Tower Down - 11.29.20 (AK) "Updated 03.01.22"

[TowNews]

Tow truck driver dies after he was struck by vehicle while pulling car from ditch, Anchorage police say

 

 

A tow truck driver died early Sunday after he was struck by a vehicle while loading a car that had gone into the ditch, police said. The driver who hit him was arrested.

 

Police were called to the intersection of Debarr Road and Pine Street at 1:49 a.m. because a vehicle had gone into the ditch, the department wrote in an online statement. The westbound lanes of Debarr Road were closed in the area for repairs on a water line break.

 

Police said the driver in the ditch was eventually arrested for operating under the influence, and while that driver was being processed at the jail, another officer remained on scene so the vehicle could be towed. The tow truck driver was loading the vehicle onto the truck when he was struck by a Dodge Journey driving through the closed portion of Debarr Road at 3:07 a.m., police wrote.

 

The tow truck driver was brought to the hospital, where police said he died. No one else was injured and police said the tow truck driver would be identified once his family has been notified.

 

Police said more charges are forthcoming for the woman who struck him because alcohol was suspected to be a factor in the crash.

 

The westbound lanes of Debarr Road were closed early Sunday between Boniface Parkway and Hoyt Street as police processed the scene. Police urged drivers to avoid the area.

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

Woman charged with manslaughter, DUI after deadly traffic collision Sunday morning

 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A 23-year-old woman has been charged with manslaughter, driving under the influence and driving in violation of license limitation after a man was struck and killed by a vehicle Sunday morning.

 

Anchorage police officers responded to the intersection of Debarr Road and Pine Street around 1:49 a.m. due to a vehicle driving into a ditch. Officers made contact with the driver and arrested the individual for operating under the influence.

 

At the time, westbound Debarr was closed due to repairs on a water line break.

 

One officer processed the arrested driver at the jail and another officer stayed at the scene as the driver’s vehicle was being impounded as part of the investigation, an Anchorage Police Department report says.

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

Tow Truck memorial planned for tow driver killed Sunday morning

 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A memorial procession to include dozens of tow trucks and service vehicles along the Glenn Highway is planned Wednesday evening for a Vulcan tow truck driver who was struck and killed early Sunday morning in East Anchorage.

 

Justin Creech, owner of Vulcan Towing and Recovery said the man, who has not been officially named by the Anchorage Police Department, was his father-in-law. Creech said his father-in-law, who also lived in Arizona, had been laid off from a Slope job recently and had only worked for the company for about six months.

 

According to police, the driver was killed while he was loading a vehicle that was stuck in a ditch on Debarr Road near Pine Street at about 3 a.m. Sunday. Police had arrested that driver and charged them with operating under the influence about an hour before. The tow driver was struck by 23-year-old Michelle Parker, who police said was driving under the influence without her headlights on. The tow driver was pronounced dead at the hospital. Parker, who had a prior OUI in 2019, has been charged with manslaughter and assault as well as OUI.

 

Cody Gray, who owns Elite Towing and Recovery in Wasilla, is helping to organize a memorial for the driver. Gray said tow operators from around the state are planning to converge at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of the Eagle River Fred Meyer store, then drive the Glenn Highway to the old Sam’s Club at Tikahtnu Commons in East Anchorage. The procession will conclude at about 7:30 p.m with a short memorial service in the parking lot that Gray said the public is welcome to attend.

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

Alaska tow truck driver dies in crash

 

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Rest easy Operator.. Your shift is over...

So, If I have read this right, The operator was towing one drunks car off a CLOSED road with Law enforcement present on scene and was hit and Killed by another worthless drunk, again, on a CLOSED ROAD WITH L.E. PRESENT!??!?!? What kind of half-a$$ed police agency was handling this??

Its painfully obvious there is an excessive drunk driving issue in Anchorage, and Anchorage P.D. apparently cant close a road properly or catch the drunks BEFORE they wreck out... I may be jumping the gun a bit but I feel Anchorage P.D. might have a part in blame on this..  

[Steve Catlett]

It’s very tragic another tow operator has lost his life and the heartache it causes to that mans family and his friends at work. I will say a prayer god speed towman

[rreschran]

 A sad incident for sure where we send our prayers to the tower's family and the company he worked for. 

 

Other news accounts suggested that this female had a prior DUI on her record. The vehicle she was driving was supposed to have an ignition interlock devicem but there was none on the car. Besides a drunk driver doesn't need a license ... they just need keys.     R.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2020 by rreschran

[5towman]

I agree with all the above comments. There is no excuse for what happened. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. 

