TowNews

Road ranger's truck hit by motorist who failed to move over LAKELAND, Fla. (FOX 13) - Master Sgt. Mary Godino knows just how dangerous the job of a road ranger can be. "They're more vulnerable than the rest of us," Godino said. The Florida Highway Patrol Master Sergeant witnessed it first-hand Monday night, when a driver struck a road ranger truck along I-4. The road ranger had just returned to his vehicle and was typing up the event on his laptop. "We had one of our Road Ranger trucks on the side of the road, on mile marker 27, assisting a disabled vehicle," she said. "He was out changing a tire." He had his arrow boards out and had deployed his traffic cones when a motorist failed to move over and ran directly into the road ranger's truck, said Sgt. Godino. The speed limit in the area was 70 miles per hour, but FHP hadn't determined just how fast the vehicle was going when it slammed into the ranger's truck. The road ranger survived the impact, but the driver who struck him did not. 70 year-old Joseph Shoenbauer Jr., died. His passenger, 66 year-old Winefred Schoenbauer, was taken to Lakeland Regional in critical condition. FHP says they are still looking into what cause the vehicle to veer out of its lane. "At this time, we do not know why he failed to move over," she said. Florida is one of 43 states that requires drivers to change lanes or reduce their speed by 20 miles per hour if they're passing someone working on the side of the road. "We need room to work," Godino said. "So if you're traveling 60, 70, 80 miles an hour next to the lane we're working, we sometimes need more room than that." The Tampa area has a history of fatal crashes involving vehicles that didn't move over or slow down. In 2016, tow truck driver Danny Hand was hit and killed while helping someone on the side of Interstate 275 South, near Fowler Avenue. According to troopers, Hand's tow truck lights were flashing, but the driver who hit him said he didn't notice. In October of the same year, Troy McGuire was hit and killed by an accused drunk driver while helping law enforcement on the shoulder of I-75. Earlier that year, in February, driver Allison Huffman was arrested after allegedly hitting and killing Tampa tow truck driver Roger Perez Borroto, then ditching the car at a hotel and calling a cab to go to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. FHP says road rangers are trained to park a specific way in cast they do get hit. "They're trained to turn their wheels away from whatever side of the road they're on," Godino said. "So this way, if they do get struck by the rear, it'll go into the direction away from the vehicle in front of them." Because of that training, she says, the vehicle in front of the road ranger's truck had only minor damage. The driver was O.K. The ranger himself had minor bumps and bruises, but nothing serious. RESOURCE LINK with video

A 38-year-old London man is facing four charges, including attempted fraud, after a woman’s vehicle was towed under alleged false pretences recently. On June 29, a woman was involved in a collision in the city’s northeast shortly after noon. The woman contacted a roadside assistance service to have her vehicle towed to the police accident reporting centre on Brydges Street. Shortly after she made the call, a tow truck driver arrived and when asked if he was sent by the service, the driver said he was. When the woman went to the accident reporting centre, she learned her vehicle had been taken from there to another location without her knowledge and that the truck that towed her vehicle was not sent by her roadside service provider. Police have since charged a 38-year-old London man with mischief under $5,000, attempted fraud, personation to gain advantage, and possession of property obtained by crime. The accused is set to appear in a London court at a late date. RESOURCE LINK

A Man was assaulting girlfriend when a tow truck driver pulled over to intervene. He then assaulted the tow truck operator and drove off in her tow truck leading police on a lengthy chase.

