TowNews

Tow truck company pushes for better understanding of Slow Down/Move Over law in Indiana INDIANAPOLIS — Every year, people are killed while responding to help others during emergencies and some workers feel people aren't following the laws. Being a tow truck driver is one of the most dangers jobs in America because data shows one tow truck driver is killed every six days. "It's tough for kids nowadays to want to come and apply," Matthew Bartlett with Interstate Delaware & South Towing said. "Most 20-year-olds don't want to be out here doing what we do on the side of the road. Chances are if somebody gets struck out here, they're not going home that day." He says some people don't always associate tow truck drivers with the slow down, move over law, which requires drivers to change lanes or slow down at least 10 mph when crews are on the shoulder of the road. On Tuesday, RTV6 saw several drivers disregard tow trucks with lights on several times. On Tuesday, RTV6 saw several drivers disregard tow trucks with lights on several times. "When police officers and firefighters are killed, they are all over national news, regional news," Bartlett said. "And they should be. Towing operators, we are lucky if we get 10 seconds of news coverage." If a driver is convicted of violating the law, drivers can be fined or have their license suspended if they cause damage to emergency equipment. If someone is convicted of violating the law and causing injury or death, they can be sentenced to time in prison. Bartlett says he thinks it should be a criminal offense if someone is violating the law. "Be aware of your surroundings, give people some more space, look ahead," Bartlett said. "It's all the basic stuff they teach you in driver's ed, but as a society we have weaned away from that." Services like Hoosier Helper sponsored by State Farm can respond to assist stranded motorists, help with traffic control or medical assistance. If you need help from Hoosier Helper, you can call 855-INDOT-4-U or 855-463-6848. RESOURCE LINK with video @Matt Bartlett

Head-on collision between a vehicle and a tow truck towing a car One person was airlifted to hospital after a multi-vehicle accident on Highway 17 near the Tsawwassen ferry terminal Monday morning. The accident, a head-on collision between a vehicle and a tow truck towing a car, occurred around 8:20 a.m. near Tsatsu Shores Drive at the beginning of the Tsawwassen causeway. B.C. Emergency Health Services spokeswoman Shannon Miller says one person was airlifted to hospital and is listed in critical condition. A second person was taken to hospital in stable condition. Hwy. 17 was reduced to one-lane alternating traffic and the causeway leading to the terminal was briefly closed to traffic, leading to significant B.C. Ferries delays. The Spirit of Vancouver Island, which runs between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island, was held in dock while emergency crews tended to the accident scene. As a result, the ferry, along with other sailings originating and ending at Tsawwassen, was operating more than an hour behind schedule. RESOURCE LINK

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA-TV) - When you think of a first responder, who comes to mind? Police, firefighters and paramedics usually are at the top of the list, but when a motorist plows through a building or icy winter roads lead drivers into ditches, and when traffic comes to a stand-still, tow crews are on-scene. Vehicle towing is a job critical to traffic safety. Tow operators clear roads of broken-down cars and recover wrecked vehicles involved in accidents. Towing careers also come with responsibilities like any job, but the risks that come with the field often overlap with the dangers some first responders face. Casey Oleson, a tow operator with Oleson Towing, said he always has two thoughts on his mind when he's working: "the weather and people not moving over ... you always have to have your head on a swivel." Tow truck drivers like Oleson operate on interstate and highway roads almost every day. Cars often travel at speeds as high as 80 mph in South Dakota. Oleson understands the danger, but added that "to actually get out and see it and feel it - feel how fast them cars are whipping past you - it's ... terrifying. I want to go home, too." Just like other careers focused on public safety, a tow operator's safety isn't always guaranteed. According to Oleson, the most dangerous part of his job is towing vehicles off of interstate roads. He said he often observes 18-wheelers and trucks change lanes at the last second - or, sometimes, not changing at all. A KOTA Territory news crew recorded video of eastbound traffic on Interstate 90. The highest consecutive count for vehicles not moving over was five - three trucks, a cement truck and a school bus. According to South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper Tyrel Minor, South Dakota's "Move Over Law" states that motorists must move to the lane furthest from any vehicle with flashing lights. They must also slow down 20 mph below the posted speed limit, and there are real consequences when this law is ignored. Tow operator Dale Jones was killed in the line of duty after he was hit by an out-of-control motorist in early January. "You get a little bit angry because it could have been prevented if people would abide by the law," Oleson said. Minor added that following the law gives motorists some leeway in emergency situations. "With highway speeds, there's seconds of a reaction time," Minor said. "Always slow down, because slowing down gives you more reaction time. It allows your vehicle to maneuver in ways that it wouldn't have at higher speeds." Every job has its risks, but Oleson said there is no excuse for hitting tow operators when drivers make their presence known by traveling in huge trucks, flashing emergency lights, and wearing high-vis vests. Minor wished for a golden rule among drivers: "I always wish that people would treat others on the side of the road the same way they would want to be treated when they're on the side of the road." RESOURCE LINK

