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UPDATED TODAY at 11AM: Fortuna Tow Truck Driver Suffers Major Injuries in Highway 36 Crash, CHP Says On 10-06-2020, at approximately 1:35 p.m., Humboldt Area CHP responded to a single-vehicle collision on State Route 36 east of Riverside Park Drive. A preliminary investigation by CHP revealed that 59-year-old David Mangin of Fortuna was driving a 2016 Dodge Ram flatbed tow truck eastbound on State Route 36, east of Riverside Park Road. For unknown reasons, Mr. Mangin allowed the truck to travel off the north side of the road and collide with a large tree. Mr. Mangin suffered major injuries as a result of this collision. Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and subsequently transported Mr. Mangin to St. Joseph Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Impairment is not considered a factor in this collision. The CHP Humboldt Area Office is continuing its investigation into this collision and asks anyone with information to contact the Humboldt Area CHP Office at 707-822-5981 or send an email to humboldt_area.humboldt_area@chp.ca.gov. RESOURCE LINK David Mangin

Because GLOCKS Do Not Have A Safety: "Glock eliminated the need for a manual safety with their design. When carried in a proper holster (that holds the weapon securely and covers the trigger), by a properly trained individual (who keeps his/her finger off the trigger until ready to fire), it needs no manual safety to be safely manipulated." A GLOCK is not for a novice or someone who does not carry their weapon in a holster.

Recently, I was reminded of this story from my days in marketing: The man who sold very good hot dogs There was once a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. He was hard of hearing so he had no radio - he had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers and of course he didn't look at television. But he sold very good hot dogs. He put up signs on the highway telling everyone how good they were, he stood on the side of the road and cried out to all that past 'buy a hot dog, they are the best in town'. And people bought his hot dogs and he increased his meat and bun orders. He bought a bigger stove to take care of all the extra business. He finally got his son to come and help him out with his business. But then something happened, his son who had been well educated said . . . ' Father, haven't you been listening to the radio or reading the newspapers or watching television? There's a big recession happening right now. The current business situation is terrible in this country - we have problems with unemployment, high living costs, strikes, pollution, the influence of minorities and majorities, the rich, the poor, drugs, alcohol, capitalism and communism '. Where upon his father thought, ' well my son's been well educated, he reads the papers, listens to the radio and watches television, so he ought to know '. So his father cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down all his advertising signs and no longer bothered to stand by the side of the road to promote and sell his hot dogs, . . . . and his hot dog sales fell almost overnight. 'You're right, son' the father said 'we certainly are in the middle of a recession' Author Unknown This is but one of the few stories that I have carried throughout my life. The Optimist Creed is another and when someone says you can't do it. Tell them to just watch as you tackle that thing that couldn't be done. Successful Tow Operators do it all the time.

Don't get me wrong any Hard Hat is better than none. I simply prefer the Emergency Responder Helmets to Common Construction Hard Hats Hats. I have a couple of those and find that an insert in a ball car works nearly as well when I bump my head. It's the lack of a chin strap on a cheap hard hat that concerns me in the towing industry. I am sure John aka mushpeed can educate us on the UK standard.

I have to disagree with "Hard-hats are inexpensive" While Hard Hats are inexpensive for the construction industry. Proper Protection for the towing industry is more expensive. Hard Hats protect from over head dangers and offer little if any protection from the sides or back. I have thought numerous times of investing in a quality Hard Hat. My choice would likely be the Safety Green one in the center.

A Viscous Circle is Right, although I rarely hear of this as much as say 10 or 20 years ago. Back then it seemed to be a regular occurrence in the towing industry. The automotive industry as a whole heard of it more back then. So, either the nuclear is more intact these days or those payments have become more stable. If an child support error does occur and they have numerous times. Fighting that error is time consuming, attempting to direct those child support funds to the appropriate needs of the child can be a nightmare. I used to know fathers that had to make sure the child was fed and clothed as additional funds for that purpose were not going to those needs. Now, like everything else most child support is paid and used properly. It's those that are not we hear about. But, I will say there are far too many tow truck drivers that have past legal issues that can come back to haunt them. Tow Companies must do a better job of guiding these drivers, rather than looking the other way as it can actually lead to larger unrelated issues for the company.

