ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida Highway Patrol trooper that was hit by a driver in the middle of a traffic stop is now back on the job.

Sgt. Liam Chambers was struck while stopped in the grassy median of the Turnpike headed northbound in Osceola County in September 2019.  Now, he's sharing his story in an effort to get drivers to move over.

“If someone is careless, things can happen,” Chambers said.

Harrowing video shared by the FHP shows the moments a driver barrels into the back of Sgt. Chambers’ patrol car.

“And I was sitting in my car with the seatbelt on, fortunately, when I heard the skidding,” Chambers said.

A trooper for 12 years now, Chambers said he's worked thousands of crashes. But when that driver struck him on the turnpike in September, It changed his life and took him off the job for three months.

“I have four herniated disks in my back, injuries to my shoulder, which (I’m) still ironing out exactly what those are, as well as other issues and problems that have come up because of the crash,” Chambers said.

Back on the job for a few weeks now, Chambers often misses days of work because of pain. He's also undergoing regular physical therapy to help strengthen his muscles and receives shots for his back and shoulder, all in an effort to ease that pain.

Now, with Move Over Awareness Month in January, Chambers is sharing what happened to him, hoping drivers hear it and give those flashing lights the space they need. That's especially important now, he said.

“The roads are getting busier, people are becoming aggressive, people are becoming more careless in fact," Chambers said. "Everyone needs to wake up to the fact that it can cause serious injuries."

State records show since 2015, there have been more than 950 crashes where a driver was cited for failing to move over, including two fatalities.

Chambers said his own crash humbled him and encouraged him to push for change.

“Please pay attention, slow down, move over," Chambers said. "It’s that simple."

Under Florida law, move-over violations can get you a ticket as well as three points on your license, four if it involves a crash.​