Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I was driving home around 10:30 pm on a road with a no shoulder. There was a car about 100 yards in front of me and a cop car behind me. The cop turned his lights on so i slowed down and continued down the road until their was enough space beside the road for me to pull off. The cop pulled up beside me and stopped, beeped his horn then took off and drove up behind the person that was in front of me. Both him and the cop pulled of the road on to a dirt access road. I was unsure if the cop was after me or the guy in front of me. I slowed down as i passed the two and continued to drive down the road slowly. The cop did not back out and come after me. Is it safe to assume he was not after me in the first place or should i be worried that since i kept driving that the cop would construe that as failing to stop or fleeing the police. Should i stop by the police station to sort things out or let it go?

Based on what you wrote, he was after the other vehicle and you have nothing to worry about. If he wanted you, he would have pointed to the shoulder or something, I would imagine.

Having said that, if you thought he might want you to stop, why not stop at the time?

-Citicop.

I probably should have just stopped at the time but when he pulled the other guy over and went on to the access road i didn't want to pull in behind the cop becuase the dirt road they pulled onto was small and i figured that if i pulled in behind him i would have blocked the cop in with me and the other car and didn't think it the best idea to box in his car on a small rural dirt road in the middle of no where becuase it would probably be taken as a sign of aggression. But since when i drove by and he did not back out and come after me or anything would mean that he definitely wasn't after me or did he just run my plate and append a fleeing the police charge on my car so the next time my plate is run that will pop up and i will get arrested or something?

You don't have anything to worry about. Believe me, if he wanted you and you continued to drive on, his police car would have been one of many that would have chased you.

More than likely when he put his lights on and your didn't immediately pull over as far as you could and stop, as required under the law, you probably ticked him off a bit. That is why he pulled next to you and gave you a look, hoping you would get the idea next time to immediately pull over and let him pass.


PA Vehicle code section 3325 requires that all drivers shall yield the right of way to emergency vehicles. Drivers are to immediately pull over parallel to the nearest edge, stop and remain in a stopped position until the emergency vehicle has passed.

I was driving home around 10:30 pm on a road with a no shoulder. There was a car about 100 yards in front of me and a cop car behind me. The cop turned his lights on so i slowed down and continued down the road until their was enough space beside the road for me to pull off. The law requires you to pull to the right hand edge of the road and STOP. Not slow down until YOU decide there is a good place.