Finally, Kent Reeves can ignore the weather. “I wake up in the morning now, and I don’t care what it’s doing outside, snowing or blowing, I don’t have to do anything,” said Reeves, who as the longtime owner of All American Towing & Repair knew that anytime the roads got icy or a snow emergency was called, he and his crew would be looking at long hours of work. Reeves recently sold the business to Bruce Macrafic and Rick Kahnke who co-own Affordable Towing. All American has been absorbed into Affordable. Reeves began working as a young kid at the towing business owned by his dad, Brad, and other partners. While Kent owned the business, the building and land it was on were in his father’s estate. His dad died in August and Kent had to decide whether to buy the properties from the estate or sell. “After 47 years doing this, I decided I didn’t want to spend another 20 (years) paying for the building and land,” Reeves said. He swept the floors starting in seventh grade and took his first tow truck out in 1972. After high school, he went to the University of Minnesota Duluth to study business for two years, then returned to work in the business office of All American while going to night classes. After about a decade, he bought a third of the business and later he and his dad bought out a partner, and eventually Kent bought his dad out. “We’ve always had a good relationship with Affordable. They hired as many of my (13) employees as they could, which was a big deal to me. They took almost all drivers but not my office manager, which was hard,” Reeves said. Reeves, 61, said he plans to work part time somewhere for a few years before retiring. While Affordable bought the building and property from the estate along with the business from Reeves, they won’t be using the building. Macrafic said they will lease the building to Express Care Auto Center, now between Kwik Trip and Big Dog on Commerce Drive in upper North Mankato. The business is expanding and needed a larger space. Macrafic said all of the All American Towing equipment and employees have been moved to Affordable, at 600 Summit Ave. “We have a full 10 acres here, so we have plenty of space,” Macafic said of their site, which includes an impound lot used when vehicles are towed during city-declared snow emergencies. Affordable will now have the sole contract for towing for the city. They and All American shared the contract in the past. “We’ll be doing all the snow emergencies and all the crashes,” Macrafic said. He said the company does a lot beyond towing cars and responding to accidents. The business now has 44 vehicles, including light-duty tow trucks, light-duty flatbeds, heavy wreckers and tractor trailers for hauling equipment. Affordable now has 30 employees. RESOURCE LINK

Drug court sought for driver in double-fatal crash SUPERIOR COURT — On the advice of his attorney, a Hampton man who was allegedly high on drugs when his tow truck struck a vehicle, causing the death of two, has applied for the drug court program to resolve the charges against him. Joseph Crilley, 29, who has been incarcerated since his Sept. 17 arrest stemming from the Aug. 5 crash on Route 15, appeared in front of Judge Thomas J. Critchley Monday with his attorney, Nicole Rizzolo. Crilley entered a not guilty plea to a six-count indictment where he is facing charges including two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide. Assistant Prosecutor Sahil Kabse, in response to Crilley’s application for the program said, “So the record’s clear, the State objects to Mr. Crilley’s admission into drug court for these serious charges.” The drug court program is for adults charged with a crime that has a presumption of incarceration, offering them an alternative to jail that focuses on rigorous treatment and rehabilitation. The term often runs from 12 months to five years. A formal plea offer has not been provided, but Kabse said he will do so in writing by Crilley’s next court hearing in February. Rizzolo, who indicated she hopes Crilley’s application for the drug court program can be “reviewed and resolved” by the next hearing, also provided the court with a document from the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, indicating that Crilley has been placed in the Hope Wing in the Morris County Jail. The unit provides substance abuse services for inmates. “What I am asking Your Honor to do is he be released into, pending the review of his drug court application, he be released into treatment,” Rizzolo said. Rizzolo said she is sorting through nearly 500 pages of discovery and is awaiting a copy of Crilley’s recorded statement he gave to police following the crash. Kabse said he intends on bringing in a doctor as an expert witness to “show the impact drugs have on the system.” Blood and urine samples taken from Crilley following the 10:30 p.m. crash indicated he had fentanyl, norfentanyl — a metabolite of fentanyl — alprazolm (Xanax) and morphine in his system, according to police. Crilley was additionally indicted on three counts of third-degree possession, one each for having six wax folds of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine. Authorities say Crilley, who was towing two vehicles on a tow truck, traveled over the double yellow lines and struck a Honda Civic hatchback. Crilley has previously argued that the 2012 Isuzu truck’s braking system failed, but an inspection found the brakes to be in working order, authorities said. The driver of the Honda, James Ziniewicz, 43, of Newton, died at the scene. A back-seat passenger, Bassirou Diate, 33, of Hamburg, died 26 days after the crash due to his injuries, police said. A fourth-degree assault by auto charge stems from serious injuries another passenger, Alisha Jackson, 31, of Newton, suffered to her face, hip and leg. Kabse indicated in court Jackson lost an eye. Crilley, who was on pretrial release conditions out of Passaic County for drug-related charges, has already completed the drug court program in Morris County for prior charges. He is expected to appear back in court on Feb. 10. Resource Link

