TowNews

MILWAUKEE — A semitruck slammed into a tow truck that was at the scene of a separate crash Monday morning in the Mitchell Interchange. It happened about 11:15 a.m. and closed all the southbound lanes of I-43 through the interchange for more than four hours. The semitruck cab separated from its base after striking the tow truck, and the trailer flipped on its side blocking all three lanes of traffic, Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said. The tow truck slammed into the wall, and the driver was trapped in the cab of the vehicle. He was extricated by the Milwaukee Fire Department and taken to an area hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries. The semitruck driver, Ali Z. Abubakar, and his passenger had cuts to their head and arms and were able to exit the flipped semi on their own, the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said. They were transported to an area hospital by ambulance. The truck was hauling 6,000 pounds of light fixtures and holds a valid commercial driver's license from the state of Ohio. He was issued two citations: Driving too fast for conditions, which has a fine of $224, and failure to keep vehicle under control, which is a fine of $224. RESOURCE LINK with video

From Starlite Wrecker Service FB Page. For any Wrecker companies who are going to attend for the line up and ride thru town, if possible let me know so we can give the funeral home an idea of how many trucks will be particapating. This is not a must just so we'll have a rough estimate. We thank each and everyone of you for your continued prayers, kind words and support thru this. May God bless each and every one of you and keep y'all safe. Here's the address and arrangements for Scott's funeral services. Halls Funeral Home 2106 Cookeville Hwy Livingston, TN 38570 Thursday August 29th 12-2 pm visitation with funeral service starting at 2 pm

Couple killed in car crash; wife's body taken to hospital 5 1/2 hours later A married couple in their 70s died after their car crashed into an oncoming light passenger vehicle in Kasumigaura City, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Sunday. Unaware that the dead woman was still inside the car, the ambulance crew did not transport her to a hospital until 5 1/2 hours after the accident. According to police, the collision occurred just past 4 a.m. along National Route 354. The couple's car was hit on a curve by a vehicle driven by a 19-year-old man, which had drifted over the center line. Tadaaki Hirose, 74, and his wife Taeko, 75, were killed in the accident. The driver of the other car and his three passengers sustained minor injuries in the collision. Police said the driver has been arrested on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death. Police said Taeko was in the passenger seat that was severely damaged in the collision and was not discovered until the demolished car was about to be taken away by a tow truck. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital but police said they could not be certain she died immediately after the crash. Police also failed to give any explanation as to why emergency responders did not notice Taeko’s body in the car. https://japantoday.com/category/crime/couple-killed-in-car-crash-wife's-body-taken-to-hospital-5-1-2-hours-later

Tow truck driver dies 3 weeks after being hit by vehicle on I-85 MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - A tow truck driver who was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 85 on July 29 has died from his injuries, the Montgomery Police Department confirmed Thursday. Richard Wilson, 53, of Millbrook, suffered life-threatening injuries after being hit around 6:45 p.m that Monday evening. Police and fire medics responded to the area and found a two-vehicle crash involving a 2013 BMW X1 and a 2015 Ford F-650 in the northbound lanes at Forest Avenue. Wilson was apparently trying to load a vehicle on his wrecker when he was struck. He was rushed to an area hospital, then transported to UAB in Birmingham. Tracey Gilliland, a manager at Montgomery-based Jacob’s Towing, confirmed on July 31 that Wilson was an employee of the company and that he’d been taken to UAB for treatment. On Thursday, more than three weeks after the crash, Montgomery police say he died of his injuries. An investigation into the crash is ongoing. Police could say the driver of the BMW was not injured. Wilson, the driver of the Ford, was not in the vehicle at the time of the crash and was considered a pedestrian at the time he was hit. RESOURCE LINK Original Topic as Reported by TowTimes on TowForce

Investigation underway after crash involving tow truck, car near 55th and Sheridan MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee police are investigating a crash that happened late Wednesday night, Aug. 21 near 55th and Sheridan. A tow truck and a car were involved. It appears the force of the crash sent the tow truck into a nearby home. The damage appears to be extensive. RESOURCE LINK

