Trooper's vehicle struck, tow truck driver injured in I-70 crash

[TowForce]

The tow truck driver was pinned between the bed of his truck and a CSP trooper's vehicle.

 

 

EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. — A tow truck driver who was assisting a motorist after a crash on Interstate 70 in Eagle County was injured when another driver struck his tow truck pinning him between it and another vehicle.

 

According to the Colorado State Patrol, the crash happened just after 8 p.m. Sunday in the westbound lanes of I-70 at milepost 158, which is near Wolcott.

 

A CSP trooper responded to investigate that collision. While the trooper was on the scene, the driver of a Jeep struck the trooper's vehicle. As a result, the tow truck driver was pinned between the tow truck bed and the patrol vehicle. The tow truck driver was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, CSP said.

 

The trooper managed to move out of the way and was not injured.

 

The crashes remain under investigation. A spokeswoman for the Colorado State Patrol said the driver of the Ford 250 was arrested and issued a summons for DUI. 

 

Colorado's Move Over Law requires drivers to move over a lane whenever they encounter any stationary vehicle on a highway with its hazards flashing — and if they can't move over, they must slow down to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit.

The penalty for failing to move over or slow down for a disabled vehicle includes a Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense, with a possible fine of $150 and a 3-point license violation

 

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[TowForce]

Tow truck driver faces long recovery after sustaining pelvic fractures, abdominal punctures in I-70 accident

 

Friends, family of Alex Salgado are raising funds to support his recovery

 

 

Alex Salgado, a 22-year-old tow truck driver from Gypsum, sustained pelvic fractures, abdominal punctures and other internal injuries after being pinned between his tow truck and a Colorado State Patrol vehicle on Sunday night while assisting a motorist on Interstate 70 near Wolcott. 

 

Salgado was on-scene with Colorado State Patrol assisting another tow truck driver who had been hit by a Ford F-250.

 

The trooper’s patrol vehicle was then struck by a Jeep. Salgado was pinned between the front bumper of the trooper’s vehicle and the flatbed of his tow truck, causing several injuries.

 

He was transported to a local hospital and then taken to Denver Health for treatment, where he is in the Progressive Care Unit, a step down from the Intensive Care Unit. Salgado’s doctors are still determining his exact recovery plan.

 

“I don’t think he’s quite out of the woods yet, but he’s stable now and we’re trying to see where it goes from here,” said Mason Miller, Salgado’s close friend.

 

Miller has been in touch with Salgado during his initial days of recovery.

 

“He’s still positive. He still has good morale about him. He’s really calm. He’s just glad to be alive,” Miller said. “I just hope for my friend’s recovery. That man is a brother to me. We don’t share any blood or any family, but that man is my brother, and I just hope he gets better soon.”

 

Salgado, who graduated from Battle Mountain High School in 2021, “is a very hard-working young man. He has had a couple of trials in life, but the biggest thing he gives is his heart,” Miller said. “You ask anybody in the community how they feel about Alex, and most of the time they’ll tell you some heartfelt story about how he helped them out when they were in a bind.”

 

In his job as a tow truck operator, “he’s a tremendous pillar of this community,” Miller said. “(With) I-70 the way that it is, I would consider him a first responder. He’s on the scene, he’s there to help anybody who needs it.”

 

Salgado is the primary income provider for his household. As a towing contractor, he is not set up to receive workers’ compensation. At this time, the best way to support Salgado and his family is to donate to the GoFundMe set up by his friends, Miller said.

 

“We’ve already had a tremendous community response, but obviously we’re trying to do everything we can for this great young man,” Miller said.

 

“I want to give thanks to Colorado State Patrol and local small businesses and individuals who have already donated to his GoFundMe,” Miller said. “We live in an amazing community, and we just hope to continue to see a good community response for him.”

 

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[TowForce]