TowNews

ST. GEORGE — A tow truck driver was allegedly looking down at his cellphone when his vehicle was involved in a head-on crash that killed an elderly woman. Timothy Grover Mace, 48, of St. George, was arrested Thursday. He was formally charged Friday in 5th District Court with automobile homicide, a third-degree felony; and three traffic infractions including driving too fast for conditions, not wearing a seat belt and crossing the center line. On March 23 about 11:20 a.m., Mace was driving his tow truck when it collided head-on with another vehicle at 3655 S. Pioneer Road, according to a police affidavit. The elderly woman who was driving the car was trapped inside her vehicle. “The elderly female was ultimately extricated from her vehicle and transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center where she was later pronounced deceased,” according to the affidavit. When interviewed by police, Mace said he was on his way to repossess a vehicle. “Timothy contended he had looked in his mirror and when he glanced back, a passenger car came out of nowhere. Officers specifically questioned Timothy if he was using GPS or cellphone at the time of the accident and he emphatically said no. He also confirmed it was raining at the time of the accident,” the affidavit states. Officers from the St. George Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team, however, determined that Mace’s truck had gone into oncoming traffic before hitting the elderly woman’s car, according to the affidavit. He was also determined to have been going 49 mph in a 35 mph zone, police stated. Detectives then learned from the owner of the tow truck that surveillance cameras were installed inside the cab of the truck. “The video clearly showed Timothy looked down at a cellphone he was holding in his right hand when the tow truck crossed completely into the northbound lane of travel and hit the passenger car head-on,” according to the affidavit. The name of the deceased woman was not immediately available. Mace’s criminal history mostly includes a long list of traffic-related offenses, according to court records. RESOURCE LINK

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A fatal crash has prompted the closure of a major roadway in Osceola County. According to the FHP, the crash involved a U.S. postal semitrailer, a street sweeper and a tow truck. Officials said at least one person died in the crash, which happened around 7 a.m. Thursday on Narcoossee Road near Redd Lane. According to the FHP report, the postal truck, hauling mail, was driving north on Narcoossee Road. Towards a tow truck that was assisting a street sweeper on the side of the road. According to troopers, the driver of the street sweeper, a 42-year-old Oviedo man, was walking outside of the truck before the crash occurred. The postal truck failed to slow down and hit the back of the parked trucks and the sweeper driver. The street sweeper was flipped onto its side as a result of the crash, troopers said. Troopers said the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. All northbound lanes of Narcoossee Road have been shut down in the area. The crash remains under investigation. RESOURCE LINK with video

SOME workshops with tow trucks are still operating their towing services as usual for emergencies but car repairs will only be done at the end of the movement control order (MCO). Car workshop owner Chan Kok Hoe said while towing services are still provided, motorists should try their best to avoid accidents. “Insurance companies and spare part suppliers are not operating now. “We can only help with the necessary paperwork with the police. “The damaged vehicles will be towed to the workshop and stored until the MCO is over, ” he said. Chan, who is a member of the Penang Motor Vehicles Workshop Owners Association, said there are about 150 tow trucks in Penang on standby for operations but they are not roaming the streets during the MCO period. “Workshops are allowed to operate on a small scale. This means that we will still respond to calls in emergencies. “However, we can only tow the cars to the workshops. We cannot do repairs for the time being, ” he said. Chan said that as a safety precaution, his tow truck drivers who are on standby are also not picking up passengers, including drivers of the damaged vehicles. “My drivers have been told to stay at home and attend to customers in need of towing services only when instructed. “We want business but our health is more important, ” he said. Chan said he was surprised that traffic accidents are still happening despite near-empty roads. He added that his tow trucks still return with an average of three cars daily. “Before the order was enforced, roads were busy and we towed back between five and six cars daily. “Now that roads are empty, we still get about three calls a day.” Chan said most accidents involved motorcycles and cars and were caused by carelessness. “I believe Penangites are used to congested roads. “Now that roads are wide and almost traffic-free, some motorists hesitate while some move recklessly. “We urge motorists to be alert, responsible and considerate on the road, ” he said. He also advised people to study their vehicle insurance policies and keep their cars in good running order. “Vehicles which have not been driven for a long period usually have problems with the ignition and batteries. “We recommend that motorists start their car and keep the engine running for five to 10 minutes daily, even when they are not going out. “If a vehicle really needs towing, the owner needs to check if the service is covered under the insurance policy, ” added Chan. RESOURCE LINK

