Alberta towing company owner renews call for blue lights after driver's close call on Highway 16

[TowNews]

Blue and amber lights have been allowed on Saskatchewan tow trucks since 2017

Gregg Wilson, owner of APL Towing & Recovery, says blue and amber lights could prevent collisions between tow trucks

and other vehicles. One of his drivers was recently sent to hospital after being struck by the driver of another vehicle.

(Madeleine Cummings/CBC)

 

After a collision sent one of his tow truck operators to hospital on Thursday, a towing company owner west of Edmonton is renewing a call for blue and amber lights to be allowed on roadside assistance vehicles in Alberta.

 

Gregg Wilson owns APL Towing & Recovery, based in Spruce Grove and Stony Plain. 

 

He said one of his employees was on Highway 16, near Range Road 22, to recover a vehicle from a median and had pulled onto the shoulder with his lights on to wait for a blocker unit to arrive.

 

While he was waiting, another driver drove into his vehicle.

 

The tow truck driver was sent to hospital and is now home, expected to make a full recovery. Both vehicles were badly damaged.

Stories like this are all too common, Wilson told CBC News Friday morning. Just last week, there was a less serious but similar incident with another driver for the company.

 

"We don't go a day without an incident or a close call," he said.

 

Wilson said blue and amber lights on tow trucks could make them more visible to drivers at night because the unique colour combination would stand out.

 

He said he and his business partner have raised the issue with decision-makers, but they have yet to act and don't seem in a hurry to do so.

 

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