UHP: Woman airlifted after rolling truck, hitting trooper’s car in Parley’s Canyon SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A woman was airlifted after an accident involving a Utah Highway Patrol trooper on Interstate 80 in Parley’s Canyon Sunday night. At about 7:30 p.m., a trooper was parked on the left shoulder of westbound I-80 near mile marker 137 investigating a crash from earlier in the day when a westbound pickup truck rolled and went over the top of the UHP car, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety. The 23-year-old woman driving the pickup was ejected and was flown to a hospital by medical helicopter in critical condition. It was unknown if she was wearing a seatbelt. The previous crash that the trooper was on scene for happened about an hour before — a truck pulling a trailer rolled with no other cars involved, UHP Lt. Danny Allen said. Allen said the 23-year-old was trying to avoid hitting a tow truck that was also on the scene responding to the earlier accident. One person involved in the first crash was in the patrol car when the pickup rolled and collided with it. The person had to be extricated by fire personnel and suffered minor injuries. The trooper was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for injuries — Allen said some debris hit his foot and it might be broken. Westbound I-80 was limited to one lane for over an hour as emergency and cleanup crews responded. RESOURCE LINK

Tow truck driver killed in crash on I-35W at Alliance Gateway Freeway FORT WORTH, Texas — A tow truck driver was killed after being struck by his towing truck early Monday morning on I-35W. According to Fort Worth police, officers responded shortly after 3 a.m. to the southbound lanes of I-35W at Highway 170. A tow truck driver pulled over to the service road and tried to secure a vehicle that he was towing from a nearby apartment complex. The tow truck started moving and hit the driver. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they are continuing to investigate. RESOURCE LINK with video UPDATED: 07.08.19 Fort Worth PD: Woman accidentally ran over boyfriend with tow truck FORT WORTH, Texas - A tow truck driver was found dead near a Fort Worth freeway Monday morning. Investigators say he was run over by his own truck. The tow truck driver's identity has not yet been released by Tarrant County Medical Examiner. Police determined he had stopped and gotten out of his truck in a location he thought was away from traffic. Police say it was his girlfriend who got behind the wheel and ran him over. A little after 3 a.m. Monday, a passerby spotted a man's body on the side of the road on I-35 West near Highway 170. RESOURCE LINK with video

This Epolito’s Towing Company truck was at the scene on Berwyn Avenue in Syracuse where the driver of the truck found a woman and three children dead on Sunday, July 7, 2019. (Patrick Lohmann | Syracuse.com ) SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A woman and three children found dead in a car in Syracuse Sunday are possibly a murder-suicide, according to Syracuse Police Chief Kenton T. Buckner. Buckner, speaking at the scene on Berwyn Avenue, said the dead are an adult woman and three children - two-school age and one is younger than the other two children. He said they don’t know the relationship among the four at this time. The four bodies were found in a car in a driveway in the 100 block of Berwyn Avenue, the chief said. He confirmed a tow truck driver discovered the bodies. John Crane, a tow truck driver for Epolito’s Towing Company, told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard this afternoon he found the bodies Sunday afternoon and called 911. “It was bad,” he said at the scene. He said he was called to pick up a Zipcar (ride share) vehicle on Berwyn Avenue when he found the bodies in the car. He said he saw no visible injuries. Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said the discovery of the bodies has left “everyone pretty shook up,” referring to the witnesses and first responders. A fire department hazardous materials truck is on the scene. Buckner said the truck was called in to make sure there was nothing dangerous inside the car. Other police and fire trucks are on the scene. Police and firefighters were initially called to the scene at 1:47 p.m. Sunday. Syracuse police and firefighters shut down Berwyn Avenue, a short street off of East Colvin Street near Interstate 81 and not far from Syracuse University’s Lampe Athletics Complex/Manley Field House. Quintin Coleman, a neighbor, said police told him that three kids and a woman were dead. He said he’s seen the woman in the neighborhood but she kept to herself. He’d never seen a car in the driveway until he saw the Zipcar, a silver Ford Focus, parked in the driveway on July 4. “She just kept to herself," Coleman said. "You’d see her bringing her kids to the bus stop when school was in.” RESOURCE LINK