Is anyone following the iRacing Series which has popped up in response to COVID-19 Has anyone gotten it this yet? They are really thinking outside the box. Bob Weir...singing at race March 29 2020 https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=enascar+iracing

PITTSBURG — April Fools Day is a special holiday for Bob and Alice Nankivell. It’s not a joke. As of April 1, their company, Bob’s Garage and Wrecker Service, is celebrating 60 years in business. The month of April also marks 60 years of marriage on April 17. “He took on two things at the same time, me and the business,” Alice said, with a laugh. It was Bob who saw owning his business as an opportunity to make a living. Together, the couple has owned and operated several businesses alongside the wrecker service. They sold the other businesses as they got older. “We were in the sanitation business at one time, then roll-off business another time, and the dump truck business at one time,” Bob said. Bob didn’t get this trade from his family though; no one was in the automotive business. In high school he drove a Model A Ford and he had to keep it running, perhaps the reason why he chose the career he’s in. “I liked keeping it running so it’s kind of what I like to do,” Bob said. Bob doesn’t work on vehicles anymore. “I was old and I just didn’t get into the later model of cars,” he said adding now that they only do wrecker services and U-Haul. The wrecker service is kind of like being an on-call doctor, Bob said. He never knows when a call can come in because accidents and break-downs happen at any hour of the day and night. It’s not always an easy job, Bob and Alice said, especially when dealing with car wrecks and weather. “It can be below zero sometimes, if someone breaks down I have to pick them up,” Bob said. “At two or three in the morning I might get a call and might work an accident in the middle of the night and then get up at 8 o’clock in the morning to go to work.” Alice, who stills goes out with Bob to tow vehicles, said the goal is getting the scene cleared of the vehicle so people can get back on the road again. “We gotta get the car loaded up one way or another,” she said. They try to help out any way they can, sometimes beating the first responders to the scene. “I think that’s why we like it, if somebody needs us we’re there to help,” Alice said, adding that sometimes that can be difficult. “Sometimes you lay there a long time before you go to sleep, if you can go to sleep. But you know, after 60 years you’ve seen a lot and done a lot and you just keep going.” The couple plans to keep business going until they can’t anymore. “I know that’s what he will do, he will do it until he can no longer crawl out of that truck,” Alice said, adding that she’ll be right alongside him. RESOURCE LINK

SACRAMENTO (CBS 13) — Coronavirus is changing the way people get help when their car breaks down. Tow truck drivers are out on the roads helping others but they must take new steps to protect themselves. “It is very different because before we would get out of our trucks, handshake, you know, what’s wrong with the vehicle, can we do anything to fix it,” said Abdullah Taimori with AJ’s towing. Taimori is a tow truck driver and said people in distress are told in advance: you must social distance. “Call the customer. When you arrive on scene, let them know to step six feet away from the vehicle,” he said. Taimori is not allowed to give people rides in his truck for protection. He’s had to explain that to frustrated customers, who eventually understand. “I have family at home so I don’t want to bring something to them while everybody’s doing their part and staying home,” he said. Even with protective gear like hand sanitizer and gloves, it’s impossible for Taimori to avoid all contact. He still has to share space with strangers. “Those people that are broken down in their cars, are people that sat in their cars. So we have to sit in the vehicle to put it in neutral or turn the steering wheel,” he said. Taimori said he has to be on the road but he’s asking those who don’t to please respect the shelter in place. “Every single one of us do our part, stay home when you can don’t be out on the road,” he said. RESOURCE LINK