[auto rescue]

My Condolences to family and friends.

[Doreen ur Finance Lady]

I too agree with the above comments. Praying for the driver's family, friends and his co-workers.

[mooresbp]

We add our thoughts and prayers

[TowNews]

APD Identifies Tow Truck Driver Loading Impounded Vehicle Struck and Killed on DeBarr Sunday Morning

 

UPDATE: Anchorage police have released the identity of the 57-year-old tow truck driver killed in the Saturday morning collision by a DUI driver as he was processing an impounded vehicle on DeBarr as  Hans M. Moore.

 

ORIGINAL: Anchorage police say that a tow truck driver, while at the scene of a crash in east Anchorage, was struck and killed by a DUI driver who has since been charged with manslaughter and other charges.

 

Police responded to the intersection of DeBarr and Pine Street after receiving a call of a crash into a ditch on DeBarr which was shut down due to repairs on a burst water main at 1:49 am Sunday morning.

 

The person in that crash was ultimately detained and charged with operating under the influence. One officer took the driver in for processing while another remained at the scene processing the vehicle impound.

 

At 3:07 am, as a tow truck driver was out of his truck actively loading the impounded vehicle, a 23-year-old female, identified as Michelle F. Parker, drove into the closed portion of DeBarr traveling westbound, where she impacted the tow truck driver.

 

The tow truck driver was transported to a local hospital where he was declared deceased.

 

Westbound Debarr between Boniface and Hoyt was closed down and the Major Collision Investigative Unit responded to the scene to process the crash site.

 

As a result of that investigation, Parker was charged with Manslaughter, Driving Under the Influence, and Driving in Violation of License Limitation. Parker was under court order to have an Ignition Interlock Device installed in her vehicle due to a prior DUI conviction.

 

The tow truck driver’s identity will be released following next of kin notification.

 

RESOURCE LINK

[TowNews]

‘It’s been really hard’: Death of Anchorage tow truck driver on the job draws attention to dangers

 

Hans Michael Moore had been with Vulcan Towing for only about six months, but everyone at the company will tell you he was family.

 

He was a hard worker, a fast learner and had a strong desire to help others, said Jenifer Macalino, who works at the Anchorage towing company.

 

The normally loud and energetic towing office has been quiet this week, she said. In the early hours of Sunday morning, Moore died on the job.

“You can see it on people’s faces — everyone is just so sad right now,” Macalino said.

 

On Wednesday night, drivers, friends and family of Moore hugged and wiped away tears after more than 200 tow trucks and commercial vehicles streamed down the Glenn Highway to a memorial gathering in his honor.

 

A celebration of life for fallen Vulcan Towing & Recovery operator Hans Michael Moore was held Wednesday evening at Tikahtnu Commons in Muldoon. (Bill Roth / ADN)

 

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Vulcan Towing was called to the intersection of DeBarr Road and Pine Street to pull a car from the ditch. Police had arrested the driver for operating under the influence, and the disabled vehicle rested off a portion of the road that was closed for water line repairs.

 

As 57-year-old Moore was loading the vehicle onto his truck at 3:07 a.m., he was struck by a Dodge Journey SUV also driving through the closed portion of the road. Moore was rushed to a hospital but died from his injuries.

 

Police arrested the driver, 23-year-old Michelle F. Parker, on charges of manslaughter, operating under the influence and driving in violation of license limitation. Because of a former OUI charge, Parker was required to have an interlock ignition system that could detect alcohol consumption and prevent her from driving. Police said she did not have the device when her SUV struck Moore.

 

When Justin Creech, the owner of Vulcan Towing, received a text message that morning, he jumped out of bed. No one had been able to reach Moore and his truck was at the scene.

 

Creech said Wednesday that he’s still in shock.

 

“Probably for the first day I just kept waiting for somebody to call and say ‘Hey, Mike is ready to go, he’s OK,” Creech said. “So it’s been really hard on all of us.”

 

Moore spent much of his life working in the oil industry, living part time in Alaska, North Dakota and California, Creech said. His primary residence was in Kingman, Arizona, where he and his wife, CorAnn Moore, own a bar along Route 66. Moore would work three-week shifts in the oil fields and then return home for a week to Arizona, Creech said.

 

When the pandemic began, Moore was laid off from a job in Minot, North Dakota. After a few months of unemployment, Creech and his fiancee, Jessica Summerhays, offered him a position at Vulcan Towing.

 

Moore was Summerhays’ stepfather, and she said she was overjoyed at the opportunity to spend more time with him. When he flew into Alaska for his three-week shifts, he would live at their home.

