rreschran

While I don't know what caused the crash, I'm wondering if crossing center was due to a medical emergency and not that of distracted driving? Are there any updates? R.

This cop cam video comes at the same time Ron and I are back and forthing about working highway scenarios and being able to jump out of the way. I believe getting out of the way is only possible if one is focused on traffic like this officer was. If tow operators are focused on hooking up, or working their recovery and not focused on approaching traffic, jumping out of the way may not be possible even under the best conditions. And, like Moose says, there are many of us that won't be able to scale a wall under the best of conditions. I'm glad the officer was OK. As far as the police car ... the transmission must have stripped the parking pawl and the Ebrake may not have been applied as I'm amazed the unit it rolled across all lanes into the center wall. R.

Great reply Ron. I don't have numbers regarding, "injured only", incident for the very fact that I already have a full-time job. While the causes of injured versus fatality are hand in hand, the causes are the same, only the outcome is different. I like your mention of the Guardian Angel wearable lights, but you mention cost being a factor. When you think about the cost of safety items, most towers can't afford a $100 safety item for a world of reasons. Cost isn't a factor for the military or law enforcement because accessories, equipment and Gucci-Gear is federally funded. Perhaps if there was federal funding for highway tow operators, we too could have those safety items. Is there a way the TRAA could apply for grant funds through the Office of Traffic Safety or the like to make these items available for towers? Affordability is one thing, and then wear-ability is something again. I think that complacency and too much macho doesn't need these extra means of safety in the same manner many towers think, "it won't happen to me." So, that takes me to your bull/matador analogy. In all due respect to your theory Ron ... I know you, you're a big guy like me. It's my belief that neither of us are capable of jumping out of the way of a speeding vehicle traveling 75-miles per hour and at a distance of 110-feet per second. No matter how fast towers claim they can be, when they're focused on their work and oblivious to the white-line, they've place themselves at extreme risk. R.

Without a solid effort from law enforcement to write SDMO laws and commercial vehicle violations, truckers will continue behaviors that result in these kinds of crashes. The Office of Traffic Safety can create federal grants and funds for these kids of programs, but state agencies have to initiate them. I guess the old technology of speed governors has been lost or forgotten even though truck mounted GPS easily tracks vehicle speeds. R.

Hi Guys ... I wholeheartedly admit that Mr. Moose and you Ron are correct in why the Tower Down board is there. I guess I should stop whining about the count as I know that the intent of the Tower Down Board is honorable and there to serve a purpose ... don't take it down for me as I'm simply one opinion. But, as noted. if it helps to save one individual, its purpose has been served for the better. Perhaps my comments about bad Ju Ju is my personal recognition out of sheer frustration where the same old mistakes are being made over and over and over. Accordingly, February, May, June, and August 2019, accounted for six towers killed in each month, and for October and November 2019, seven towers were killed. As a matter of the industry acclaiming that, "six towers are killed each month", what's that say about an industry that can't or doesn't recognize the reason or causes tow operators keep getting killed at an alarming rate? And, from my fatality numbers, as many as eleven tow operators were killed in industrial accidents this year; three of them in June alone. As many as twenty-towers were killed in driving related accident and incidents. That's the highest number of industrial accidents and driving accidents that I've ever counted for a single year. Sadly, it's my personal realization that SDMO laws, TIM training, the nationwide Spirit Ride, and readily available formal training hasn't impressed the nation's towers about the dangers of the work we do. Towers are still making the same old mistakes and they're still blaming motorists for failing to slow down and move over. Until this industry makes a stronger commitment toward changing it's culture to one that instills operator survival, the Tower Down board will remain a turnstile of numbers. That being said, at the current average of tower's killed, my archives will soon surpass one-thousand operator fatalities recorded within the next year at the rate things are going. I humbly retract my suggestion to take the Tow Down board off the site. I'm a realist to know that towers (regardless of age and experience) NEED constant reminders on just how dangerous the job is. What boggles me is, if TowForce has 4,000 members, what about all those other towers out there who aren't getting the message? Perhaps the New Year will bring a better mindset ... I don't know. R.