BRIDGTON — Tim Cook has been towing for more than five decades. With thousands of tows under his belt, he specializes in the ones most people don’t want, rescuing an oil truck stuck miles down a snowmobile trail, pulling half of a house out of a pond. “A manure truck that rolled over comes to mind,” said retired Lovell Fire Chief Tommie McKenzie. Cook, 66, was pinned into American Towman Magazine’s Order of Towman last month, an award reserved for drivers nominated by fire and police officials. “He’s always done a great job doing it, an expert in how to recover a vehicle,” said McKenzie, who put in Cook’s name. “I figured it was well-deserved.” Cook, a Bridgton native, found himself at age 8 hooking cars up to his father’s wrecker. His father wasn’t a commercial tow truck driver but would bring customers’ cars back to his shop to work on them. “I said I didn’t want to be in the towing business, I wanted to drive a truck, I wanted to build fast cars — well, here I am,” said Cook, who started Lake Region Towing in 1979. And like his father, he’s also a mechanic, “unfortunately,” he joked. “My first scan tool was $280; the last one I got was $14,000.” He’s passionate about community service, volunteering 45 years with the Bridgton Fire Department. He’s fire chief in Sweden, a safety officer with Sebago fire and a member of the Harrison Fire Department. He’s also a longtime municipal fire and vehicle extraction instructor. Cook listens to calls, and if there’s a vehicle involved, he’ll often respond in his small, one-ton tow truck, not to get the tow business — departments often have a rotating list of companies that get those — but to help if the vehicle needs to be lifted or otherwise moved. “It’s a tool,” Cook said. It’s also a bit of an art. “Back in the day, everybody thought, ‘Wreckers, all they do is (hook) up cars and tow them off,'” said Cook. “Well, no. Today’s operator, a true towing operator, you go to school. I’ve got hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of technical school. . . “It’s a challenge, it uses physics,” he added. “It’s nice to be able to go get something and bring it back with effectively no more damage than when it went in.” Lake Region Towing, run with his wife, Audra, specializes in heavy recovery (vehicles over 10,000 pounds) and off-road tows. “If nobody wants to mess with it, we will,” he said. “Case in point: (We) had half a modular house get caught in a guardrail out in West Bridgton. It wound up in Moose Pond.” He helped pull it out with a few others. He’s pulled a truck from the same pond and once towed an oil truck whose GPS had led the driver 2.5 miles down a snowmobile trail in winter. Cook approached from another direction and pulled him out half a mile. He’s also lifted vehicles off people. Fatalities are tough. “Everyone takes a little more out of you,” Cook said. “The closer you get to your mortality, it takes more out of you.” His phone rings 24 hours a day. Ahead of an expected ice storm like last weekend, he’ll make sure everything is gassed up, and then, it’s a wait. In very big storms, people tend to stay off the road. “It’s the little ones that get you — the first storm and the last storm of the year is where you make your money, because they either haven’t put their snow tires on yet or they’re overconfident,” Cook said. “(The last storm of the season) it’s the same story, ‘Oh, it’s black road, I can go like hell.’ How’d that work out for you?” RESOURCE LINK