Bodies of woman, 3 children found in rental car in apparent murder-suicide in Syracuse A woman and three children were found dead inside a rental car in Syracuse on Sunday afternoon. The Syracuse Police Department is investigating the incident as a possible murder-suicide. A tow truck driver sent to retrieve the overdue rental car found all four people in the car unresponsive and called 911 at 1:47 p.m., Syracuse Police Sgt. Matthew Malinowski said in a news release. The car was parked in a driveway in the 100 block Berwyn Avenue, which is tucked away near Interstate 81 and about a mile south of Syracuse University's Carrier Dome. Syracuse police responded, along with the Syracuse Fire Department and EMS services, Malinowski said in the release. Police Chief Kenton Buckner said during a press conference in Syracuse a fire department hazmat truck was called to the scene to make sure there wasn't anything dangerous inside the vehicle. Though the investigation is in its early stages, Malinowski said in the release that evidence "indicates that this was an intentional act by the adult to kill herself and the three children inside." Police did not release the ages of the children or whether they are related to the woman. RESOURCE LINK

Auto Rescue copied missing story in another post. Monday, March 28, 2011 Samaritan tow truck driver comes to the rescue He may not have been wearing tights or driving a tricked-out black car with giant fins, but Burt Trithart is a bona fide superhero to Sarah Simms. Broken down on the QEII near Airdrie with her five-month-old baby Isabell in the back seat, Simms, 25, sat stuck for 30 minutes last Tuesday morning with cars whizzing by on both sides until Trithart, a driver with City Wide Towing, swooped in to save the day. “I was in the slow lane because I wanted to merge into Airdrie and my car just died,” said Simms. After calling her boyfriend and dad for help, Simms sat waiting and said she was shocked by the vitriol shown to her by other drivers. “A truck pulled up and they unrolled their window so I thought they might have a suggestion because I don’t know about cars,” she said. “But they just said ‘move your (expletive) car you stupid (expletive),’ so I started bawling my eyes out.” It was about 10 minutes later that Trithart stopped to make sure everything was OK. “He said ‘let me pull you off the road,’ then saw I had (Isabell) and he was appalled nobody stopped,” said Simms. Trithart is a father himself who said he’s had his own car troubles and sat hoping, for the sake of his kids, someone would stop to help sooner rather than later. He said the new mom seemed stressed and distraught, and when he saw the baby he knew he couldn’t leave her. “Seeing her daughter definitely tugged at the heart strings,” he said. “My priority was to make sure her and her daughter were safe; I figured ‘I have the equipment and machinery with me to make sure no one hits her.” Simms said she was concerned about the cost of having her car towed to her parents’ home in Airdrie, but Trithart told her the ride was on the house. When Simm’s 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier arrived her parents, her dad soon discovered it had simply overheated. And after being accosted by several angry drivers, Simms said Trithart restored her faith in humanity. “In a period of 15 minutes I went from feeling utterly hopeless and having zero faith in the Calgary population to having it completely restored,” she said. svcmgrnow said: Way to go Burt!! That's called "doing the next right thing". Selfless acts, what a lost art in this day and age of "what's in it for me". brittsauto said: Helping out someone that is truely in need of help makes me feel better than any paycheck. I look forward to the freebies that i provide willingly. I know i'm not going to make it like donald trump, I just want to help people and hope that some of the kindness is learned by my kids and they use it wisely!!! We should all thank Burt for reminding us that there is more to our job than just money. tomintow said: I know a owner/operator who wont stop to check on a car pulled over because he's afraid that if they are broke down they will expect free service because he stopped. So what, its hard for me to pass someone espiecally elderly of female. TowZone said: Obviously if her Boyfriend and Dad allowed 30 minutes to pass they were not concerned. I would have called the police as I was driving promptly to the scene. Several have gotten struck because they did not think to call the authorities. With all the cell phones these days surely someone called it in, if not then the attitude in that area must be a sad. Kudos to the tower, do I consider this an act of heroism, certainly not. It was a kinda oath a tow truck operator takes and the reward should be the knowledge of a good deed. Not a Badge or Metal, but the feeling that a good deed brings. Thank you and all the towers that assist motorist even when they have little the gain. Financially This Is..... goodmichael said: Here in town you would wait up to two hours for the police to respond, as it would be a low priority call. Great job stopping to assist someone in need. One of my best memories in towing was a woman who was stuck on the side of the road with her grandson. He was about four years old, and thoroughly enjoyed standing on the bed and working the controls to lift the wheel lift of the 882 to get grandma's van in position to transport. I was really embarrassed when he stated that he was going to drive a tow truck when he grew up and smoke Marlboro cigarettes. (The cigarette comment was the embarrassment, not the career choice. Grandma gave me the look when she heard this as well.) Happy to report that I quit my 2.5 pack a day habit ten years ago. Thank God, I couldn't afford it then when they were 2.79 a pack. TowZone said: The article states she was in the slow lane, that would be a low priority? Any stranded motorist on the side of the road here is more a concern. Not High Priority but the officers will respond promptly and search for them. Numerous calls from passer bys will prompt the response and guide them to the vehicle. Rototor60 said: This Tow Truck Drivers actions is a reminder that it should not always be "all about the money". mooresbp said: I would rather do a free tow in that situation than get stiffed by someone who says " I'll be in first of the week" Prairie View Towing and Recovery said: We have done a few 'freebies' for people who really need it and we have found that it comes back to us 10 fold from getting a free mechanical service to one fella donating an entire crate of chips to our kids (they were happy with that one...lol). Will we get rich doing this? Probably not money wise but we always feel better for it and we know that when a towing service is needed again we are first in their thoughts and never do they ask if we can do it for free again, they usually over pay their own bill. Holly M. Brian Bell said: Great Job Burt!!! Here in La. It is illegal to stop and "solicit" a tow, so I honestly don't stop at typical roadside breakdown but I've stopped hundreds of times when a vehicle is in the roadway. I have a saying I use often.... Some people are in the towing business to make money, and some people are in this business to help people, but you have to make money to stay in business to be here and able to HELP the next person that needs it. P.S. I will stop roadside for elderly etc. Or call local authorities.

