The state Department of Transportation said today its Freeway Service Patrol has a new phone number — 841-HELP.

In its first two weeks of operation, the Freeway Service Patrol has responded to about 600 calls, the DOT said.
Stranded motorists — who received tows, battery charges, flat-tire changes and even gasoline — previously called 911.
The new 841-HELP number is operational only during Freeway Service Patrol hours of operation — Monday through Friday, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. — and on the portions of the freeway currently served by the pilot program.