Car burns in Seal Beach after being loaded onto tow truck A tow truck driver got more than he bargained for after loading a disabled sedan onto the back of his truck on Wednesday. Flames erupted after he had loaded the car on his truck, eventually engulfing the car in a fiery blaze. RESOURCE LINK

Peach County wreck sends 5 to hospital 2 tractor-trailers and a tow truck collided at mile marker 151 between the Fort Valley-Byron interchange and Sardis Church Road interchange. According to Penny Brooks with the Georgia Department of Transportation, before 8 p.m. Monday, two tractor-trailers and a tow truck collided at mile marker 151 between the Fort Valley-Byron interchange and Sardis Church Road interchange. RESOURCE LINK

4 people injured in shootings in Toronto, Brampton Four people were injured in a string of shootings in the Greater Toronto Area late Monday and into Tuesday. Around 10:30 p.m. Monday, police were called to a strip mall at 2687 Kipling Avenue, north of Finch Avenue West, for reports of multiple shots having been fired. Two male victims made their own way to hospital, according to Toronto police. Neither of the victim's injuries appeared to be life-threatening, police said. In this incident, witnesses reported seeing a group of males running from the scene. A short time later, at 10:50 p.m., police were called to 2625 Weston Road, near Highway 401, for numerous shots fired in a McDonald's parking lot. A 61-year-old male suffered multiple gunshot wounds and is "fighting for his life" in hospital, Toronto police Duty Insp. Mandeep Mann told reporters at the scene. Investigators believe the shooting was targeted, Mann said. One vehicle at the scene had a bullet hole in the windshield. A witness at the scene reported seeing two suspects, who fled in opposite directions. The witness, tow-truck operator Deric Cruz, said one of the suspects ran past his truck, looked him in the eye and then fled the scene. "After they all left I see one guy lying down on the floor… all blood everywhere," Cruz said. "I tried to go help him out but he started crying, 'I'm dying, I'm dying.'" While there are numerous surveillance cameras at the plaza, Mann said, police are still urging witnesses to contact 12 Division or Crime Stoppers with any information. In the third incident, Peel police were called to a home on Matthew Harrison Street in Brampton shortly after 1 a.m. for reports of multiple shots being fired. Shell casings littered the street, while bullet holes could be seen in the garage door. A male victim was shot in the arm and abdomen and taken to hospital. Shortly before 4 a.m., Peel police tweeted that the man's injuries are not life-threatening. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/4-people-injured-in-shootings-in-toronto-brampton-1.5252946

NORTHWOOD, Ohio (WTVG) - If you're stuck on the side of the road, with a flat tire or an empty gas tank, ODOT’s new fleet of safety patrol trucks are better-equipped than ever to help you get to a safe spot. The four new trucks are bigger and better than ever. The first things you'll notice on this brand new safety patrol truck: a message board, and towing equipment. Jeff Hoff is the supervisor of the Free Safety Patrol. He explains to 13abc, "Now, instead of having to wait for a tow truck to come down and remove a disabled vehicle or an accident, we're able to move it to the shoulder, so a safe area, that way we can clear the road faster." That's always been the goal of the Freeway Safety Patrol, but now, they can do it better. Rebecca Dangelo with ODOT explains, "They can push, pull, whatever they need to do to get them safely off the road for their safety, as well as the traveling public, still traveling on the roadway." And they can do it quicker. Hoff says, with the new trucks, "You do get out faster. Because you don't have to get out and go open up doors to get out cones, a sign or whatever you have to do." The new trucks have been on the road for about five months. And while they're meant to make the roadways safer, it's other drivers that make clearing a disabled vehicle dangerous, even with the added signage and bigger trucks. "I mean, hopefully, they'll catch on to it eventually,” hopes Hoff. “People will." If you need assistance from a Safety Patrol Truck, you can call 911 and they'll dispatch a truck to your location. RESOURCE LINK with video