Charlotte, NC – North Carolina authorities are investigating two recent incidents of suspected predatory towing and price gouging of big rigs. Transportation Nation Network (TNN) has confirmed North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is investigating two instances last week in which truckers faced a boot removal fee of $3,000 or more. TNN first reported on Friday that trucker Donald Spellings, of Radcliff, KY, had his big rig, which was loaded with 80 cases of Dasani water, booted while in a Walmart parking lot early last Thursday morning. Spellings drives for Auburn, KY-based Downey Trucking and was awakened at approximately 12:30 a.m. to the news he would have to pay $3,600 within two hours or his rig would be towed and impounded. He was warned if he did not swiftly pay the removal fee then he and Downey Trucking would face an $8,000 towing and recovery charge. The fee was eventually negotiated down to a whopping $3,300. Jim Downey is the owner of Downey Trucking and he tells TNN that Attorney General Stein’s office has since reached out to him regarding the incident and plans to conduct a thorough investigation into the towing company, Trust Towing and Recovery (TTR). Another trucker found himself in a similar situation later that same day. According to local news outlet Fox 46, a truck driver operating for Texas-based Norco Trucking delivered 25,000 lbs. of meat to a grocery store in Charlotte and then sought out a meal. Since most restaurants were closed due to a stay at home order which took effect at 8:00 a.m. that same day, the trucker parked his rig in an adjacent lot to the Asian Corner Mall located at 4520 N. Tryon St. Chris Steuart, vice president of Norco Trucking, told Fox 46 that his driver went in to a small grocery store to get some food and when he came back out he found his truck had been booted by Tip Towing. “They told us if we didn’t pay them the $3,000, they were going to tow it and we’d owe them $4,000,” Steuart said. The owner of Tip Towing, Alan Brown, told Fox 46 his company is not “predatory” and claimed the Norco driver had been asleep in his truck for five hours. Plus, he said the lot is clearly marked with signs warning semis not to park. Brown says if Norco Trucking can provide “paperwork” proving the driver had made a delivery “half-an-hour before he got booted,” then he would “absolutely refund that money.” As for Downey, he told TNN on Sunday that Attorney General Stein’s office is planning to interview Spellings this week and get to the bottom of these incidents. In an interview with Fox 46, Stein also indicated as much. “It’s just awful. Any trucking company or any person, if they are being gouged because of this emergency, let my office know so we can investigate it,” he said. TNN will continue to follow these cases. RESOURCE LINK

ZANESVILLE, Ohio– Nationwide Company AAA is offering various ways to keep your car healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the assistance offered is free roadside assistance to all healthcare professionals and first responders. Anyone directly working to combat the spread of the virus, be it doctors, surgeons, nurses or paramedics is qualified for free assistance from AAA during the remainder of the crisis. Workers for AAA will maintain all suggested tips for safety, such as no physical contact, six feet apart and technicians will wear available safety equipment. If a car needs towed, AAA will arrange for a tow and remain with the driver till the towing company arrives. AAA is looking to keep those who are working from home from having car troubles. As vehicles sit for extended periods of time, motorists should check the following aspects of their vehicle: Battery life Tire levels Fluid amounts. Extended periods of no usage can drain these resources in your vehicle, so check them periodically. AAA also wants it to be known that auto repair shops are an essential business, and that AAA members can have their cars towed from their homes to AAA repair centers. Call your local AAA Car Care Plus number to see if you qualify for these benefits. RESOURCE LINK

Towing firm drivers deliver food to shut-ins during coronavirus outbreak With business down but calls to help the needy up, Early Walker, owner of W&W Towing in Dixmoor, kept his drivers working by delivering care packages to elderly or disabled shut-ins on Chicago’s South Side. Like many businesses, W & W Towing in Dixmoor has been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak that has the state — with 3,026 confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon — under a strict stay-at-home order. “I’ve pretty much been forced to cut pay for my drivers. I can’t shut down, because our primary business is municipal, and we don’t know when something could happen,” said Early Walker, 35, of Country Club Hills, owner of the seven-year-old firm. Meanwhile, he’d “been finding busywork for them to do, to keep them working,” he said. At the same time, Walker, known by some on social media as “Chicago’s Secret Angel,” was moved by stories of rising food insecurity among the poor and elderly during the COVID-19 crisis, and was seeking a way to help. That’s when Walker came up with the idea for a “Senior Relief Project.” On Tuesday, he and his drivers began delivering care packages of food to shut-in, low-income elderly or disabled people throughout the South Side. They’re taking referrals for those in need at 1-844-485-4529; they can serve up to 200 seniors a week for the next month. Want to help? Call the same number. “We vet, then enroll the seniors. We call them before we arrive. And we practice social distancing,” said Walker. “A lot of them say, ‘Leave it on the steps.’ And when we walk away, they’ll get it.” His social media moniker has been an umbrella for what he terms a longstanding spiritual calling to promote random acts of kindness. THE REST OF THE STORY - RESOURCE LINK