Tow truck drivers gather to make plea to public for increased safety Tow truck drivers gathered to remember the life of one of their own and make a plea to the public to help give them safer working conditions. Tow truck drivers gathered on Sunday to remember the life of one of their own and make a plea to the public for safer working conditions. The event was organized after 43-year-old Aaron Malama was killed on Thursday when he was struck by a car on the H-2 while he was hooking up a stalled car. Over thirty tow truck drivers and their families gathered at Restaurant 604 near Pearl Harbor. Some shared their memories of Malama, others talked about their experience with drivers not giving them enough space on the road when they assist cars. One driver who was hit while he was on the job in 2017 and lost his ability to walk was there to add his voice to the call for change. "Send a message out to the people. Just give us a space, or slow down or just move over for us. We're first responders too. We have families to go back to. Just give us space," said Valentino Tua. The organizer for the meeting told me he wanted to give drivers an opportunity to share their experiences but also a chance to grieve with each other. RESOURCE LINK

Man accused of holding tow truck driver at gunpoint to get car back in northeast Austin AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man whose truck was about to be towed at a northeast Austin apartment complex is accused of holding the tow truck driver at gunpoint until he got his car back. According to court documents, Austin police received a 911 call on Friday about the incident at the Cricket Hollow Apartments located at 11441 North Interstate Highway 35 Northbound. The area is east of the highway and north of Braker Lane. The victim told detectives that he was employed by the complex to tow vehicles that did not have a placard, and was getting ready to tow a Buick LaSabre when a man confronted him. That man was cursing at him and then pulled out a black handgun, pointing it at the driver. The suspect then allegedly starting counting backwards saying, “5, 4, 3, 2…” when the victim told him to wait and that he would release the car. The driver told police it took him about five minutes to take off all the equipment from the car and a gun was pointed at him the entire time. As he got into the truck to drive away, he heard one shot fired from the gun and then the suspect ran off. That was when the victim got away and called 911. While police were setting up to call the suspect, identified as Logan Lovelady, 20, out of his apartment later that night, he walked out with his father. Police detained him, and while doing a sweep of his apartment, saw a gun in his room. Lovelady is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is booked in the Travis County Jail with a $20,000 bond. RESOURCE LINK

Saturday Night 01.11.20 @ 10:30pm 3 - Tow Trucks were Stolen from TLC Truck and Equipment, Pompano Beach, Fl. BE ON THE LOOKOUT IN BROWARD AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. 2020 Ram 5500 white crewcab 4x4 JerrDan MPL40. Vin# 3C7WRNEL3KG521330. Bed sn# 0230007038 2017 Ram 5500 white crewcab 4x2 JerrDan MPL40 Vin# 3C7WRMEL2HG728133 $1000 REWARD PER TRUCK FOR ANY INFORMATION TO FINDING THE 2 RAM’S 954-979-9422 A 3rd Tow Truck Has Been Recovered 2020 Hino 258LP white w/ 22ft JerrDan SPRING RIDE HYDRAULIC BRAKE 2 TOOLBOXES. (This truck was recovered 1/11/20 @ 12pm in Plantation FL off of sunrise and the turnpike.)

News Video is within Resource Link below: MILILANI, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The tow truck driver and father fatally struck early Thursday by a woman accused of driving drunk has thrown the tight-knit community of tow truck operators into mourning ― and raised new questions about a law that was meant to make the job safer. Aaron Malama was hit early Thursday after being struck while trying to hook up a stalled vehicle on the H-2 Freeway in Mililani. He was initially taken in critical condition to a hospital. “My friend called me this morning and they told me that Aaron got hit. They thought he was still alive," said his former coworker Avery Axtell. "He passed away at the hospital.” Tow truck operator Austin Kanamu responded to the scene. “It’s a very eerie feeling seeing the damage of the car and knowing what happened to somebody that you know," said Kanamu. Police said the crash happened about 1 a.m. when a driver was heading northbound on the freeway in Mililani when she veered out of her lane and plowed into the tow truck driver and a second man. The second victim, a 49-year-old man, was taken to a hospital in serious condition. Police arrested the 47-year-old driver ― Edrina Rapis ― on suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant and two counts of first-degree negligent injury. Rapis had been convicted of DUI after an accident in 2004 and lost her license for one year. Investigators believe alcohol is also a contributing factor in Thursday’s crash, and they’re still looking at whether speed or drugs were involved. Rapis was released pending further investigation. Malama’s death is raising new questions about the dangers tow truck drivers face on the job. Hawaii became the 50th and final state to enact the “Move Over” law in 2012, aimed to protect those working on the side of the road. Kanamu said the law is constantly ignored and almost impossible to enforce, leaving them in danger. “Every time one of us goes out on a call on the freeway, you’re lucky if you get one car that moves over," Kanamu said. "It’s a scary experience feeling a car or a semi pass you at 60, 65.” Failure to comply with the “Move Over” law may result in up to a $1,000 fine. Malama’s friends want tougher punishments. “Especially drinking and driving. We’re picking up the accidents from drinking and driving,” said Axtell. “We’re just trying to get home to our families.” “All it takes is one person to mess that all up and now we don’t have a friend,” added another former coworker, Ronald Ilae III. “I really wish I could have been there. At least watching his back or something.” His friends say Malama leaves behind his parents, his girlfriend and his son. RESOURCE LINK with video

