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Set against the picturesque Asbury Park oceanfront, Donna Setaro of Lacey spoke, as she has done over 930 times, in support of the Move Over Law.

Setaro is the mother of fallen State Trooper Marc Castellano, who was fatally struck while responding to a call on the westbound side of I-195 in Howell eight years ago. Since his death, the Lacey resident has spent much of her time bringing awareness to the law in the hopes that what happened to her son will never happen again.

“I feel like this is an extension of the work that he would have done, or could have done, but can’t do because someone failed to slow down and move over,” she said at the Tuesday morning press conference held by Democratic Assembly Members Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling.

The 11th District legislators have introduced a bill [A-3890] that will further strengthen the 2009 law aimed at reducing death and injury to roadside first responders and workers.

“People may not realize the importance of the law until tragedy strikes,” Houghtaling said. “Trooper Castellano paid for this mistake with his life.”

The pair supported a 2016 expansion of the law, which included protection for sanitation workers – a memoriam to Michael Massey of Freehold Township, who was fatally struck in 2013.

The law currently requires drivers to reduce speed and change lanes when approaching first responder vehicles, tow trucks, and road maintenance vehicle displaying flashing emergency lights. Violators are fined anywhere from $100 to $500.

This time around, through inspiration from Setaro’s Move Over Awareness Campaign, the pair are asking for two penalty points to be attached to a violator’s driver’s license.

“The Move over Law is very straightforward yet people continue to break it; putting themselves and others in danger,” said Downey, whose father was a State Trooper. “No one wants points on their driving record. Toughening the penalty will send a clear message to motorist about the importance of the law and serve as a better deterrent against distracted driving, which is the main cause of crashes in the state.”

Mayor John Moor, State PBA President Pat Colligan and VP Marc Kovar, Wayne Blanchard of the NJ State Trooper’s Union, and Asbury Park Det. Gene Dello were among those who attended the event to lend their support.

“The real core of what this law is about is that these are preventable deaths,” Colligan said.

Blanchard said 32 Fire and EMS first responders were killed on the nation’s roadways from 2007 to 2016. Since 2010, 52 of the over 1,300 law enforcement officers lost in the line of duty were fatally struck by vehicles. He also said four officers were fatally struck in 2017 but halfway through this year, the number is up to three.

“I was very disheartened to have to call Donna on the 8 year anniversary of Marc’s death a few weeks ago, on June 6, and report to her that in fact in a state police area in Somerville that tow truck driver had been struck and killed as a result of someone not abiding by the move over law,” Blanchard said. He called Setaro the first responders’ guardian angel because of her dedication in continuing an awareness campaign.

Setaro said she has visited 930 schools, churches, civic organizations and groups to help bring awareness to the law. By her tally, she has been able to surpass her goal to reach 100,000 people by 4,000.

“I went to a school in Newark six month ago,” she said. “I spoke to 600 students and not one student knew about the law; so I have a lot of work to do.”

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