Topic was Originally Created on Tow411 by GR Tower in April of 2011: A great story of a great tower in Calgary helping out! On Tuesday morning, Sarah Simms was stuck in traffic. Simm's car broke down on Calgary's QEII. She sat in the slow lane for 30 minutes, watching angry drivers zoom past her. Her five-month-old daughter, Isabell, was buckled in the backseat of the 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier. She called both her father and boyfriend for help. She had no choice but to wait for someone to come to her aid — and suffer the insults of road-raging strangers. "A truck pulled up and they unrolled their window so I thought they might have a suggestion because I don't know about cars," Simms told the Calgary Sun. "But they just said 'move your [expletive] car you stupid [expletive],' so I started bawling my eyes out." About 10 minutes after the young mom burst into tears, tow-truck driver Burt Trithart came to her rescue. He was on his way to another call when he saw the distressed woman stranded in the middle of the road. "He said 'let me pull you off the road,' then saw I had [Isabell] and he was appalled nobody stopped," said Simms. Trithart, a father, couldn't help but assist the mother and daughter. He pulled Simms' car off the road, rescuing them from the dangerous highway. He then went above and beyond: The good Samaritan towed Simms' vehicle to her parents' home in Airdrie at no cost. Trithart said, "My priority was to make sure her and her daughter were safe; I figured 'I have the equipment and machinery with me to make sure no one hits her.' " Simms and her daughter arrived home safely where her father concluded that the car had overheated. Simms says the generous gesture has restored her faith in humanity — or at least in her Calgarian neighbours. Watch Simm's and Trithart's encouraging story here. VIDEO LINK MISSING Great to see the good instead of the negative that the media makes us out to be sometimes as Towers. All the good towers keep up the good work and the bad will be shadowed by the good that we do. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/good-news/tow-truck-driver-comes-young-mom-rescue-20110330-131033-868.html

