth after the bridge was closed to allow transport of explosives across the span and I was all ready to go 100 mph unimpeded across. Two cop cars spanning all three lanes get in front of the tollbooths and release everyone at exactly 40 mph across. It isn't their first rodeo. Your girlfriend is a typical douche who thinks she's so important, she simply must pass everyone, including those trying to protect her.

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kimwim43 t1_j8paucr wrote

Not very bright, is she.

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zgrizz t1_j8nu07s wrote

They do that when there is something ahead that you aren't meant to get near. A hazardous load, high value prisoner or any number of things.

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SourPix OP t1_j8nw83m wrote

I hear you, except after she drove by, there was nothing ahead, and before that, he was in the right lane going 40 for a good five minutes (apparently)

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RunnyDischarge t1_j8o27so wrote

Yeah, they held back traffic enough that whatever was ahead moved on. Are people really this thick??

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TheDudeMaintains t1_j8qfz7j wrote

...this thread and OP/OP's living, breathing insurance claim of a girlfriend are testament to the fact that yes, people really are this thick. So glad I share the roadways of our fair state with these chucklefucks on a daily basis.

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sevenfiftynorth t1_j8oglzv wrote

I've seen police vehicles do this several times on I95 when a construction crew was adjusting cones or moving equipment into place down the road. The idea of trying to pass a cop driving an official vehicle with lights on, who is very obviously trying to occupy the entire road, is crazy to me. I'd expect to be pulled over or receive a visit later, depending on the urgency of his/her maintaining the roadblock for the rest of the traffic behind.

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keepitupxxx t1_j8oer1e wrote

Do not pass they want every one to stay behind them Trying to break traffic for what's up ahead

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CaptServo t1_j8o3zkf wrote

I wasn't there, but I was first in line behind a cop on I-10 in Houston doing this once. Brought the whole 8 lanes or whatever to a stop. A construction vehicle pulled up and started putting out cones to close a few lanes.

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TreeEleben t1_j8p6vxu wrote

That's a rolling roadblock.

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jpcastro_90 t1_j8qe5b9 wrote

I’m from CA, we call that maneuver a Round Robin. She definitely wasn’t supposed to pass the cop.

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Justagreewithme t1_j8qlwg5 wrote

It’s a rolling roadblock. It is used when one car has to stop several lanes of traffic. What your girl did was very wrong and very dangerous.

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keepitupxxx t1_j8oeso4 wrote

Do not pass they want every one to stay behind them Trying to break traffic for what's up ahead

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akb__ t1_j8ov18a wrote

They’ll do that if there is an object in the middle of the road that needs to be removed. The cop will stop traffic, remove/move the object to the shoulder and then carry on. Also seen police slow/stop traffic in this manor when construction crews are setting up/closing lanes. I wouldn’t call this “crazy” have seen it a few times.

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Debsha t1_j8sg5vs wrote

Absolutely right. I was once behind a state trooper who was suddenly put on his lights and began this maneuver on 95 between Bridgeport and Stratford. When he came to a stop, blocking all lanes, he got out and dragged a chair to the side of the road.

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Skinsfan_IN_CT t1_j8roj4d wrote

So your girl saw emergency flashers on a police vehicle, the vehicle was doing a rolling road block, and in her mind she’s like “let me pass this cop when I get a chance” LOL, I guess she thought the cop had one too many drinks at the bar while on duty huh? Or maybe the cop was filming a scene from The Fast and Furious….although it would’ve been hilarious if Vin Diesel was behind the wheel

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getamongst_it t1_j8r897q wrote

I’ve seen them do this several times on Route 9 due to a traffic pattern being setup ahead, or an oversized transport entering the highway in a congested spot.

I believe it’s called a “Slow roll” there are usually 2 cruisers for it, but since Route 9 is 2 lanes down that way they probably only needed one.

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rigiboto01 t1_j8rnysg wrote

That’s called a rolling road block they use it to slow down traffic when something is going on that they are trying to stop people from driving in to.

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poboy212 t1_j8rt1f2 wrote

‘This cop was trying to get everyone to slow down and back off so I just slammed on the gas and drove around them like a fucking idiot but I’m sure my dad will vindicate me in Reddit’

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Maximum-Mastodon8812 t1_j8nvuws wrote

I had this happen to me once but the cop didn't have his lights on. I was so confused lmao

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IntotheDeadlights t1_j8t6jxb wrote

I saw this on 72 once. It’s so confusing when you see it but I do think it’s because there is something up ahead.

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djln491 t1_j8x12v6 wrote

They probably have her plate #

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B6304T4 t1_j8ps9i2 wrote

They do this for one of mostly two reasons. Both are to keep cars at bay from passing to buy time. Either they need to slow traffic if there is debris in the road and a dot or state cop are pulling it off the highway ahead such as a tire, or something that fell out of a pickup, or second reason they're buying time for a road crew to get on an exit down to start laying cones for roadwork. I usually speed past this if it's a dot foreman or a tilcon truck.

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BryanCalens2ndFamily t1_j8ogowq wrote

Okay so nothing was up ahead…. Perhaps just another drunk cop living his best life, must have just beaten his wife that morning and was celebrating, perhaps?

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