90 Minutes to Clear: What Ontario can learn from Florida n Ontario, there’s not an effective time-oriented coordinated plan among first responders to clear roads after accidents. Collision studies show a long highway closure can even initiate a domino effect of secondary crashes, often more severe and deadly than the initial accident. During last week’s crash, several motorists driving at highway speeds nearly hit OPP officers when they were investigating the tragic mishap, which killed two people. Beyond the most critical issue of life and death, there’s the major monetary cost of slower cleanup. The C.D. Howe Institute estimated the cost of congestion for the GTA and Hamilton could be costing upwards of $11 billion annually. 90 Minutes to Clear In Florida, government-approved clean-up crews receive bonuses if they clear a crash site within 90 minutes. The precious time spent for cleanup has been reduced to an average time of 67 minutes — the total incident time takes an average of two hours and 45 minutes, says a 2016-17 report from the Florida Department of Transportation. The reason Florida’s Rapid Incident Scene Clearance is so effective is that licensed cleanup crews only get paid US$2,500 if they clear a crash site in 90 minutes or less. Take over 180 minutes and they’re fined $10 per minute. First responders are also instructed by the Florida transporation department to have the goal of activating the cleanup crew as fast as possible. Because towing companies are designated by the government and on a line-up list, there is not the same wild west of tow-trucks circling crash scenes like motorists can find on Ontario highways. Here, it’s not uncommon to see as many as six or seven tow truckers swarming a scene of a crash like vultures. The towing competition is so fierce in Ontario that Discovery Canada has a reality show devoted to the phenomenon — Heavy Rescue: 401. Not only does the tow-truck wild west waste precious time in getting the road cleared, while also making the scene more dangerous, it also encourages rubberneckers to gawk, compounding congestion. Road Rangers Save Lives In Florida, when a driver gets in a jam on the highway — e.g. flat tire, runs out of gas, engine trouble — road rangers come to the rescue. Instead of calling up roadside assistance like CAA, Floridians call “*FHP” and rangers patrolling all major parts of the interstate rush to the scene to lend a hand. They have all the equipment — like car jacks and jerry cans of gas — to get drivers out of a quick bind. On top of that, the backs of their trucks are equipped with a large arrow signs to direct cars away from the driver in potential peril. And all of this is free, or rather, covered by taxpayers. Yes, American governments do offer some government assistance Canadian counterparts don’t, especially when they see the benefits of saving lives, time and economic productivity far outweighing the all-too-real costs of lives, time and money. RESOURCE LINK

CNY man rescues drivers from flooding in his underwear, loses job A Central New York man says he lost his job after rescuing drivers stranded by flooding this weekend. According to radio station Big Frog 104, Michael Venettozzi is a tow truck driver who was sent by AAA to the Riverside Center in North Utica on Saturday when torrential storms flooded the roads and parking lots. He pulled three drivers out of the flood waters, but needed to strip to his underwear to do it. “When I arrived it looked like a raging river on the north side of the BJ’s parking lot,” Venettozzi told the Utica radio station. “I had to be almost completely submerged on my knees to hook up the car, so I decided to strip down to my boxers.” Photos posted on Facebook by Kelly Tichenor show Venettozzi in his boxers, hooking up cars and towing them to dry ground. Venettozzi cautioned the drivers to get out of the cars, warning them the battery could explode; moments later, “the airbags deployed in a loud bang.” Venettozzi revealed on Facebook a day later that he was fired. He told Big Frog that his boss said his “poor decisions put his truck and equipment in extreme risk of being damaged.” “I don’t regret helping people, I don’t regret the choice I made... a human life will always trump a piece of equipment to me!!” he wrote on Facebook. “Smdh whos hiring?” The photos have gone viral on Facebook, with a mix of both jokes and support for Venettozzi. Some are calling him a hero, “Captain Underpants,” and asking for people to send in donations to help him. “Not only did he go above and beyond his call, he was a hero in many eyes,” Whitesboro resident Robert Griffith wrote on GoFundMe. “He risked his safety, his equipment to save those who were and who became trapped. His former employer fired him for his actions and that just isn’t right. He’s a great guy, does a lot for the community and I can’t sit by and watch his wife and 2 children lose their home, vehicles because of only 1 household income now. Many don’t know but Michael also raises awareness for veteran suicide, his wife is a sheriffs deputy, they are great people and we as a community now need to help them in need.” RESOURCE LINK RESOURCE LINK FACEBOOK