Local tow truck business does drive-by parades for the community Accurate Towing & Recovery, based out of Sycamore, has been providing free traveling parades of tow trucks around northern DeKalb County. "We started on Wednesday, reaching out to a group on Facebook, and it's taken off like wildfire," said Adam Benn, an owner of the tow truck company. "We started at noon Wednesday and didn't end until 9 p.m. We've visited subdivisions and homes in DeKalb, Sycamore, Cortland and Kirkland. How often do parades go down the streets of your neighborhood? We can bring the parade right to your house." Benn said that the parade of six tow trucks has been met with cheers and signs by onlookers. Some parade viewers stay indoors and watch from windows, while others watch from their front porch, driveway or street's curb. Benn said the idea started because the tow truck industry has taken a hit during the stay-at-home order. "Business is slow because everyone is at home and not driving," he said. "When I mentioned the idea of a traveling parade, every one of my employees was on board." RESOURCE LINK with video

Business owner cries foul after city tows van filled with food donations He couldn’t believe it. Conor Joerin, owner of Bloor West eatery Sugo, was loading his van with food and groceries Monday afternoon when the unthinkable happened. Carrying his final load, he returned to find his van on the back of a city-contracted tow truck. “I was like… come on guys,” he said in an interview with the Toronto Sun on Tuesday. Joerin, like many business owners, is doing what he can to ride out COVID-19. Opting to close-up shop, he’s donating Sugo’s remaining food stocks rather than letting it rot in his walk-in coolers. “We’ve been dropping off groceries to single mothers in the neighborhood, families with kids who need supplies,” he said. That’s how he spent Monday afternoon, his van left curbside next to his restaurant. Joerin heard the city was relaxing parking rules, so leaving his van a few extra minutes past 4 p.m. wasn’t a worry. “I got caught up inside locking up,” he recalled. “They have rush hour parking between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., but what rush hour? They just told the entire country to stay home. “There is no rush hour.” RESOURCE LINK A Source States: An Investigation has been opened into the towing incident during an ordered shut down.

El PASO, Texas — The New Mexico State Police responded to a crash late this afternoon in between Deming and Las Cruces. Police say it was a car versus a tow truck crash around 4:40 pm. One female was injured, but police did not say how bad her injuries were. We will update this article when more information is released. RESOURCE LINK

Tow truck driver tossed from truck, killed after hitting car TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — A tow truck driver was thrown from his vehicle and killed after crashing into a disabled car Sunday night on Interstate 75 near Tampa, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Jason Lee Everitt was driving near the U.S. 301 overpass when he he hit a car on the highway's outside shoulder and struck a guardrail. The truck overturned down an embankment and Everitt was thrown from the vehicle, troopers said in an accident report. Everitt died at the scene, authorities said. He was a driver for Sunstate Wrecker Services, according to the report. RESOURCE LINK Tow truck driver killed after crashing into disabled car on I-75 in Tampa, troopers say TAMPA — A 36-year-old tow truck driver died Sunday after crashing into a disabled car on Interstate 75, authorities said. Jason Lee Everitt of Thonotosassa was driving a 2017 International tow truck south on I-75 near the U.S. 301 overpass about 11 p.m. when he struck a 2006 Chevy Cobalt parked on the outside shoulder, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. After hitting the Chevy, the tow truck struck the guardrail and overturned down an embankment. Everitt, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the tow truck, troopers said. The truck came to rest on the grassy shoulder of U.S. 301. Everitt died at the scene. The driver and passenger in the Chevy, 19-year-old Kiel Williams of North Port and 21-year-old Jacqueline Beech of Tampa, were not injured. Everitt was a driver for Sunstate Wrecker Services and was on the way to help another motorist when the crash happened, said Sgt. Steve Gaskins, a spokesman for the Highway Patrol. RESOURCE LINK

A message to our customers from Jonathan Randall (Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing at Mack Trucks)

Reliable Towing Services would like to welcome Maple Ridge Towing to their group of companies. Maple Ridge Towing has provided the communities of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge with first class service since 1981. Under the leadership of Randy Sorley, the company has built an amazing reputation for being reliable, honest and community orientated. Randy’s work within the Towing and Automotive industries landed him in the Towing Hall of Fame in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We want to wish Randy and his family the best in their future. His daughter Dena Parke and all the other staff you have become accustomed to see at Maple Ridge Towing will be staying on to provide the same amazing service. Our goal is to serve each of our customers and communities with the best possible service they can get. Having Maple Ridge Towing a part of our team will make this goal achievable.

EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - A man is in custody after a hit-and-run near Blue Jay and McCall Road in Effingham County. The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, Springfield and Rincon Police all responded after the suspect fled the scene. According to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect’s car later blew a tire and crashed into a tow truck and an Effingham County deputy’s car. No serious injuries were reported. RESOURCE LINK

Two people are dead and a third taken to hospital after an out-of-control tow truck hit an SUV near Langdon on Wednesday. A third person was taken to hospital in serious but stable condition. RCMP said a tow truck driver heading east on Glenmore Trail lost control, crashing into the SUV, killing both the driver and passenger. One individual was taken to Foothills Hospital by ambulance in serious but stable condition, according to EMS spokesperson Adam Loria. Police and paramedics were called to the scene on Highway 560 (Glenmore Trail) at around 9:15 a.m. RCMP said they were in the process of notifying the victims' family. At the time of the crash, the road was icy, according to police. The RCMP's Strathmore and collision analyst units were working together to investigate the crash. Traffic on Glenmore Trail west of Highway 791 was being rerouted to Range Road 283, which was expected to continue for several hours. RESOURCE LINK

Houston man alleges wrecking company's unlicensed tow truck driver caused accident HOUSTON — A man is suing a wrecking company alleging its unlicensed tow truck driver caused more than $30,000 in property damages and medical costs. Gabriel Ajaegbu Court filed a pro se complaint March 2 in the Harris County District Court against Alpha Wrecker Services LLC doing business as Intown Wrecker Services alleging negligence. Court was in his car and stopped on South Drive in Houston while waiting for his friend to come out of his house. He alleges that Alpha Wrecker's tow truck driver who did not have a driver's license, struck his car causing him injury and property damages of $34,447.75 Court seeks monetary relief of $34,447.75, interest and all other just relief. Harris County District Court case number 2020-13908 RESOURCE LINK

Tow Truck Operator Frees Woman Trapped by her Own Car: Crossville, TN. Susan Norris kissed the face of death. “I wouldn’t have given you a plug nickel for her chances,” Cumberland County Fire Department Chief Trevor Kerley said Monday. No one did. Friends say she defied the odds and medical understanding and today is recovering. Some are not shy about calling her a miracle. A smile on her face and thumbs-up gesture for a photo sent to her friends tells the story. Whether one says it wasn’t her time to leave her earthly home, or one subscribes to the belief in modern-day God-sent miracles, optimism is growing she will recover and return to being what acquaintances describe as “everyone’s momma.” The accident Early Friday afternoon Norris, 59, decided to stop by the county convenience center off Bean Pot Campground Rd. to drop off a bag of trash on her way to an appointment at Dr. Victor Shada’s office. As it turns out, she was suffering from a serious case of pneumonia, said her friend of nearly 40 years, Felicia Gunter. Slowed by knee surgery from over a year ago, Norris exited her pickup truck to toss the bag of trash into a dumpster. When she did, the vehicle either jumped into gear, or was left in gear, and started moving forward. “Susan can’t move fast because of her knee, but she tried to grab the door, which had shut. Her vehicle is one of those whose doors lock when it starts to move and she could not get the door open,” Gunter said she was told. Norris was knocked off balance and ended up pinned between the truck and the office building at the center. The center attendant tried to enter the pickup to back the pickup off Norris, but found the doors were locked. E-911 was called, and emergency responders rushed to the scene. Tow truck driver Darwin Scarlett was driving by the center when he was flagged down by a passerby. Norris, by this time, was turning blue, her pulse was extremely week and her shallow breathing appeared to have ceased. He sized up the situation, dropped down the bed of his roll-back wrecker and hooked up to Norris’ still-running vehicle. He pulled the vehicle away enough to free Norris, who by this time was not breathing and displayed a deep discoloration in her skin. Deputy K.C. Iles responded to the scene. He informed dispatchers of the dire emergency and immediately began CPR. He continued until the first of two responding ambulances arrived. Chief Kerley, who was not far away having lunch, sped to the scene and arrived just as Scarlett was unhooking the chains from the pickup truck and his wrecker. While life-saving measures were being taken, fire officials established a landing zone for a medical helicopter. Two ambulances were dispatched. Emergency personnel crews from both units took over the non-stop life saving efforts to save Norris’ life. A faint pulse was found, and Norris was flown directly to the trauma center at The University of Tennessee Medical Center. The dire prognosis From all accounts, it did not look good for Norris’ recovery. She was taken to the intensive care unit at UTMC where her prognosis was grim. Gunter and other friends rushed to the hospital in support of the person they love. Norris was suffering from a deep bruising of the wall around the heart, ten broken ribs and was suffering from pneumonia. One lung was nearly full of water, Gunter continued. Norris was placed on a ventilator and friends kept vigil. “The doctor called and asked that her living will be brought to the hospital,” Gunter said. “I went over to her house, found it and faxed it to the hospital.” There was little left to do but wait.” Gunter said the doctor estimated that Norris was without blood flow and oxygen to the brain for around 20 minutes. “The doctor looked over the living will and told us he was going to do everything that she wanted.” Gunter remembered. This included removing the vent and, if the time came, to harvest her organs for donations to others. But, the doctor said he was going to leave Norris on the vent for 12 more hours before carrying out her last wishes. The situation was so grim that four friends — including Gunter — were allowed to spend time in ICU with Norris Saturday evening. “By them bending the rules for us, I knew it just wasn’t good,” Gunter said. That night it happened. Norris raised up, whispered and cried. It was a normal reaction from someone who had undergone severe trauma and extended unconsciousness. “We were to meet with the doctor at 11 a.m. our time Sunday and while we were hoping for the best, we were fearing the worst,” Gunter recalled. “Well, 11 came and no meeting … 12, and finally, at 1 p.m. the doctor called us in. You know, we were fearing the worst.” Instead, the doctor told the friends what had transpired over night. They were allowed to take turns briefly visiting her. Gunter said Norris was still groggy from the trauma, the medication and treatment and being unconscious for an extended period of time. Monday she was removed from the ventilator and while a UTMC spokesperson would not comment about Norris, it was reported that she is now listed in “stable condition.” RESOURCE LINK