Tow truck drivers urge people to follow the Move Over Law Statistics by the CDC show it's one of the most deadly jobs in the country-- with 191 tow truck drivers nationwide being killed in the span of five years. Thousands of us drive past it every day. Rogelio Perez-Borroto's memorial on I-275 north is a reminder to move over and slow down. “He was off helping somebody who broke down on the bridge. On his way home from work, he lost his life,” fellow tow truck driver Mike McDonald said. McDonald says sadly Rogelio isn't the only one. Tow truck drivers risk their lives daily. “Last year there was 56 operators that died in 2019. That's every six days an operator loses their life helping somebody to make sure they get home,” McDonald said. That's why FDOT enforces the Move Over Law. January is the “Move Over Month.” Drivers have to move over if they see flashing lights on the side of the road. “I mean if you can't move over, they say you're supposed to slow down at least 20 miles under the posted speed limit,” McDonald said. Every time McDonald goes out for a call, he knows he could possibly lose his life. We waited with him and after just a few minutes in, not one car moved over and none slowed down. “I would say 90-percent of them don't. A lot of them don't. They’re just not paying attention and wanting to get home thinking that it's not a big deal, but it actually is,” McDonald said. Statistics by the CDC show it's one of the most deadly jobs in the country with 191 tow truck drivers nationwide being killed in the span of five years. “We've been calculating, so far in 2020 five operators have lost their life within the past 10 days. I mean within the first four hours of 2020, two operators lost their lives,” McDonald said. At the end of the day, McDonald said he just wants drivers to be vigilant so he can go home to his five kids at the end of the night. “My wife is always concerned if I'm going to come home. She calls me 5-6 times a day just to make sure. It would be heartbreaking because my kids are my world. It would be heartbreaking for them, not knowing they don't have a dad,” McDonald said. Troopers issued more than 20,000 citations for people who broke the law in 2019. That’s how big the problem is. Again, this can all be avoided if you move over. RESOURCE LINK with video

Tow Truck Driver is OK after being rear ended at a stop light... He stated in a FB post: the only skid marks were from our truck being pushed forward the driver of the Mazda never slowed until the collision... This could have been a lot worse... The vehicles were stuck together pretty good and took some effort to separate them. The truck is drive-able but took a hell of a hit. She's a little twisted now.

A tow truck hauling a semitrailer crashed into a stationary train car near Tenino Wednesday night, causing minor injuries to the driver and a diesel spill, authorities say. The driver of the tow truck said he was driving down a hill on Blumauer Road Southeast and lost the ability to brake, Thurston County Sheriff’s Lt. Ray Brady told The Olympian. The truck went across Crowder Road Southeast and hit a parked train car that was sitting on a storage track. Thurston County 911 dispatch said the incident happened around 11:50 p.m. The train car was leaning over into the area of an active track, so train traffic was stopped on the active track for a short period of time until BNSF Railway employees could arrive and evaluate, Brady said. Another active track remained open. The tow-truck driver sustained minor injuries, and there was a fuel spill from the semitrailer’s diesel tank, Brady said. The state Department of Ecology was advised of the spill. RESOURCE LINK

Amazing is the Number of Tow Trucks that showed up to Honor a Fallen Tower "Even Calling Him One of Their Own". Does not matter private or government, Larry Kizer was a Tow Truck Operator". May the TowForce be with each and everyone of you, we must watch out for each other. We may be the only ones that do!