Woman accidentally shot herself in leg, state police say A woman is expected to survive after accidentally shooting herself in the left leg in a car pulled off the Indiana Toll Road with a flat tire, the state police said. Teylor Shi Ann Anderson, 20, of South Bend, was transported to Porter County Regional Hospital, then transferred to South Bend Memorial Hospital, police said in a release. Probationary Trooper Luis Alvarez had called a tow truck around 2 a.m. on Sept. 29 for a green Toyota Camry pulled off near the Indiana 49 exit for Chesterton/Valparaiso in Porter County. As the tow truck was trying to hook up the car, they heard a single gunshot inside the car. Two people got out yelling someone had been shot, a release said. A 9mm Glock 19 handgun went off when Anderson tried to put it in her handbag, police said. It belonged to someone else in the car. Alvarez gave first aid, then applied tourniquets to both of Anderson’s legs. Her left leg was bleeding severely and right leg was also bleeding, according to a release. A 1-year-old child next to her was unhurt, police said. Porter County EMS and Cloverleaf Towing assisted. RESOURCE LINK

Devon King's girlfriend, who was in the vehicle when the crash happened, said he tried to help her in that split-second; 'He is my hero and I miss him so much' Friends, family and dozens of fellow tow-truck drivers gathered at the Innisfil ONroute today to mourn the death of Devon King, the 21-year-old man from Newmarket who died in hospital following Monday's vehicle rollover on Highway 400. A makeshift memorial has been set up near the scene of the deadly wreck. King, who was driving the truck and wasn't wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and landed on the grass following Monday's crash, which happened shortly before 8:30 a.m. Earlier this week, police said King vehicle lost control while trying to make a lane change and get into the ONroute facility where it entered the ditch and flipped. King’s girlfriend, 28-year-old Sara Avila of Wasaga Beach, was a passenger in the vehicle when the crash happened. She was wearing her seatbelt and sustained minor injuries. Avila told NewmarketToday that, if nothing else, she wants people to know that he thought of her in that split-second moment. “He stuck his arm across the seat and held me back as best he could,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “My face bounced once off the dash, but it may have been much worse. "He is my hero and I miss him so much.” Avila said she and King had been together for about a year. Just this past week, she had professed how deeply she loved him. “There was a seven-year difference between us and he was always trying to prove he was mature enough to be with me," she said. "I realized this past few weeks just how much I loved him and now I’ve lost him. I hope he can see how many people loved him here today.” More than 100 tow-truck drivers made the trek to the Innisfil ONroute parking lot — many representing several different companies and from as far away as Brampton — to pay their respects. Taylor Sowerby, who works for Luxury Towing out of Richmond Hill, said King was one of his best friends. Sowerby told NewmarketToday that he had talked to King not long before the crash, as they were going to “meet up for a coffee and a smoke” before starting their shifts Monday morning. “He was a jokester, always trying to put a smile on everyone’s faces,” Sowerby said. “Even with the dark skies we’re having, with COVID-19 being here and it being slow across the board for everyone, he would try and make every driver laugh as best he could.” Sowerby and others erected a makeshift memorial on the grass at the Innisfil ONroute, which is located in the southbound lanes of Highway 400, just a few minutes south of Barrie. Acting Sgt. Dan Hunter, with the OPP's Highway Safety Division, said on Monday that the preliminary investigation had revealed that the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Speed, drugs or alcohol were not factors in the crash, he said King lost control while trying to make a lane change to get into the ONroute facility, where the truck entered the ditch and flipped. “It was just a lane change and a loss of control," Hunter said. Jason Coward was the second person on the scene after the crash. Although Coward said he didn’t know King well, he tried to comfort the injured young man until paramedics arrived. “When I saw him lying there, I knew it wasn’t good," Coward told NewmarketToday. "I just told him to stay calm and that help was coming, but he was having a really hard time breathing and was in rough shape. He stopped breathing a couple of times and then came back around. "It's really sad to hear that he’s gone," he added. A tow-truck driver himself, Coward was in a crash several years ago and said he often hears the negative things people say about the workers in the industry. But he hopes they also remember who they call when they need help on the roads. “People talk s--t about us all the time, but we’re usually the first ones on the scene when they need assistance," he said. "What if it was your kid or your spouse who needed help? We’re here and we try to help. It's dangerous out here. "I got crushed at Essa Road eight years ago, spent a year-and-a-half in a wheelchair and was told I wouldn’t walk again," Coward added. "Two years ago, I got back to work because I love this job and I love helping people so they’re not stranded in the middle of nowhere.” Sowerby echoed those sentiments and hopes people have some compassion instead of being judgmental. “At the end of the day, this is somebody’s son, a friend of mine and a brother to everyone here,” Sowerby said. “We’re not out here to blow through stop signs, blow across highways or out here being gangster like everyone paints us out to be. We’re out here doing our job in our trucks — our office — to make sure people are alive and get home OK. “That's what Devon was doing and he wasn’t speeding or being reckless," he added. "It was an accident; they happen whether we like it or not. He was a good guy and I hope he is looking down at how loved he was and how a part of the industry he was.” RESOURCE LINK