 

When he wasn’t working, Summerhays said, Moore was a devoted grandfather, taking her children to go fishing or play outdoors. Moore was an avid outdoorsman and some of Creech’s favorite memories from the last summer were spent with him casting lines off boats in Seward and reeling in halibut, silvers and king salmon.

 

Moore had been scheduled to fly home to Arizona on Wednesday.

 

Tow truck driving is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. From 2011 to 2016, there were 191 fatalities in the industry, or about 43 deaths per 100,000 workers, according to an analysis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s more than 15 times the rate for all U.S. private industries.

 

Creech said the danger of the job is often overlooked — people think of police or firefighting jobs as being dangerous but often don’t realize that tow truck drivers are responding to many of those same calls. Drivers regularly brave dangerous road conditions to clear an accident in poor weather along busy highways with cars speeding past them.

 

Creech said he and his employees regularly hear of accidents throughout the country, but now the danger has really hit home. Creech said he believes Moore is the first tow truck driver to be fatally struck in Alaska.

 

“It’s brought a new light and a new reality, I think, to everyone,” he said. “They’re all scared, they’re scared of working on the side of the roads, they’re scared of all of it. I’ve got a few employees that their wives want them to find another job because you don’t want to get that phone call. ... It’s a tough position and we risk our lives every day helping the public.”

 

Laws across the country call for drivers to slow down and move over when an emergency vehicle is stopped on the side of the road, but Creech said that law is often ignored. He said much of the danger in towing comes directly from distracted drivers. Intoxicated drivers also pose a deadly risk.

 

Macalino of Vulcan Towing said rideshare apps make it easier than ever to find a sober ride. She said Vulcan drivers have even picked up intoxicated people to offer them a safe ride home. Drivers would rather pick them up than respond to a fatal accident later, she said.

 

After Moore’s death, Vulcan was overwhelmed with support, Creech said — a silver lining during the most challenging time of his life. Local businesses delivered pizzas to the office, sent flowers or called to offer condolences. An online fundraiser has collected donations for Moore’s family.

 

On Wednesday night, more than 200 tow trucks, large commercial vehicles and pickups lined up in Eagle River and headed out on the Glenn Highway. As the line of flashing lights streamed down the snowy roadway for about a half-hour, horns rang out to celebrate Moore’s life.

 

Drivers even came from Seward and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to participate.

 

The procession met up in the Tikahtnu Commons mall parking lot, where drivers in neon yellow jackets striped with reflective lines shared memories of Moore or paid respects to one of their own.

 

Commercial driver John Daggett said he hopes Moore’s death will encourage the public to use more caution on the roads. He attended the service to show solidarity with the towing industry.

 

“In these industries, we all stick together,” he said. “Everybody looks out for everybody else.”

 

After Creech finished thanking the drivers for their support, the crowd chanted in unison: “Mike Moore!” Although many of the companies are competitors, Creech said, it was obvious that they’re family first.

 

“Together, we are more powerful than we are by ourselves,” he said. “You guys be safe out there.”

 

RESOURCE LINK with images

 

[yoBdaBenO]

Wow, what a life and to lose ones life doing something they enjoy.

 

Sounds like COVID indirectly claimed another Life! Gods Speed Tow Op...

[TowZone]

 

[auto rescue]

It’s really too bad it had to happen.

[Midnightsun]

I live here the situation was that road was under construction with active crews working on a water line that burst

[TowForce]

Found on Vulcan Towing & Recovery FB Page

 

 

We truly hope you never have to get the call that you've lost someone due to drunk driving. Our stepfather, role model, friend, and employee Mike Moore was out towing a car the morning of November 29th, 2020 when he was fatally struck by a drunk driver.

 

Drunk Driving is 100% preventable. Please. We don't want you to lose someone you love The best way to prevent it is to plan ahead. Ride with a designated driver, call BAC/Uber/Lyft/Taxi, or if you need to, call us, we'll tow your car home and bring you along for $100.

 

And remember... when you see flashing lights on the side of the road please SLOW DOWN AND MOVE OVER! We can prevent accidents and make Anchorage a safer place for all of us and and our families.

 

 

[TowForce]

Found on Vulcan Towing & Recovery FB Page

 

 

We're thinking of you every day Mike. Our stepfather, role model, friend, and employee Mike Moore was out towing a car the morning of November 29th, 2020 when he was fatally struck by a drunk driver.

 

This month we've been spreading the message of DUI Awareness. Drunk driving and the consequences it brings are 100% preventable! Plan ahead and help make Anchorage a safer place for all.

 

[Moose]

Thanks for Keeping the memories of our fallen towers alive.