Man riding a bicycle struck by tow truck in Paterson, witnesses say PATERSON - A man riding a bicycle was injured when he collided with a tow truck Sunday morning near the Bunker Hill section of the city, witnesses said. Police at the scene would not comment on the collision. Several nearby residents said a man was riding a bike down an incline on Sassafras Street toward its intersection with River Street around 11:45 a.m. when he collided with the tow truck driving northbound on River Street next to the Passaic County Office of Education. A man riding a bike was injured when he collided with a tow truck in Paterson on Sunday morning. (Photo: Scott Fallon/NorthJersey.com) The man, who has not yet been identified, was lying on the ground bleeding from his ears and shaking, witnesses said. The tow truck driver got out and tried to assist the man, witnesses said. An ambulance arrived shortly and took the injured man away. Police at the scene would not say which hospital he was taken to. Police cordoned off the area. The bike was still lying on the street about an hour after the incident. The tow truck had been pulled over to the side of the street. RESOURCE LINK with video

Utah man hit by tow truck while lying in the road in Millcreek A 19-year-old man is in critical condition after he was hit by a tow truck while lying in the road in Millcreek early Sunday morning, officials said. The man was lying in the street about 1:30 a.m. when the truck hit him. There is some evidence that he may have been assaulted before being hit by the truck, Unified police detective Kevin Mallory said. The man was hospitalized in critical condition soon after. The truck driver is cooperating with police, and there does not appear to be any impairment on the truck driver's part, Mallory said. Police do not yet know why the 19-year-old was in the road when he was hit. RESOURCE LINK

Fire and rescue crews worked to free a woman trapped in her vehicle Friday after a car and truck collided on Lisbon Street. LEWISTON — At least one person was seriously injured Friday night when a car and tow truck collided head-on Lisbon Street. The crash was first reported at about 7:30 p.m. Nearly an hour later, rescue crews were struggling to extricate a woman from her mangled vehicle. The vehicles collided on a stretch of Lisbon Street beneath the turnpike overpass, a short distance from North Lisbon Road. Witnesses reported the tow truck, which had a car strapped to its bed, burst into flames after the impact. A video from another driver’s dash cam shows the tow truck heading outbound on Lisbon Street moments before the crash. The truck is seen weaving into oncoming traffic several times. Police shut down a long section of Lisbon Street while fire and rescue crews attempted to free the woman in the car. Traffic was detoured in several areas, including down Westminster Street on one end and Old Lisbon Street on the other. The street beneath the overpass was jammed with emergency vehicles, including firetrucks and ambulances. At about 8:25 p.m., it was reported that the woman had been freed from her vehicle and was being taken to Central Maine Medical Center. No further information about her condition was available. Police were expected to keep part of Lisbon Street closed as a reconstruction got underway as part of their investigation. RESOURCE LINK

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Fists went flying during traffic on Highway 6 near Bellaire Boulevard and it was all caught on camera. It happened Friday afternoon: a wrecker was blocking part of the road when an impatient passenger got out of the car and confronted the tow truck driver, according to a witness. Video shows the much smaller man being knocked on the ground before getting up and trying to pick up where he left off. A female driver then enters the picture and breaks up the fight. After that, the wrecker driver is seen pulling off and the driver and her passenger also departs. ABC13 reached out to the woman but she has not responded. RESOURCE LINK with video