TOW or TREAT WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 5 PM – 9 PM WHERE: 7700 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45216 DETAILS: Tow Truck version of trunk or treat. Let's bring the towing community together and put on a great show for the kids. There will be more details to come as we get closer to date. Any questions feel free to ask. If you would be interested in putting a tow truck in this event please contact us to RSVP. Be safe out there and hope for a great turnout at this event. HOSTS: Mikey Graves, David Cook, Greg Boyle, Justin Hamblin https://www.facebook.com/events/478127216454890/

I don't know, but it would make a really interesting tow truck...

The kid was like squirrel and we are left wondering how that angle worked out. I would think the top of the cab would hit the top of the door. But I'm not good at math. LOL

Look how many years it has taken to ge that Buckle Up and Click It or Ticket message to effect seat belt usage. Then compare that to how many years it will take to get the Slow Down Move Over Laws to save tow truck operator lives. How many will die before the motoring public gets it...

You have to think if all these vehicles are getting out of the country through our ports. What is coming in through those same ports?

Randall, I would have added buckle up or wear a seat belt in the email sent out this morning. However, I can't stress that anymore than has already been stress. Until it effects someone who does not wear a seat belt then they take offense to being told to wear a seat belt. It's like telling a smoker they can increase their odds of a longer life. It's their life, if the facts do not alter the thought then my telling them to wear a seat belt isn't going to either. Every time I work a head injury accident I check the seat belt if retracted. If it is locked and retracted then they did not have the seat belt on. Otherwise 99 out of 100 times the belt would be extended and locked. Seat Belts Save 99 out of 100 Lives. The Odds are better with a seat belt then without. Prove Me wrong. One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. Many Americans understand the lifesaving value of the seat belt – the national use rate was at 90.7% in 2019. An average of 2500 more lives would be saved a year had the person been wearing a seat belt. Statistic from NHTSA

BARRIE -- Hundreds of tow truck drivers from across the province united at the Innisfil ONroute, where a fellow driver crashed his truck on Monday. The 21-year-old driver was airlifted to a Toronto hospital in life-threatening condition after the truck rolled over on the southbound 400. Wasaga Beach resident, 28-year-old Sara Avila, was in the truck at the time of the crash. She says Devon, who was behind the wheel, told her truck drivers were "like a family." "I didn't realize how much he meant they were like a family, but they're here, I'm happy they're here. I just wish he could be here to see them," says Avila. "Whatever it is, we come together at times of need like this," says Taylor Sowerby, a tow truck operator out of Richmond Hill. "People who don't even know him are showing up to show their support for a fellow driver." Police say the 21-year-old wasn't wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and was thrown from the truck after losing control while changing lanes. https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/i-m-happy-they-re-here-tow-truck-drivers-unite-for-driver-hurt-in-rollover-1.5127364