Local first responders, tow truck companies make PSA for ‘Move Over/Slow Down’ law RESOURCE LINK

This declaration is the first time FMCSA has issued nation-wide relief and follows President Trump issuing of a national emergency declaration in response to the virus. Fleet Owner Staff Mar 14, 2020 The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a national emergency declaration to provide hours-of-service regulatory relief to commercial vehicle drivers transporting emergency relief in response to the nationwide coronavirus, known as COVID-19, outbreak. This declaration is the first time FMCSA has issued nation-wide relief and follows President Trump issuing of a national emergency declaration in response to the virus. “Because of the decisive leadership of President Trump and Secretary Chao, this declaration will help America’s commercial drivers get these critical goods to impacted areas faster and more efficiently,” said FMCSA Acting Administrator Jim Mullen. “FMCSA is continuing to closely monitor the coronavirus outbreak and stands ready to use its authority to protect the health and safety of the American people.” FMCSA’s declaration provides for regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations providing direct assistance supporting emergency relief efforts intended to meet immediate needs for: Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19; Supplies and equipment, including masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants, necessary for health care worker, patient and community safety, sanitation, and prevention of COVID-19 spread in communities; Food for emergency restocking of stores; Equipment, supplies and persons necessary for establishment and management of temporary housing and quarantine facilities related to COVID-19; Persons designated by federal, state or local authorities for transport for medical, isolation or quarantine purposes. Personnel to provide medical or other emergency services. To ensure continued safety on the nation’s roadways, the emergency declaration stipulates that once a driver has completed his or her delivery, the driver must receive a minimum of 10 hours off duty if transporting property, and eight hours if transporting passengers. RESOURCE LINK

Rush Towing Cookeville Tn. had a Rollback Struck on I-40 mm 284 by a tractor trailer who failed to slow down or move over. The tow truck operator and his passengers are reported to be OK!

Motorcyclist from Cypress killed in Riverside crash A motorcyclist from Cypress was killed late Saturday night in Riverside when the rider and a flatbed tow truck crashed as the truck was making a turn, police said. The 54-year-old rider was not further identified until relatives are notified. The crash was reported at Arlington and Hillside Avenues at 9:47 p.m., authorities said. City firefighters freed the motorcyclist, who was trapped beneath the truck. They tried life support measures on the rider, who died at the scene, the department said. Police said the tow truck was turning from eastbound Arlington onto northbound Hillside — a left turn — when the collision occurred with the westbound motorcyclist. The incident remained under investigation by police Sunday. RESOURCE LINK