Tow truck driver's dash cam captures intense I-85 crash (NC)

[TowForce]

 

[TowForce]

KANNAPOLIS- One man is lucky to be alive after a close call on I-85 on Wednesday. A tow truck employee was almost crushed by an oncoming car while he was hooking a vehicle up to his truck. Even though his flashing yellow lights were on, the person still did not move over and crashed into both vehicles.

 

Wednesday morning, Brian Fowler was called at Gatton Towing Services to tow away a F-150 with a flat tire on I-85 at University City Boulevard.  The truck was in the far left emergency lane.

 

“I got over and had my lights on, backed up to him, and as I was getting the truck hooked up, someone comes by in the left lane and hit the truck I was loading, while I was loading it,” said Fowler.

 

Fowler was knocked to the ground, luckily with only minor injuries. Thanks to crash detection on fowlers watch, an emergency text was sent to Deana Gatton, the owner and dispatcher of Gatton Towing.

she tells me no one ever seems to slow down for those flashing lights.

 

“They do pay a little mo0re attention for the red and blue lights but they don’t pay attention to the red and blue lights at all,” said Gatton.

 

According to North Carolina’s move over law, drivers are required to changes lanes away from emergency vehicles, or at least slow down if that’s not possible.

 

Today, WCCB’s Emma Mondo spoke with Trooper Robert Rogers with the state highway patrol. He was one of the troopers on scene of the crash on 85.

 

“The move over law not only applies to emergency vehicles such as law enforcement, EMS, fire trucks, but is also pertains to roadside assistants workers as well as utility workers,” said Rogers.

 

When Gatton looked up more information on the move over law, the first thing that came up was how to beat the ticket.

 

Gatton wants to get the word out that this law applies to all flashing lights. As for Fowler, he says “I want people to pay attention, move over, and slow down for us, give us all a chance to get home to our families and do out job, that’s all.