Durban - Ashveer Roopnarain, 35, and his wife Charlene, 32, had big dreams for this year. He was a chiropractor who practised in Bayview, Chatsworth. She is a medical doctor who had worked for Caprisa (the Centre for the Aids Programme in South Africa). In October, the couple gave up their jobs in Durban and moved to Midrand, north of Joburg, where they had jobs in the pharmaceutical industry. Charlene started work in October while Ashveer would have started his job this week. The couple wanted to buy their own home in the coming months and start a family. However, tragedy stuck on Thursday a day after the couple had welcomed in the new year with family and friends in Chatsworth. On the N3 to Joburg, their car, a Ford ST, broke down near Harrismith. The couple called a tow truck company and then informed their families of what had happened. According to Kishore Harichund, Charlene’s father, the tow truck operator arrived at the scene and wanted to tow the car using a Toyota Fortuner, an SUV. “Using a rope, the operator towed the vehicle. Ashveer and Charlene opted to stay in their vehicle while it was being towed. However, minutes later the rope snapped and their vehicle veered across the road where it was hit by an oncoming truck.” Ashveer died at the scene while Charlene, who sustained severe head injuries, was rushed by ambulance to hospital. She is in a stable condition at the Busamed Harrismith Private Hospital, but she is unable to remember the incident at this stage. Harichund said he was staying with his wife Molly at a B&B in Harrismith to be close to Charlene. “Our families are traumatised. Ashveer was a helpful and wonderful person. We only told Charlene on Sunday that Ashveer was dead. She’s devastated. “We held a funeral service for Ashveer on Saturday but we postponed the cremation until Charlene’s condition improves. We wanted her to be able to say goodbye to him. Ashveer’s body is now being kept at a funeral parlour.” According to Harichund, the couple attended Kharwastan Secondary School and were high school sweethearts. “They dated for 14 years before marrying five years ago. Charlene graduated as a doctor in July 2019 from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Ashveer also graduated with his MBA. Our families were so proud of them. “Now that their studies were completed, they were looking at purchasing a home and starting a family. They came to Durban on December 23 to spend Christmas and the New Year with us. We had the most wonderful time and they were so excited about all the things they planned to do in the new year.” Ettienne Pel, the chairperson of United Towing Association of SA, said the organisation was aware of the incident and had launched an investigation. “We are working with the authorities to regulate the towing industry in order to avoid incidents like this. “Our condolences go out to the family.” Ashveer’s family declined to comment. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said a case of culpable homicide was being investigated by Harrismith police. RESOURCE LINK

Tow truck driver identified in fatal H-2 crash *** WARNING THE IS A VERY EMOTIONAL NEWS VIDEO TO WATCH*** A tow truck driver died after he and another man were struck early this morning on the shoulder of the H-2 freeway by a suspected drunk driver. The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office identified the man as Aaron Malama, 43, of Honolulu. About 1 a.m., according to police accounts, a 45-year-old woman was driving northbound on the H-2 when she veered out of her lane and collided with a stalled vehicle before the Mililani Tech Park off-ramp while it was being hooked up to a tow truck. She then struck Malama and the other man, 49, who were standing next to the tow truck, police said. The woman stopped shortly afterwards. Emergency Medical Services transported Malama to an area hospital in critical condition and the older man to an area hospital in serious condition. Malama died of his injuries at the hospital, police said. Police arrested the woman who ran into the men on suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant and two counts of first-degree negligent injury. At this time, police said alcohol appears to be a contributing factor of the collision. An investigation is ongoing. Police closed all northbound lanes of the freeway for about three hours to conduct an investigation. Honolulu police said it was the first vehicle-related fatality for Oahu in 2020. RESOURCE LINK Another News Video which could not be linked can be found CLICK HERE The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office identified the man as Aaron Malama, 43, of Honolulu. The woman who struck him has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Police counted it as the first traffic-related fatality for Oahu in 2020.

Photo courtesy of Peel Police A tow truck driver requires a tow after speeding to a collision in Brampton. The tow truck was travelling 116km/hr in a 60km/hr zone in the area of Dixie Road and Orenda Road. Police say this resulted in a seven-day vehicle seizure and license suspension. Peel police are reminding drivers to stay safe on the road. RESOURCE LINK

Tow Truck Struck While Pulling Vehicle From Ditch in Yorkville A tow truck driver, who was pulling a vehicle out of a ditch on Saturday, had his truck struck in a crash on Galena Rd. at Kennedy Rd. in Yorkville. Yorkville Police say they were called to the intersection around 6:47 a.m. to investigate the crash. According to a report, a Sugar Grove man was headed west on Galena Rd. when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the rear of the tow truck that was in the process of pulling another vehicle out of the ditch at the time. No injuries were reported to the tow truck driver or the Sugar Grove man, who was not cited. Both men were wearing seatbelts. It wasn't clear if the vehicle being pulled from the ditch was additionally damaged, as the crash report only indicated the tow truck was struck. RESOURCE LINK

