rreschran

Having a young son who's a fire fighter paramedic, this hits close to home. It's such a tragedy to lose another tower and an upcoming fire fighter as well. I question what kind of on-scene management (existed at this crash) whether or not LE was aware young Ross was working in harm's way? Did the PD provide any on-scene protection or traffic control as he worked to clear debris in lanes? Because part of a tower's on-scene respnsibility is after-crash clean-up, blocking for him, or stopping traffic should have been a priority, or, was the on-scene officer sitting inside the patrol car because it was raining? And, I'm thinking those barricades came AFTER Ross was struck. I agree that Mr. Hookrite; is 110-percent correct to say that roads should be shut-down while crash scenes are active. One thing remains ... even with over-head lights on, cops on-scene, fire department positioned, a reflective vest is worn, or, motorists hear audible warnings of an "incident ahead", these ALL lead to a false sense of security. Fact: Stepping into the roadway or highway lanes becomes an activity where pedestrian strike is always danger close. Tower's shouldn't go into lanes until some level of protection is in place. Chances are that teen motorist didn't know about SDMO. Christine and I pray for Ross's familiy, Tatman's Towing and the community Ross served. R.

Nice to hear that fellow tow companies have rallied to help Mr. Martinez. I hope for his full and speedy recovery. R.

It recently happened in San Diego where a disgruntled employee was confirmed to be the suspect.

Good comments guys. From the risk management standpoint may I add ... 1. Owners ... get your operators formally trained in tow truck operations and on-highway safety 2. Know when to say "No" to avoid making a scenario or situation worse 3. One size does NOT fit all where thinking, "If it fits it ships" ... that's an accident waiting to happen 4. Don't dispatch newly hired towers to calls on the highway 5. If your state doesn't recognize tow trucks as first responders ... you're not!

Industry attorney, Mike McGovern, wrote on this topic years back and again in American Towman's February 2022 issue, my article, "No Victim's Left Behind", especially true to crashed vehicles with airbags deployed. No longer is it "just OK" to not take a cursive look to ensure no one is still inside a car being towed or transported. R.

Not to impugne Mr. Martinez's work ... there are NO routine calls where every call has the potential to go sideways in a heartbeat. I pray for his full recovery. R.

This is another unfortunate loss of life that demonstrates a need of closing lanes or diverting traffic until lanes are restored. Christine and I extend our prayers to the Thornton family and Nick's Towing. R.

San Francisco bay area drivers are at the top of California's "worst driver list."

Sure, why not! If you're doing extra work at their request, an admin fee is reasonable. Why not make money over something that should be done anyways? R.

Thanks John ... please keep us posted as you learn of details. Christine says ... "Hi John ! ! ! " R.

This truly is sad news. Thanks John for sharing. Christine and I send our prayers to the entire Clayton's group and family. Sending our best to you and Aileen. R&C

Funny ... I was one of those "not so smart kids" in class ... that's why I come here. Regards.

Your comments BenO are spot on. Now, how can that message spread to all towers training them to work "off" the white line?

Hi Mr. Matt ... Sorry for the late greeting to the TowForce forums. As a retired, California police officer myself, I welcome you to the industry and openly remind you that any quetions you ask can be answered here ... you've come to the right place to seek industry knowledge. There are plenty of professional owners and towers willing to share their knowledge. Best of luck to you Sir. R.

Florida Tow Operator Struck Killed Today 2/6/2022 A South Floridatow operator was struck and killed by an approaching motorist just after midnight today. The tower was allegedly standing outside of the open door of his tow truck when struck. The strike knocked him into traffic lanes where he was struck by multiple other vehicles. Details are limited and the tower's name and company were not yet released. Link: https://news.yahoo.com/police-man-killed-being-hit-164454878.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall

