Ashley is a woman in her mid 20’s driving in the Commonwealth of Virginia in a late model green Toyota Corolla from a coworker’s residence to her home around 11:30 pm. The weather condition is clear. Ashley is using her GPS while driving. The GPS instructs Ashley to make a right turn at the approaching street. Ashley is listening to her radio that has broadcasted a vehicle crash further on the parkway that has caused traffic to suddenly slow down.
Ashley decides to listen to the GPS’s recommendation. She conducts a right turn onto this rural road. She is now traveling on a dark rural road that she is not familiar with. Ashley is alone in her Toyota Corolla. She noticed the speed limit sign communicates an absolute speed of 45mph. She has set her cruise control to 44mph. There are no other vehicles on the road while Ashley is driving. Ashley has been traveling at 44mph on the rural road for approximately 30 minutes.
While traveling on the rural road, Ashley notices a vehicle with its headlights on moving somewhat slowly on what appears to be a private driveway towards the rural road she’s traveling on. After passing the private driveway, Ashley observed this vehicle turn onto the rural road in the direction she was traveling.
Ashley has an unknown vehicle directly behind her on a rural road. Also, the rural road does not have streetlights.
Ashley’s been traveling on this detour for approximately 45 minutes when she noticed the unknown driver increase the speed of the suspect vehicle to catch up to her Corolla. The speed limit for the rural road has not changed.
After the unknown driver of the unknown vehicle catches up to Ashley’s late model Toyota Corolla, the suspect driver illuminates the headlamps of the unknown vehicle from low beam to high beam and activates additional flashing lights. The flashing lights are red and white.
Ashley believes the unknown vehicle must be a fire/rescue vehicle since law enforcement vehicles in the Commonwealth of Virginia usually have either all blue or a combination of blue and red emergency lights. Ashley believes the other driver can change lanes and pass her vehicle. There are no other cars on the rural road. Ashley travels approximately 150 additional feet. The other driver continues to follow Ashley with the flashing red and white lights still activated.
Ashley starts to think the unknown driver of the other vehicle could be a law enforcement officer and contemplates if she should slowly pull over and stop her Corolla on the shoulder of the rural road. What should Ashley do?
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