Video shows tow truck crashing into patrol car on Alligator Alley COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. --- Brand new video has been released showing the moment a truck scraped past a state trooper on Alligator Alley. Florida Highway Patrol released this dash cam video on Twitter. It shows the moment a truck hits that patrol car on I-75 near Collier Boulevard. This happened on Monday. Fortunately, the trooper is okay, and sustained only minor injury. The driver of the tow truck told troopers he fell asleep at the wheel. RESOURCE LINK with video Video shows tow truck smashing into Florida trooper's vehicle COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Highway Patrol on Wednesday released new video of a crash that injured a trooper earlier this week on Alligator Alley. Video tweeted by @FHPSWFL shows dash cam and rear dash views of a flatbed tow truck hitting the trooper's vehicle, which was stopped in the emergency lane along Interstate 75. The driver of the tow truck, Duante Bell, 26, of Miami, told FHP he fell asleep at the wheel. Video shows the tow truck veer off the road and side-swipe the left side of the patrol car before continuing on to hit a guardrail. The trooper, Gualberto Morales, is OK and sustained only a minor injury. RESOURCE LINK with video

This is getting much worse and the number of Law Enforcement officer Struck & Killed are growing. Before long the numbers Murdered by passing traffic are going to be nearly as high as Tow Truck Operators Murdered Roadside. Follow up:

Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department - 06.29.19 Crews were dispatched to 1001 Valley Forge Road for a reported vehicle rescue. Prior to Squad 80’s arrival the PD was able to safely remove the patient from the car. UGFD will remain on location until the vehicle is safely removed by the tow agency. Source: Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department Crash at Montgomery County retirement home ends with car wedged in building. UPPER GWYNEDD TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- Police in Montgomery County are investigating a puzzling crash at a retirement community that ended with the car in a precarious position. The Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department posted on photos of the aftermath on their social media page Saturday afternoon. A tow truck and a crane were used to lift the car from its wedged position. There is no word on the cause of the crash. Officials said the driver was not seriously injured. RESOURCE LINK with video

Suspect killed, police officer shot in Houston shootout HOUSTON — Houston’s police chief says a suspect was killed and a police officer was wounded in a late-night shootout. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo described the suspect as a white male who fled a traffic stop just before midnight Friday. He was able to evade officers, but police found him again when a tow truck driver called in a tip. Acevedo says the man emerged from the vehicle and ignored commands to drop his revolver, before firing at Officer Jasmine Selle. She was struck twice in the right arm. Acevedo says Selle and officers Kevin Smith and Israel Maldonado returned fire. The man died at the scene. The police chief says the shootout was captured on all three officers’ body cameras. He said Selle was conscious and alert at the hospital. RESOURCE LINK

The triangulation of Project Kraken: Guns. Fentanyl. Tow trucks. And – common denominator – the Chester Le Side gang. Not as notoriously known as other Toronto gangbangers but with a violent history that extends back to at least 2005. Turf wars with rivals such as the Galloway Boyz, the Malvern Crew and the Ardwick Blood Crew, as per Project Flicker, a lengthy police investigation that targeted gang activity 14 years ago. So, when Police Chief Mark Saunders says that “no one is born a gang member,’’ it’s a true statement, obviously. But sometimes it’s also a generational phenomenon. Following in the footsteps. Raids are conducted, guys get charged, defendants cycle through the justice system, they’re replaced in a gang hierarchy or resume their roles upon release from prison and nothing much changes. Which is not to say that sweeping raids are useless. There is probably a greater sense of safety in the swath of northeast Toronto where the Chester Le outfit rules – rooted primarily in public housing complexes around Victoria Park and Finch Avenue – following a multi-agency swarming in the early morning hours on Thursday. If history proves anything, however, it’s that Chester Le – named for Chester Le Blvd. in Scarborough — will reconstitute itself, shape-shifting in its ranks, to despoil the neighbourhood again. Kick down doors, slap on cuffs, throw the indictment book at suspects (73 people facing 599 charges), scoop up firearms (23 guns seized), haul in a treasure trove of drugs (estimated street value $400,000) and an urban blight dwindles, a community can breathe again. Any lasting transformation is a mirage, though. For which cops can’t be blamed because there are no enduring solutions, from a law enforcement perspective. “Any thoughts we are going to arrest our way out of this are ludicrous,’’ Saunders said. Gangbangers aren’t oafish. They can be quite ingenious. Sniffing out opportunities, aligning with abettors, cutting deals with accomplices – willing accessories in the commission of crimes, in the pursuit of profits. Which brings us to tow trucks, a startling wrinkle disclosed at Friday’s police press conference. RESOURCE LINK