This post is in-response to the North Dakota fatality where a flatbed carrier was struck; alleging the carrier was left in live lanes and alleging the tow operator had a suspended driver's license. In January’s, Tow Industry Week, I partially covered the topic of having a suspended license. For tow business owners and the company’s management team, what steps do you take to ensure your tow operators are driving on a current driver’s license? Because tow vehicle operations and the actions of your tow operators are under heavy "vicarious liability", just going by the tow operator’s word that their license isn’t suspended is risky business. This fatality scenario is a solid reason to know that your towers are licensed and current. R. https://towindustryweek.com/12-rates-trade/8301-are-your-child-support-payments-behind

This scenario seems unbelievable as details reported by the news don’t tell the entire story. You can bet there will be plenty of lessons to be learned here … some that will challenge the meaning of SDMO. From face value, I foresee some of the issues being: 1. Leaving a disabled vehicle parked in a live lane and not identified (if that actually happened?) Most motorists have enough common sense to get their slowing vehicle to an emergency shoulder. 2. Over-head ambers on or off? 3. Triangles or flares set? 4. Running lights on or not? 5. Four-way flasher’s on or off? 6. Operating on a suspended license? (Note: To confuse the issue, tower allegedly wasn’t driving the carrier when it was impacted; counter, so, how did it get there?) Did the operator cause the crash? Make your own conclusions. This is one case to follow for sure. R.

Review the video and see more than 10-police vehicles that arrive on-scene AFTER-THE-FACT, but never a cop around when towers need them most ... especially at 0200 hours. Isn't there something wrong with that picture? R.

Involved and active as time allows. Thanks Ron and Chris for all you do for the industry. Best Regards. R.

Eeeech. Thank can't even be a little bit fun. Thanks for the comments and the pics guys. I'm working on an article for American Towman and the input is great stuff. Best regards. R.

Just asking ... has one of your driver's been clocked by a dolly bar when installing dollies? How did the injury occur? What training do you provide, book learning, hands-on, in-the-field? Your imput would be most valuable. Best Regards.

I wrote on this topic in Tow Industry Week in 2012; again covering the same topic. When employees aren't "user friendly", more than one company has leased outside toilet facilities to employees to use. Many companies don't allow drivers into the business office, so porta potty rentals is a feasible option. However, having to stand in a floor full of misguided piss isn't appeasing to me. r.

Always ... "Calm heads prevail", whether on-scene working difficult recoveries, or, coming face-to-face with some lunatic vehicle owners during repo's and PPI's. Too many towers are guilty of getting over-aggressive, taunting, swearing or challenging to fight. And, in some incidents, they bring a handgun into the mix where tempers "stair step" causing situations to turn deadly. On the Internet is a 20-something minute video of the on-site homicide in Florida that occurred when a simple business transaction turned violent. In what was said to be a simple transaction, it turned violent leaving one injured, another dead and both owner's being charged with multiple business crimes. Because the link is horrendously long, simple Google the words, "Grady Judd Polk County Florida Tow truck homicide" and play the video. This is a must see video where Polk County (Florida) Sheriff Gray Judd explains the incident in easy to remember terms. There's also a message to tow companies that operate illegally or conduct predator towing practices. R. Hey Ron ... you recently had a link mentioning this topic? can you forward that to James or post it here? It's always great info whether repeat or not. Thanks.

For all tow truck operators working tonight’s New Year’s Eve and tomorrow’s New Year’s Day, it’s time to get your game face on to be ready for one of the most dangerous forty-eight hours. Remember to work off the white-line whenever possible and don’t stand between vehicles. With DUI’s out and about; the most dangerous hours are the “Golden Hours” between 11 PM through sunrise New Year’s Day. Keep your head on a swivel and work quickly with hope to ensure your safety. And, if you’re working PPI’s, remember … cool head’s prevail. Don’t instigate an agitated party and simply release their car and move onto the next one. I send you my prayers of continued safety and well-being in memory of eleven tow operators who were killed December 31 into January 1st dating back to 1958. Tonight's a dangerous night ... NO JOKE. Please Be careful ! ! ! R.

Jim called the world through his eyes and his emotions. American Towman was lucky to have Captain Jim as Editor bringing his writer and photographer talents to the towing and recovery industry. While I'm sure his battle with Covid was tough, he fought the good fight right to the end. He's one personality I'll never forget. God Bless you Jim.