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Truck Hauling 19 Mercedes Benzes Hits Indiana State Police Car

LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. (CBS) -- An Indiana state trooper was lucky not to be seriously hurt on Christmas when a truck hauling 19 Mercedes Benz vehicles clipped her police car as she was helping a motorist on the Indiana Toll Road.

Trooper Vicki Maxwell had pulled over on the side of the Toll Road on Sunday to help a disabled motorist near the LaPorte County and Saint Joseph County line.

At about 2:17 p.m., a 2005 Sterling semi pulling two trailers failed to move over, even though the squad car's emergency lights were activated and there were no cars in the lane next to the truck preventing it from pulling over to give the trooper more room.

The truck clipped the driver's side of the squad car while Maxwell was parked on the shoulder, shearing most of the metal off of both driver's side doors, tearing off the gas tank cover and popping the rear right tire.

Maxwell was taken to a local hospital, complaining of head pain, and she was treated and released.

The truck driver, Autumn C. Eberlin, 40, of Altoona, Pa., was cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. The truck was owned by Precision Motor Transport Group, based in Okemos, Mich., and was carrying 19 Mercedes Benz vehicles at the time of the crash.

Drivers in Indiana and Illinois who fail to slow down and move over as they pass emergency vehicles with their emergency lights flashing could have their license suspended for up to two years if they damage an emergency vehicle or injure an emergency worker.

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