A 24-year-old man was killed Thursday afternoon in an accident in the parking lot of the Love's Truck Stop in Kingsville. According to a press release from the Kingsville Police Department, officers were called to the scene of an accident in the parking lot of the truck stop, located in the 1400 block of N. U.S. Hwy. 77, shortly after 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Upon arrival, officers learned that a Kingsville wrecker service was loading a 2015 Chevrolet pickup truck when a cable broke and the truck rolled down the ramp of the wrecker. The wrecker employee, identified as Daniel Semanko, 24, of Riviera, attempted to stop the truck from rolling but was injured as he was pinned between the truck and an 18-wheeler in the parking lot. Emergency personnel from the Kingsville Fire Department transported the man to Christus Spohn Hospital-Kleberg, where was pronounced dead an hour later. More information will be posted as it becomes available. RESOURCE LINK A Riviera man was killed after he was pinned between two vehicles while trying to load a pickup truck onto a wrecker and the cable snapped. Cmdr. Bradley Lile, with the Kingsville Police Department, in a news release said police responded just after 3:30 p.m. to a major accident in the parking lot of a gas station in the 1400 block of N. U.S. Highway 77. A wrecker service had been in the process of loading a 2015 Chevrolet pickup truck onto a trailer when a cable broke and the vehicle began rolling down the ramp. One of the company's employees, identified as 24-year-old Daniel Semanko, ran to the pickup truck in an attempt to stop it from rolling, Lile said. Semanko wound up being pinned between an 18-wheeler and the pickup truck, he said, when the latter struck the tractor-trailer. Kingsville Fire Department emergency medical technicians arrived and transported Semanko to Christus Spohn Hospital Kleberg, the release states, but he was pronounced dead about an hour later. RESOURCE LINK

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Idaho's new "Move Over" law will officially take effect on Monday, July 1. The law, intended to protect the safety of Idaho Transportation Department employees was expanded this year to include responders to a roadside emergency, including highway workers. The existing 2006 law already protects police by requiring motorists to move over for law enforcement personnel operating with flashing lights. Under the new law, drivers must also move over for other emergency responders to traffic incidents too. That will include ITD workers as well as tow truck operators using flashing lights in a stationary position. RESOURCE LINK

GRATIOT TOWNSHIP, Wis. - A Darlington teen crashed his car into a tow truck after falling asleep behind the wheel, according to a release by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office. The crash happened Tuesday on State Highway 11 in Gratiot Township. Matthew J. King, 16, of Darlington, was driving eastbound on State Highway 11 when he fell asleep and went into the other lane of traffic, according to the release. His vehicle ended up hitting a tow truck. Alex R. Douglas, 41, of Darlington, was driving the tow truck, according to the release. No one was hurt, but as mentioned in the news release, King’s vehicle was damaged and towed from the scene. RESOURCE LINK

Police are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage after a tow truck driver was clipped by a vehicle in South Morang yesterday afternoon. The driver, a 28-year-old Wallan man, attended the scene of a collision near the intersection of Plenty Road and Hawkstowe Parade about 3pm. While loading the damaged car onto his truck, he was struck by the mirror of a passing small white truck with a cage on the back. The Wallan man was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The truck driver who clipped the man did not stop and was last seen driving south-bound on Plenty Road. RESOURCE LINK