Initiative along 4800 block of East Ben White Boulevard to enforce a traffic code provision illustrated how most ignore the law. AUSTIN, TX — Some Austin residents haven't gotten the message on the state's "Move Over" law, as illustrated by a recent police enforcement initiative during which nearly 200 warnings were issued to drivers not exercising caution around tow trucks on the road. The Highway Enforcement Command unit of the Austin Police Department conducted the initiative along the 4800 block of East Ben White Boulevard on Wednesday, Aug. 14, to enforce a traffic code provision known informally as the "Move Over" law stipulating that drivers either move over a lane or slow down to 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit if they pass an emergency vehicle with its emergency lights activated. The operation focused on vehicles not moving over for tow trucks which are classified as emergency vehicles, police explained. Research from AAA shows that a tow truck operator is killed once every six days, making it one of the most dangerous jobs. The police operation ran from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and utilized a highway enforcement detective along with eight officers working overtime. APD partnered with Southside Towing who donated a tow truck and an out-of-service vehicle for the operation, police said. The goal of the operation was to bring awareness to the law and encourage compliance in the future — the third such initiative using tow trucks. Given the educational aim of the effort, police noted, only warnings were issued to driver's violating this law. However, police added, citations were issued for other infractions. During the initiative, officers noticed that almost all of the drivers disregarded the tow truck on the side of the road,maintaining the same speed without moving over. RESOURCE LINK

A new roll-up door design from Fontaine Modification is intended to make it easier for firefighters, EMTs, tow truck operators and others to quickly access tools and equipment stored in the cabs of Freightliner M2 trucks. Fontaine said the patent-pending design allows for a watertight seal of the door to the truck; smooth, reliable operation of the roll-up door; and easy maintenance. Previously, storage-door installation involved custom-bending the mounting track to match the truck side’s curvature. Bending the track could lead to leaks and challenges with opening and closing the door, Fontaine said. The new mounting system the company developed uses a surround to allow the door to be installed in a completely vertical orientation, rather than trying to curve to the side of the truck. “This unique solution allows for a consistent, customized fit for these Freightliner M2 cabs from the beginning, rather than needing to modify on the fly if usability issues arise,” said Nate Eichinger, managing director at Fontaine Modification. “Vehicle operators will appreciate the smooth functionality and ability to service—clean, repair and even replace—the door, since it can be removed from the framework we designed for this application.” The new mounting system was developed by the engineering team led by Dylan Ramsey, the vocational engineering manager at Fontaine’s Innovation Center for Research and Development in Charlotte NC. It will be installed on Freightliner M2 trucks at Fontaine’s Charlotte Modification Center, which supports Freightliner’s nearby Mount Holly manufacturing facility.

CHP officer, suspect killed, two officers injured in Riverside shootout RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) -- One of the California Highway Patrol officers wounded during a shootout in Riverside Monday evening has died. Two others remain hospitalized, according to KABC . According to Riverside authorities, the shooting happened around 5:35 p.m. on the 215 Freeway near Box Springs Boulevard and Eastridge Avenue. "One of our officers succumbed to the injuries sustained," the CHP tweeted. Riverside authorities say a CHP officer stopped the suspect driving a GMC pickup truck and then decided to impound the vehicle. As he was calling for a tow truck and filling out paperwork, the suspect entered the truck, grabbed a rifle and fired it at the officer, police say. The officer was able to broadcast an "officer needs assistance" call. Of the first three officers on scene, two of them were immediately engaged, both of them were struck during a gun fire exchange, authorities said. One of them received major injuries and is in critical condition. The other received minor injuries. The suspect was killed in a shootout with a fourth officer. The officer who initiated the traffic stop was transported to a hospital in Moreno Valley and was pronounced dead, authorities said. "It was a long and horrific gun battle," said Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz. "And it resulted in a very extensive crime scene." A total of three officers were shot. Police say a witness may have also been hit with something, but it doesn't appear to be gunfire. Video from the scene shows bullet holes in the front windshields of two CHP cars. KABC is reporting that family members of the suspected gunman identified him as Aaron Luther, a father of two from Beaumont in his late 40s. This could have been a Tow Operator our sympathies go out to fellow law enforcement officers, Family & Friends. The dangers are real the situation is never the same.