Tow truck operation dangerous profession say those familiar with industry SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — On average, 60 tow truck drivers die while working each year in the U.S., said Jeffrey Godwin of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Godwin oversees the museum’s Wall of the Fallen, which honors those who died on the job, and the Survivor Fund, which helps the family of those who died. The Wall of the Fallen has 450 names. The two programs have criteria so not all deaths are included and not all family members apply to have their member on the list. “It’s a pretty dangerous occupation,” Godwin said. So dangerous that the towing industry reported a death rate more than 15 times the rate of U.S. private industry, according to a National Institute of Safety And Health (NIOSH) report on the tow truck industry released in February 2019. The study covered the years 2011-2016. Maria Padilla keeps track of tow truck operations death. Padilla is the assistant editor of Tow Times, a 36-year-old industry magazine based in Florida. “For all of 2019, we had 47 such deaths,” Padilla said. She recorded 30 in 2018. “It’s very, very sad,” Padilla said. Both Padilla and Godwin added the death of Watertown tow truck operator Dale Jones to the 2020 list. Jones was killed while operating a tow truck on Saturday near Watertown. Jones’ death was the second one on Padilla’s list as of Jan. 6. When Godwin talks about the Wall of the Fallen and the tow truck industry, he uses words that inspire a sense of community. “We are a tightknit group of people. Absolutely,” Godwin said. “We are like other groups of people, like First Responders. It’s the type of occupation where everybody knows the danger of it.” But they still do it despite the danger. Often, it’s a lane of traffic, amber lights and a few cones that separate a tow truck operator from moving vehicles. “They are risking their lives to provide a service,” Godwin said. Most tow truck deaths were motor vehicle incidents. Most of those involved workers on the side of the road being struck by passing vehicles, according to the NIOSH study. Advocates of the tow truck industry, including state associations, have tried to address the safety of tow truck operations by including their service in state laws often called “move over” laws. South Dakota’s move over law requires a “stop required upon approaching stopped emergency vehicle using red signals–Requirements for approaching vehicles using amber or yellow signals.” And if on an interstate, drivers traveling in the same direction must merge into the farthest lane from the tow truck or on a two-lane highway, the approaching vehicle must reduce speed to less than 20 miles below the posted speed or 5 miles per hour if the speed limit is 20. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Depending on the roadway, drivers need to move over or slow down when they see a tow truck working, said Tony Mangan of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety. “Drivers need always be watching,” Mangan said. While Padilla and Godwin said the move over laws in all 50 states are an improvement over the past, the danger of the tow truck industry can be overlooked and almost ignored. The NIOSH study acknowledged the need for more attention on the tow truck industry and its dangers. The study said “nonfatal injuries and deaths in the motor vehicle towing industry have been largely overlooked (until its study). The findings from this study underscore the need for additional research and tailored prevention efforts.” Godwin said while some states have increased fines for violating move over laws that may not be the answer to prevent deaths. His museum group, state tow truck associations, the AAA and other organizations are cooperating to educate the public on the need to pay attention to and respect the work of the tow truck industry. More deaths need to be prevented, Godwin said. Godwin sighed when he said usually learns within 12 hours of each new tow truck death. For more about the International Towing museum, see the website. RESOURCE LINK