TUCSON – Dozens of tow truck drivers came together for a procession on the west side Sunday to honor one of their own. Richard Struble was killed in a hit and run earlier this month. “Oh my god my heart is bursting with love and joy,” Struble’s fiance Mary Brejak said. On the evening of June 10, he was unloading a car in the parking lot of the Discount Tire on Oracle and Prince roads when the driver of a BMW sedan and lost control and slammed into Struble and his customer, Ramon Marillo. Both men were killed. The driver ran from the scene. Tucson Police Department has an arrest warrant out for Justin Lang, 32, the man they believe was behind the wheel of the BMW that Monday night. Almost two weeks later, this tight-knit community showed up in a big way to honor Struble’s service and dedication to his career. “That could have been me or one of my drivers out there,” truck driver Brian Young said. “It’s like a brotherhood, so it’s showing our support for all the other tow truck drivers that lost their lives in the line of duty. People need to slow down, move over pay attention to roadside service. We’re out here for you. We’re here to help you and protect you, we’re putting ourselves on the line.” Anyone with information about Lang’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME. “I obviously feel horrible but I cannot carry any hatred in my heart and I hope no one else will too,” Brejak said. RESOURCE LINK with video

A tow truck procession is planned while a hit-and-run driver is still on the run AMADO, Ariz. — Police are still looking for 32-year-old Justin Lang. They say he crashed his car killing two men in a discount tire parking lot on the 10th. One of the victims was a tow truck driver who leaves behind a family, friends and a fiancé. Mary Breijak says Rick Struble was the kind of guy that made faces out his tow truck window to make kids laugh, loved to fish, and had a voice as deep as the Jolly Green Giant's. “He was a lot of fun, we're going to miss him,” said Mary. Rick met Mary in Michigan. They had a lot of adventures over the last 12 years. We decided to come back here, and we sold all our possessions together and we bought this rinky-dink RV and it took us 3 1/2 months to get here from Michigan because we would break down every 100 miles.” They got engaged just three months ago. “We were just starting to talk about weddings and stuff.” Mary says Rick died doing a job he loved. “Every six minutes a tow truck driver will die from a car running into them or an accident.” Rick was in a discount tire parking lot dropping off a car for a customer when police say a hit and run driver lost control, plowed into the parking lot and fatally struck the two men. Mary says she is overwhelmed by the support she's gotten from the community. “I am so honored. Rick would be embarrassed he's very modest. He'd be embarrassed, but I am so blown away the kindness of everyone blows me away. Thank you.” RESOURCE LINK "note there is an error in the story. It should read Every 6 days a Tow Truck Driver will die.

Started Work with Mikels Towing & Recovery on June 12th, 2019 February 24, 1995 – June 21, 2019 Dylan Walker Kern, 24, of Bedford, passed away Friday morning, June 21, 2019. Born February 24, 1995, at Dunn Memorial Hospital in Bedford, he was the son of Mark Kern and Tena (Porter) Kern. He married Mary (McCameron) on May 4, 2019. and she survives. He was a wrecker driver at Mikels Services Inc. He was an avid fisherman and softball player. He was a member of the former Community Baptist Fellowship. Dylan is survived by his wife, Mary of Bedford; step-children, Alexxandrya and Isabella Hudson; his mother Tena Kern of Bedford; one brother, Andrew Kern (Kelsey Allbright) of Bedford; paternal grandparents Corky and Beverly Kern of Bedford; aunts, Susan Gales (Roger) and Teresa Saunders all of Bedford, and Kathy Morgan (Doug) of Orleans; two brothers-in-law; two sisters-in-law; several nieces, nephews, and cousins; and his beloved dog, Bentley. He was preceded in death by his father, Mark Kern and his maternal grandparents, James and Karen Porter. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26 at the Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bedford with Pastor Eric Kennedy officiating. Burial will follow in the Green Hill Cemetery in Bedford. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25 at the Day & Carter Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sherwood Oaks Christian Church Bedford. RESOURCE LINK Cause of death reported by "Erie United Methodist Church" as vehicular accident. No Details