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WKYT) - A tow truck was flipped upside down as a result of a three-vehicle crash in Scott County. A crash flipped a tow truck upside down Monday afternoon in Scott County (Nick Oliver/WKYT) The crash happened on Long Lick Pike near Champions Way. The tow truck was transporting a vehicle at the time of the collision. Another passenger vehicle was involved in the crash. Long Lick Pike is currently blocked in the area of the crash. Four were taken to the hospital as a result of the crash. Tow Truck Driver was not injured: RESOURCE LINK with video UPDATED: Monday accident turns fatal as woman dies A 93-year-old Stamping Ground woman died Monday from injuries she suffered in a three-vehicle accident Monday afternoon on Long Lick Pike, according to the Scott County Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Jeremy Johnson said Wanda Offutt died at the University of Kentucky Hospital. A preliminary investigation suggests Tommy Furnish, 49, of Stamping Ground, was driving a 1997 Honda Accord and traveling outbound on Long Lick Pike when he collided with a tow truck traveling inbound, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office. The tow truck was operated by Cole Farris, 20, of Union, Ky., and ended up flipping over. Furnish’s vehicle then collided with a 2009 Mazda 6 driven by Susan Offutt, 66 of Georgetown, also traveling inbound, according to the Sheriff’s Office press release. Johnson said Furnish struck the tow truck in the tool box area, then Furnish collided with the Offutt’s vehicle in an offset head-on manner and that Wanda Offutt was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown to the floor of the vehicle. He also said the only charge he could speak too Wednesday morning was that Furnish was driving on a suspended operator’s license and should not have been driving at all. Both Offutt and Furnish were transported to the UK hospital, where Wanda passed away. The collision remains under investigation by the Georgetown/Scott County Collision Investigation Unit. RESOURCE LINK

Man loses leg while changing tire on North Freeway causing chain-reaction crash, police say HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Police say a man was hit while he was changing his tire on the shoulder of the North Freeway at West Road. It happened early Sunday morning. Police say a white Mazda sedan hit the man and his car, causing a major chain-reaction crash involving a total of five vehicles. Police say the driver of the Mazda fled the scene on foot and left the sedan behind. Police initially reported the incident as a fatal crash, but they later learned the man lost a leg and is expected to live. He's the only person in the crash that was injured. All lanes reopened around 9:30 a.m. Police say car breakdowns along freeways can be dangerous and say drivers should not try to fix their cars on the side of the road. If your car breaks down, here are a few programs that can help: City of Houston's Tow and Go Program The SafeClear Program was added to Houston-Galveston Area Council's regional traffic management plan and is now known as the 'Tow and Go Program'. Stalled vehicles on Houston's freeways will be towed to a nearby safe location off the freeway at no cost. If your vehicle has a good spare and a jack, the wrecker driver will change your flat tire at no cost. If you wish to be towed to your home or another location, the City of Houston's non-consent tow fee applies, which is currently $175.50 for the first 20 miles, and 2 percent per mile after. Your vehicle can also be towed to a nearby storage lot, where it will be stored at no cost for up to 48 hours. Storage fees will begin to accrue after 48 hours. The tollways and the Katy Freeway High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes are not included. Houston TranStar Motorist Assistance Program The Motorist Assistance Program (MAP) is a free program designed to assist stranded motorists on all Harris County area freeways. It's available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (excluding Harris County holidays). MAP is designed to not only help stranded drivers, but also to clear the freeways of minor incidents and stalls. This in turn helps all drivers by keeping them moving and saving them time and gas. RESOURCE LINK