The deputy hit Monday afternoon during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 80 has more serious injuries than originally thought and it might be a year before he can return to work.

Deputy David Wintle suffered serious leg injuries.

Omaha police say 18-year-old Lucas Greene veered off the road and for unknown reasons went on the shoulder hitting Wintle's cruiser. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department said the accident was completely avoidable if Greene would have put into practice Nebraska's "Move Over" law.

The law went into effect in 2009 to protect law enforcement and emergency responders from being hit. Drivers who see emergency or road assistance vehicles with flashing lights must get out of the lane closest to the vehicle. And if you can't move over, you must at least slow down considerably.

OPD Lt. Joe Martinec told Channel 6 News it's easy for drivers to be attracted to the lights of emergency vehicles and not pay attention to the road, but that staying alert can help avoid a major accident from happening.

Drivers who do not move over can face up to a $100 fine.