A bill proposed by state Rep. Sarah Lightner declaring a portion of I-94 as the “Trooper Manuel H. Fields Memorial Highway” today was unanimously approved in a vote by the Michigan House.

Trooper Manuel H. Fields was conducting a traffic stop on Aug. 27, 1994 on a westbound stretch of I-94 when a vehicle crossed the fog line and fatally struck him while colliding with the Trooper’s squad car and the vehicle that was pulled to the side of the road.

“Our law enforcement personnel continually place themselves in danger on behalf of our citizens and state,” said Lightner, of Springport. “Trooper Fields took an oath to serve his fellow residents and uphold the law. His commitment to that oath and the sacrifice he made in carrying out that duty must not be forgotten.”

The Michigan Memorial Highway Act was enacted in 2001 and allows for the naming of bridges and highways within the state. House Bill 4572 advances to the Senate for further consideration.