Hi Bethesda tow operators, greeting from Southern California and (me) a former resident of Bethesda. I'm looking to speak to you if you reside in Bethesda or close local area AND if you are a member of the Bethesda Volunteer Fire Department for a project I'm working on. For the Bethesda Volunteer Fire Department, can you provide me the information for the department's historian? Any referral would be greatly appreciated. I can be contacted at my email address: rreschran@gmail.com Thank you in advance. Randy Resch Hemet, California

I tell ya' Ron ... that count board is bad Ju Ju. This is really tragic and another count that puts the year close to 60-. Christine and I send our prayers to the tower's family and the company the tower worked for. R.

I've had this problem with my F450 tow truck and carriers before. Trucks are prone to the proverbial, "Death Shake", when tie-rod ends, front-end bushings, and or steering stabilizers are worn-out from high mileage use or curb-bumping and jumping. In some cases, shaking begins as the truck goes into a curve (like highway transition ramps) and when weight transfers from one side of the truck to the other. When shaking starts, the truck's driver has to recognize it immediately and drop the truck's speed almost to a stop to get the front-wheels from shaking. That's a scary process, especially when traffic from behind is typically tailgating. Note: When a truck comes new from the manufacturer, it comes to its owner balanced. Once different wheels and tires are added, there's bound to be problems. I took the truck to a well-known alignment shop and had all the front-end bushings and tie-rods ends replaced along with a complete re-alignment ... problem solved. One other possibility is the, "Cousin Vinny", theory that suggests ... "You've got mud in yer' tires." Did you do any recent work off-road or in mud environments? R.

What's going on in this video Eric isn't just for light-duty drivers; these same bad behaviors happen in ALL classes of towing and recovery. All comments above are spot-on and I agree with the lack of professionalism this video depicts. I'd like to comment however about this video yet from another approach. Consider that ... when, "new to the industry", tow truck operators come to YouTube for, "arm-chair", training, these kinds of videos risk new tow operators getting the wrong idea as to how recoveries are done? One thing that Brian and I are consistent on are teaching those techniques that promote on-scene safety. In my opinion, this two-minute video shows the tower working the wrong-side (non-protective side) of the tow truck's controls, his back is to approaching traffic, he's not wearing a reflective vest and, as Brian said, he's standing precariously next to a lifted load. Perhaps the biggest demonstration of safety neglect happens at the 1:50 mark; it's obvious that the wrecker doesn't have it's Ebrake on, with no chocks or blocks in place as the casualty swings, "BLAM", into the back of the tow truck. This video is on the same level of scariness as tower's using seat-belts to lift vehicle's , or, the tower who says, "I can do a rollover recovery in two minutes", by backing up to a casualty vehicle and rolling the casualty with the stinger without ever having to get out of the tow truck. Can it be done (?) ... sure it can, but that doesn't make it safety appropriate or standard to the industry. And, because rookie cops, or cops who know nothing about towing and recovery, when they see these kinds of techniques, they're amazed by what they're seeing. Because towing and recovery isn't taught in most police academies, officers don't really know what techniques are proper or not. I believe that these are the kinds of videos that help formulate the motoring public's opinion that we're a bunch of yahoo's in a wrecker. R.

What a complete waste of police resources when vehicle owners can't make a simple phone call to the police. But they'd have to get the number from the tow away sign ... yeah ... the one they failed to see when they parked there in the first place. And hey tow truck driver, the video didn't show you installing safety chains, ratchets and straps, extension lights, and while I'm at it ... ya' didn't do anything to tie-down the SUV's steering wheel. Is that still a requirement of Texas tow operators? R.

Just after midnight this Thanksgiving morning, a tow truck in Tampa, Florida, was struck, burst into flames and killed the motorist that ran into it. The good news is, Christine and I are thankful that tow operator Christopher P. Leipold is OK. Studies report that as many as 800-motorists have been killed in the last 10-years over the Thanksgiving holiday. I guess the numbers will continue. We send our prayers to the family of the person killed in the crash. R. Link: https://www.tampabay.com/news/tampa/2019/11/28/tampa-man-dies-in-fiery-thanksgiving-morning-crash-on-i-4/

Just for fun ... when your company's night dispatcher is brand new, working on a holiday eve, and with no assistance at the office ... when they call in a panic to say, "THE SERVER'S DOWN ... THE SERVER'S DOWN", what procedures do you have in-place to bring it back up, especially if you company works with a third-party administrator? R.

