Tower Down - 11.26.22 (OK) "Updated 08.22.23"

[TowForce]

Todd Leiss released this statement, a news report will be add when available:

 

United States Emergency Responder Struck-By Death #44 of 2022 in Tow Truck Operator John Mills of Red Beard's Towing, Oklahoma

 

It is with a very heavy heart that we announce the loss of our friend and Red Beard's tow operator, John Mills, who was killed in the line of duty Saturday evening.

 

There are not sufficient words to express the heartbreak we feel. John was an integral part of our team. He treated our customers with respect, had a willingness to help anyone who needed it, and always operated safely.

 

John will be missed, not only by us, but by his friends and loving family. We ask that you please keep his loved ones in your prayers, and respect their privacy at this time while they navigate this tremendous loss.

 

We implore the community to remember to move over for emergency vehicles. Not only is it the law, but it could prevent another loss as heartbreaking as this.

 

We will honor John as he will always be a part of our family. The tow community has lost another great one.

Godspeed John, and thank you for your service.

 

 

OBITUARY:

John Mills, 31, of Muskogee, OK passed away Saturday, November 26, 2022 in Wagoner, OK. He was born in Augusta, GA on November 14, 1991, the son of John Mills and Bobbie Boyd. John was a Tow Operator for Red Beard Towing and a member of Woodridge Baptist Church of North Augusta, GA.

John is survived by his wife: Chelsea Mills; son: John Jackson Mills; father: John Mills and wife Susan; mother: Bobbie Revis and husband Howard; brothers: Brandon Revis and Connor Revis; numerous other relatives and hundreds of friends from coast to coast. He was preceded in death by his great grandparents: John Alic and Gladys Mills; grandparents: Clarence and Donna Mills, John Avery Boyd Jr and Elizabeth “Jane” Steffen; cousins: Ryan Holt and Whitney Revis; and several aunts and uncles.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, December 3, 2022 at Timothy Baptist Church of Muskogee with Reverend Clay Payne officiating. Pallbearers for the service are Brandon Revis, Connor Revis, John Mills, Zach Frazee, Ethan Arnold, Casey Stout, Jacob Tillman and CJ. Services under the direction of Lescher-Millsap Funeral Home.

https://memorials.lescher-millsapfuneralhome.com/john-mills/5082802/index.php

[TowForce]

OHP: 31-Year-Old Killed After Being Hit By Vehicle In Wagoner County

 

 

WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. -

A 31-year-old man was killed after he was hit by a vehicle Saturday evening in Wagoner County, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

 

Troopers said the incident happened at around 6:43 p.m. on US-69 near County Road 750.

 

Robert Marshall, 76, was traveling southbound in the outside lane of the highway when he struck a pedestrian, according to OHP.

 

Troopers said John Mills, 31, was loading a vehicle onto a wrecker when he was hit.

 

The vehicle rolled an unknown amount of times before coming to rest on its top, according to OHP.

 

Mills was pronounced dead at the scene, OHP said.

 

Troopers said Marshall was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Muskogee and has been treated and released.

 

RESOURCE LINK

[mooresbp]

Thoughts and prayers

[Tammy Smith]

R.I.P. we will drag your chains from now on

[TowZone]

From Red Beards Towing - Muskogee, OK John Mills truck will be lit up for 72hrs in honor of him. We are thankful for the support the tow community has shown us. Please continue to pray for John’s wife and baby boy. All his family, friends, and loved ones as well.

 

 

[TowNews]

Tow Truck drivers gather in Muskogee to honor life of John Mills and push for change

 

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — An urgent plea from the owners of Oklahoma tow truck companies just six days after Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) says John Mills was killed after being struck by a vehicle while assisting a stranded motorist by trying to load their car onto his wrecker parked on the shoulder of US-69 just south of Wagoner Saturday night.

 

The memorial service for the 31-year-old tow truck operator will be held at Trinity Baptist Church in Muskogee on Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by a final run back to the yard at Red Beard’s Towing main location at 2781 W. Peak Boulevard.

 

There will be signage posted on the wreckers reminding Oklahoma drivers to move over.

 

https://www.fox23.com/news/tow-truck-drivers-gather-muskogee-honor-life-john-mills-push-change/PJ2GSTWJUBG6HFNE4UGIP67LSI/

[TowZone]

 

[TowForce]

[TowForce]

 

[TowZone]

Hays: Two bills pass in committee meetings by Neil Hays

 

The second week of session has come and gone! The week was filled with committee meetings and legislation.

I had two bills pass in committee meetings.

 

HB2684, known as the John Mills Bills, passed in the Public Safety committee last week. The bill requires drivers approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle to reduce their speed to at least 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit and increases fines for non-compliance.

 

An authorized emergency vehicle includes a Department of Transportation maintenance vehicle, a Turnpike Authority maintenance vehicle, a stationary vehicle displaying flashing lights, a licensed wrecker showing a flashing amber light, a combination of red or blue lights, or any variety of amber, red or blue lights.

 

The bill is named after John Mills, a tow truck driver who was killed in November 2022 along Highway 69. HB2684 is designed to protect first and second-responders who are doing their job on our roadways.

 

The second bill is HB2398, Read Here: https://www.towforce.net/topic/21809-two-bills-pass-in-committee-meetings-ok/

 

 

Rep. Neil Hays, a Republican, serves District 13 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers McIntosh, Muskogee and Wagoner counties. 

 

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/opinion/columns/hays-two-bills-pass-in-committee-meetings/article_f74f8b4a-3509-59ca-9e14-9df022b0062a.html

[TowForce]

Charges filed nearly nine months after tow truck operator's death

 

WAGONER, Okla. — Wagoner County District Attorney's Office filed charges Monday in the November 26, 2022 death of tow truck operator John Mills.

 

According to DA Jack Thorp, Robert Marshall currently has a warrant out with a charge of felony first degree manslaughter.

 

Mills, a new father who was out on a call on Highway 69 near Wagoner that day, worked for Red Beard's Towing.

 

Records state that while Mills was working on the shoulder he was struck and killed by a car driven by Marshall, who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and morphine, according to an affidavit obtained Monday.

 

Red Beard's Towing owner Mack Parks told 2 News the crash could've been prevented.

 

"We were angry. We were confused," Parks said. "John is a safe operator. We practice safety here. Everybody works with lights and every piece of safety equipment we can."

 

 

Muskogee State Rep. Neil Hays also said the tragedy should have never happened, and drafted a bill in the 2023 Legislative Session that enforces more precautions for Oklahoma drivers.

 

"I just wanted to make a difference. I want to make sure that everybody that goes out and works or streets, whether ODOT, police, fire, or tow truck operators - that they had an opportunity to come home like everybody else," Rep. Hays said. "You and I come home every day. Why can't they come home every day?"

 

House Bill 2684, AKA the John Mills bill, passed unanimously and takes effect November 1, Hays said.

 

It requires drivers to slow under the speed limit for someone on the shoulder, and raises fines and penalties for anyone who violates.

 

Not only will the law cover responders but also anyone stopped on the side of the road with hazard lights flashing.

 

Parks said it helps his team heal knowing that Mills legacy can help save lives in Oklahoma.

 

 

"It's a life on the side of the road," Parks said.

 

"And this bill doesn't only help us. It helps your grandma on the side of the road. It helps the Channel 2 News car with their flashers on shooting a car wreck. It helps a fireman. And it helps a tow truck operator."

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWusCqdF7QU