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East Gwillimbury man not wearing seatbelt ejected from vehicle after rollover on Hwy. 400 21-year-old man remains in hospital with life-threatening-injuries following Sept. 28 single-vehicle collision A 21-year-old East Gwillimbury man is in hospital with life-threatening-injuries following a single-vehicle crash on Hwy. 400 in Innisfil. The incident took place Sept. 28 at 8:24 a.m., when a tow truck was changing lanes to try to get into the service centre. The truck went into the ditch and rolled over, acting Sgt. Dan Hunter of Ontario Provincial Police said. The incident is not due to alcohol, drugs, or excessive speed, Hunter said. "It’s a lane change, loss of control, and not wearing a seatbelt," he added. A passenger in the truck, a 28-year-old woman from Wasaga Beach, sustained minor injuries. She was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. The East Gwillimbury man, who was driving, was not wearing a seatbelt, and was ejected from the vehicle. The driver sustained life-threatening injuries and remains in hospital. "The seatbelt use is something we harp on so much," Hunter said. "One walked away; one did not; one was belted, and one was not. "I think it is important to get the message out there for seatbelt use,” Hunter said. RESOURCE LINK

Oddly even with today's social media many of these stories are never reported and/or posted. Some towing related stories lack enough detail to justify reporting to the membership. However, we will always bring you the most TowNews we possibly can find here on TowForce which is part of the Towing Information Network. Thanks and if anyone finds towing related news stories, please post them. They my be altered to conform to TowForce news standards but you wll be an integral part of the network in doing so.

I have lost count how many times over the last 20 years I have told Tow Truck Drivers to stay out of the water. Prior to an event 20 years again I would put on water boots and step into the water. I did this one night and hooked up a vehicle in 6 to 8 inches of water. when I returned a half hour later for the second vehicle the water had gone down. Right about were I stepped out of the truck was an open manhole. That was enough right there to tell me I press my luck far enough. This tragic incident which happened in Indianapolis, In. was in 10 feet over water. What Would You Have Done had this been your call. I would hope you would have left it there till the water went down. Wonder if the company was informed by the tow truck driver of the water hazard upon arrival. I do feel for tow truck driver and this has to be very traumatic!

A man drowned early Sunday trying to tow his car from a retention pond on the northeast side. The 34-year-old victim had called a tow truck to the pond at on the 4000 block of Pendleton Way about 4:30 a.m. to help him get the car out of the pond, according to a news release from the Indianapolis Fire Department. The car was submerged in about 10 feet of water. The victim and the tow truck driver entered the pond to hook the car to the tow truck, said IFD Capt. Rita Reith in a news release. The driver told fire officials that the man began flailing about once in the water, almost pulling the driver underneath. The driver got out of the water and called 911. IFD divers were sent to the scene at 4:42 a.m., arriving at 4:50 a.m. Three minutes later, they recovered the victim’s body. Reith said several witnesses were able to help the divers locate the man quickly, who was about 20 feet off shore. The victim’s identity has not been released. Reith said it was unclear when or how the car went into the pond. RESOURCE LINK

One person was taken to the hospital after a crash Saturday afternoon in Luzerne County. The wreck happened just before 2 p.m. along Main Street in Nanticoke. According to police, a tow truck veered off the road and hit a parked car. That then caused the tow truck to hit a van into a utility pole, breaking it. The pole fell over and hit a car with a driver inside. They were taken to the hospital. Power is out in the area as crews work to repair the pole in Luzerne County. RESOURCE LINK

AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. (WJBF) — An area towing company is offering a reward for information in the death of a tow truck driver. Wayne’s Towing Recovery and Transport announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the death of Jason Willis. “We advocate on the dangers for our industry on a daily basis but never thought it would be our family and work family that one day would lay to rest one of our own for what we advocate for,” Jeff and Sherry Corbett told Shawn. Willis, 31, was hit by an unknown driver the morning of September 17 while he was loading a vehicle onto his truck. The vehicle fled the scene. “Jason was hit two years ago working roadside and he was very aware of the dangers of his career BUT HE LOVED helping people and that night he got up just like always to go help someone because he considered every motorists his family and friends,” the pair added. No information on a suspect has been released. If you have any information, contact authorities. RESOURCE LINK