I’m a late-comer to this post. Sorry. From a total safety standpoint though, I believe customer satisfaction scores should not must not over-ride the element of on-scene safety. Because some motor-club providers have locked-in focus on 100-percent customer satisfaction, tow operators get hesitant to flat-out tell their customers they’re NOT going to change their flat tire when danger is perceived. When customer satisfaction scores are dollar or bonus driven, common sense goes out the window. No customer service score is worth my tower's getting injured or killed. Accordingly, when tow operators identify their scene is too dangerous to provide service, their company must back their operators decision that doesn’t put them in harm’s way. Having said that, Todd Pell, at Merl’s Service, hit the nail on the head by commenting, “Safety is our first priority also. We will never do anything to compromise safety for any reason. Customer satisfaction is huge in our industry, but it isn’t as important as safety.” R

Thanks Ron for your nice sentiments from all sides of the fence. As the family who calls 911 (only for assistance) to help calm or control and mentally challenged family member, they now have to experience the guilt and anguish when their family member is killed. They family only called because they needed help, but, for the deputies who respond with an initial intent to help, when they're met with a potentially violent, agitated individual with a weapon, they're actions must be decisive and timely so they, or others, are not injured or killed; a tough decision none-the-less. If an individual has suicidal intent, sometimes responding deputies are forced to choose deadly force only to protect their own lives as the interaction escalates, or, the subject fails to respond to the deputies orders. Although I've never had to use deadly force, I've been on these incredibly difficult calls where sometimes there's no easy way out. I'm confident that the deputies involved were justifiable in their actions as trained. And, as you mentioned, "body cams", Riverside County Sheriff's deputies have been wearing body cams since January 2016. R.

This message is directed to my friends and fellow California towers as I'm watching a severe weather warning (here) for the next three days starting tomorrow. The National Weather Service says an unusual weather front will possibly deliver extensive rain, high winds and snow to elevations as low as 2,000 feet in most of our mountain ranges. While I know most of our experiences with working in snow is limited, it's times like these that an extra sense of safety is appropriate. I know ... it's not like Montana and Colorado, but in Southern California, when there's three drops of rain, the news stations call it, "Storm Watch", ... dun, dun, dun. We know that in-climate weather makes motorists mindless and incapable of driving in a manner that's safe, it's even worse when the snow comes and coupled with holiday driving. I send with you towers my prayers of safety that takes you through the Thanksgiving Holiday as you're out there driving and working. Remember, no call is worth having an accident or losing your life. Slow down your truck's speeds and anticipate the reactive changes of wet and icy conditions especially when you're in a carrier that's unloaded. Wear those seat-belts and stay off the white-line side OK? Please be careful and mindful of cold weather exposure and hypothermia. I believe is little prayer is helpful, so pack my words of safety with your winter kit, extra blanket, flashlight, food and bottled water. R.

I don't know how to label this incident that happened last week in California, perhaps as an unofficial tower down happening not too far from my house. A 27-year-old male was shot and killed by Riverside County Sheriff's Deputies, was reported to be a tow truck driver for his father's company and was/had experiencing alleged mental health and family issues. The male was not working at the time he was contacted by deputies. The family called for police assistance because of an altercation in which the male was agitated and not on medications. As deputies arrived, the male was carrying some kind of object, Sheriff deputies gave orders to drop the weapon and the male refused resulting in him being shot. I feel really bad for this entire incident where the family called for assistance, but the nature of the male's mental condition forced deputies to use deadly force. Was this a case of suicide by cop (?) perhaps, but my heart still goes out for everyone involved. I pray for their peace. R. Link: https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/25/we-were-trying-to-help-him-says-sister-of-mentally-ill-azusa-man-killed-by-deputies-in-lake-elsinore/