An Amado tow truck driver who lost his life June 10 will be honored Sunday during a memorial ride organized by other tow truck drivers. More than 30 tow trucks will line up at the Longhorn Grill in Amado at 11 a.m. and make their way north to the Discount Tire on Oracle Road in Tucson where Richard "Rick" Struble, 57, was killed in a hit-and-run crash, organizer Laurie Flynn said. Once there, participants will pay their respects to Struble's fianceé, Mary Breijak. Flynn's boyfriend, Robert Woodbury, worked with Struble, and he and another friend, Jeff Adamson, put together the event, Flynn said. "We knew him and wanted to do something as the tow truck community," she said. "We felt we had to do something for him, like a final road trip, because his life was cut short." Breijak said everyone has gone "above and beyond" to help her during this horrible time. "Oh my, honey. My heart is so full, it's overflowing. You wouldn't believe it," she said Friday. "This community has been outstanding. I love this area." According to Tucson police, Justin Lang, 32, was traveling east on West Simmons Road at a high rate of speed around 10 p.m. June 10. Although Simmons ends at Oracle Road, Lang continued across all six lanes of Oracle and drove directly into the parking lot of the Discount Tire located just south of Prince Road, police said. The vehicle, a 2001 BMW 740 iL, struck a tow truck, Struble and Ramon Murillo III, 32, as they were standing in the parking lot. Murillo died at the scene and Struble died shortly after arriving at a hospital, TPD Sgt. Pete Dugan said. Police said Lang fled east on foot through an apartment complex and has not been found. Lang is also wanted for absconding while on parole. He was released from prison in November in an aggravated assault case. Struble, who worked for Luna's Auto Service and Towing in Amado, was helping Murillo, who got a flat tire near a Border Patrol checkpoint and didn't have a spare, Jesse Luna said. RESOURCE LINK

This Report is Every Tow Truck Drivers Worst Fear: ------------------------------------ A man died early Saturday after being struck by a tow truck on northbound Interstate 680 near Walnut Creek, according to the California Highway Patrol . Officers responded to a report around 1 a.m. of a tow truck hitting a pedestrian in the middle lane of I-680, just north of N. Main Street, said Sean Wilkenfeld, a CHP spokesman. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene. He was not immediately identified. Officials said the tow truck driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The driver and a passerby told CHP that the man had been running across the freeway before the collision. “We have ruled out drugs or alcohol on the driver’s part,” Wilkenfeld said. Investigators are awaiting a toxicology report from the Contra Costa County coroner’s office to determine if the victim was under the influence. The incident closed all lanes of the freeway for an hour and a half as officials investigated the scene. RESOURCE LINK

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Jackson Police Department is investigating after a man was stabbed at the Jackson Impound Lot Garage Thursday morning. According to a tweet from JPD, the stabbing happened just before 10 a.m. on Michael Avalon Street. By Waverly McCarthy | June 20, 2019 at 11:08 AM CDT - Updated June 20 at 11:08 AM JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Jackson Police Department is investigating after a man was stabbed at the Jackson Impound Lot Garage Thursday morning. According to a tweet from JPD, the stabbing happened just before 10 a.m. on Michael Avalon Street. A man was transported with a non life-threatening injury to his upper body after a fight with another man. By Waverly McCarthy | June 20, 2019 at 11:08 AM CDT - Updated June 20 at 11:08 AM JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Jackson Police Department is investigating after a man was stabbed at the Jackson Impound Lot Garage Thursday morning. According to a tweet from JPD, the stabbing happened just before 10 a.m. on Michael Avalon Street. A man was transported with a non life-threatening injury to his upper body after a fight with another man. The suspect has been detained. This is a developing story. We will update this as more information becomes available. RESOURCE LINK