Houston's Wild West towing system sustains ‘flipping’ scams, regulators say Diana Ploch remembers the disorientation immediately following the September 2018 collision that totaled her Toyota — “just trying to make sense of what was going on.” The airbag from the 2006 Camry had exploded into her face, leaving her dazed. The last thing she was thinking about was what to do with her car. “I was sitting on the ground, and the tow truck driver came over and said, ‘Here, you got to sign this right now; we’re taking the car to the impound lot,’” she recalled. “They were just so authoritative, I didn’t even think to question them.” Her parents, who met her at the vehicle storage facility were worried and equally distracted. When a worker from the tow lot thrust paperwork at them to sign, they did so without much thought. Ploch recalled thinking it was odd how he held one over the other and folded the top form in half so it was unclear what her father was signing. It was only months later that she learned they had been part of a scheme regulators say is taking the Houston area by storm: car flipping. Storage facilities are limited by law on what they can charge owners of vehicles from so-called incident management tows following accidents. Diana’s father, however, unknowingly had granted the storage facility permission to move his car to a body repair shop — with an almost identical name, conveniently located at the same address and owned by the same person — which quickly ran up more than $1,700 in fees for “preservation,” “transfer” and “teardown” on the totaled car. Local police and state regulators say such schemes in which cars are deceptively “flipped” from regulated storage businesses to unregulated repair shops are soaring. “We get 30 to 40 reports a month,” said Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy Roy Leck. “And there’s a lot that don’t get reported.” During the past couple years, car flipping cases brought by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which issues towing and storage licenses, have been exclusively against Houston-area companies, records show. Allstate alone reported recovering more than 120 obviously totaled vehicles per month that had been moved from storage facilities to body shops, an “epidemic” in the Houston area, according to court documents. Instead of a few hundred dollars, the insurer said it paid an average of $1,500 to the body shops, totaling millions of dollars in unnecessary fees per year. No one has a single answer why Greater Houston has proven such fertile ground for the ploy — “we’re fortunate it’s only in the Houston area,” TDLR spokeswoman Tela Mange said. Police and even some wrecker companies, however, say the area’s outdated, free-for-all towing system is at least partially to blame. RESOURCE LINK

Two injured, including police officer in Virginia Beach crash VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Virginia Beach police say an officer and civilian have non-life threatening injuries following a crash Saturday night. Police say just before 11:40 p.m., two marked VBPD police cars were stopped behind a car in the northbound lane of First Colonial Road at the intersection of Republic Road. The two cruisers were sitting still with their emergency lights on, waiting for a tow truck to arrive. One of the police cars was struck by a civilian car who was traveling northbound, as the police officer attempted to pull out into the next lane still with emergency equipment activated. Both the police officer and the civilian were transported to a local hospital. Police say the crash is being investigated by members of Special Operations. Stay with WAVY.com for updates. RESOURCE LINK

WATERTOWN, S.D. (KELO) — One man is dead following a crash in Watertown just after 8:30 a.m. Saturday on the 200 block of 20th Avenue. According to the Watertown Police Department, a vehicle lost control and hit a tow truck operator who was helping remove another vehicle from the ditch. The tow truck operator was killed. The name of the victim has not been released. Charges are pending. RESOURCE LINK Tow Operator Killed in Fatal Car Crash Saturday Morning On 1/4/2020 at approximately 8:35AM, the Watertown Police Department, along with the Codington County Sheriff’s Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol and Watertown Fire Rescue responded to a roadway fatality. According to Police Corporal Juan Flores, A 2000 Chevrolet Impala, driven by Quentin Godes, lost control on the roadway and struck a tow truck operator assisting in removing another vehicle from the ditch. The operator suffered fatal injuries in the crash. The name of the deceased is being withheld at this time, pending more notifications. Charges are pending further investigation. The incident is being investigated by the Watertown Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team with assistance from the South Dakota Highway Patrol. RESOURCE LINK A Statement by the Lieutenant at Watertown Fire Rescue states: As a first responder people often ask who our hero’s are. When we are on-scene our hero’s are the wrecker operators, snow plow operators, and anyone else who responds to help first responders. They are our first responders. Today, I lost a friend, a super hero in his industry, a guy who would stop to help anyone. Not many know the feeling of sitting on the roadway after an accident hoping your not the next statistic. People are terribly irresponsible, inconsiderate, or unaware as they pass an accident. No matter how many lights, emergency vehicles, or tow trucks they are unfazed, emotionally unattached for what is going on. Please remember that we are all out there to help, to make it safe, we want to go home safe. We want to see our families and loved ones. I will miss your smile Dale, I will miss your humor, I will miss you.

Pickup truck overturns after driving up wrecker ramp in north Huntsville HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - It was a scary situation for a tow truck driver working a wreck on Winchester Road Friday night. David Widemon said he was trying to pull a car out of a ditch when a distracted driver flew up the wrecker’s ramp and overturned, barely missing him. It happened around 7 p.m. in the 1800 block near Domino’s. “This right here could have took my life,” Widemon said. At first, he thought the pickup’s driver was killed in the crash, but no one was hurt. Roadside crashes are the number one cause of death for police, state troopers and tow truck drivers. Alabama law says you need to move over one lane when emergency vehicles are parked on the side of the road. RESOURCE LINK with video A statement on the driver "David Wydemon" Facebook page reads: Slow down and move over people. We have families too. I escaped with my life. God was watching out for me. I get to go home to my kids.