I love watching these videos for the entertainment value they provide and the learning lessons I see. It's live the proverbial, "Where's Waldo", to find those, "what-if", details. This is an interesting video to watch relating to on-scene workers and PPE's. At the 2:41 mark there are as many as seven firefighters working to extract the victim. Of the seven, two are working with Jaws near and around the A'pillar and the front windshield. Although FF are supplied with gloves, as many as three aren't wearing gloves (gloves are hanging from their turnout coats), and only one FF involved in the extrication is wearing eye-protection as they tear back the windshield. What good are PPE's if they're not used. Also noted was the young man hovering around the rescue site who had to be directed out of the area who may have been a tow truck driver. Fast forward to 2:41 to see a bus bench with the public message of, "You shouldn't drive high", in the background. I know I too am been guilty of not wearing PPE's for every situation as it's easy to get wrapped up in the act of live rescue and recovery. But, if I see it on the 5 o'clock news, so can the agency's administrators. Pass this message on to your on-scene managers that they're responsible to ensure PPE's are being worn. God Bless the firefighters and law enforcement. R.

The case above regards the definition of an employee, sub-contractor, leased operator, part-time worker, family member, or other inferred tow truck driver, like the case Chris mentions above, read California's case, Ruben Monarrez v. AAA (Auto Club), which questions the same subject that asks or defines who controls the actions of the employee, or whether or not the individual was working on their own behalf. At the very least, it's really good reading to identify the mindset of administrative judges, OSHA and tow company owners. R. Link: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1616140.html

JT has a pretty fair valuation. A tow company here in Southern California sold a running 69' I/H wrecker with a 500-Holmes a couple of years back for $1,500. It was in fair, running conditions with high-mileage. The truck's owner passed away and the family let it go cheap to get rid of it. While it's cool truck made from real live old-iron, it falls into a small category of old-truck affectionadoes. Unless you're willing to sit for that one-in-a-million buyer, it may be around for awhile. Good luck on the sale. R.

I typically don't waste my time on political statements, but, this is a tough, "load of crap", that makes for daily news. Yes, California IS a difficult and expensive state to live. I personally agree with that narrative suggesting large companies would survive in other low-tax states and not fall under California's increased taxation for everything. But, many of us Californian's, me included, simply can't pick up and move due to the political or financial climate that currently is crushing the state, i.e., property taxes, fuel costs, outrageous costs of vehicle registration, increasing labor laws, this bill, that tax, this regulation ... yada, yada, yada, not to include a double increase of wild-fire insurance, and, PG&E over-pricing homeowners for the means to power their homes. While I too would get out of here in a heartbeat, kids, grand-kids and parents make going anywhere impossible. Besides, I once lived in an environment where it snowed. Never again ... where we are is where we are. R.

The comments by these law enforcement administrators are realistic and I'm pleased to see that they don't want new policy to put anyone company out of business. But, like their comments say, there will be issues. And, that means that the new rotation process won't be right for all companies. R.

Thanks Ginger for the message ... I hope you're doing well. Say "Hi" to Scott Johnson for me OK? R.

The news article was poorly written. Through the years, I've found that Texas and Canada are really slow to release information regarding the deceased until they are well into the investigation. But, from the news video, I'm hoping that the person being loaded into the ambulance is the tow operator based on the look of his pants ... not to downplay the seriousness of him being struck, but the very fact that he is was not killed. It's nearing the holidays where these kinds of incidents are going to happen more frequently. We certainly don't need to add any more numbers to our count. R.

I'm sending input from the negative side, but a huge safety consideration none-the-less. For the upcoming, American Towman Magazine, December issue, I wrote an article having to do with exploding tires. I too used tire bars and soapy water for years until a friend of mine was nearly cut-in-half by an exploding tire ring. The main feature of any modern machine is a cage or built in structure device to hold the tire in-place as the tire's being aired. If you're still changing tires by manual labor and no cage, you might just have a death wish. Check out this video and you'll agree that tire changing is dangerous work. Link:

Ron makes a solid point here. Notice just how fast this tower (immediately) starts to sink when his uniform, jacket and boots are soaked with water? At least the tower had the presence of mind to quickly grab onto something. A sheared hydrant or broken water main can be under 350-pounds per square in. If the car is setting on-top of the pipe break, water is directed downward causing the dirt surrounding the pipe to immediately wash away. Otherwise a broken pipe in a city street (like shown) can cause huge erosion in the hole where the weight of a tow truck can easily break through. In his current situation, he could have drowned like a toddler in a 5-gallon bucket. I'm glad he's OK with another lesson to be learned, right? R