Summary
The towing company involved in this incident provided
roadside assistance and towing services. The company maintained three tow
trucks, employed three operators, and went out of business after this incident occurred.
The box truck involved in this incident was owned and
operated by one man, the 24-year-old driver in the incident, who used it to
transport produce locally. He also used the box truck to attend auctions and
acquire items for sale.
The temperature on the day of the incident ranged from 71
degrees Fahrenheit to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. There was no precipitation.
In the early morning hours of a summer day, a 49-year-old
male owner-operator of a towing company died when he was struck by a driver
operating a box truck.
The towing company had been called to retrieve a sport
utility vehicle (SUV) that had broken down in another state and was returning
the vehicle to its owner in Kentucky.
It was approximately
4:00 a.m. when the towing company owner and his two sons (ages 2 and 18) were
on an interstate returning with the SUV, when the operator thought the load
felt strange.
He parked his tow
truck on the right hand shoulder and was standing on the driver’s side at the
rear of the trailer checking the load’s securement.
As the box truck
driver approached the parked tow truck he veered right, crossing the solid
white line onto the shoulder.
The front right side of the box truck struck the rollback section of the parked towing vehicle where the tow truck operator was standing and where the winch controls were located.
The front right side of the box truck struck the rollback section of the parked towing vehicle where the tow truck operator was standing and where the winch controls were located.
The force of the
impact against the tow truck sent the box truck careening back onto the
interstate in a northward trajectory before flipping onto its side and skidding
to a halt some 38 yards away from the tow vehicle.
Inside the damaged
box truck, the driver remained conscious. The doors in the cab were lodged
shut; the driver traversed the back of the cab and the empty cargo space to the
exit in the rear of the vehicle.
The tow truck
driver’s 18-year-old son called emergency medical services to the scene.
They arrived, followed by the coroner who declared the
towing operator dead at the scene.
The driver of the box truck was arrested and subsequently
charged with murder, driving under the influence (.115 BAC), driving without
insurance, and in violation of numerous other commercial vehicle regulations.
Cause of Death
The cause of death was due to massive head and chest
injuries resulting from being struck by a motor vehicle.
Recommendations
To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the
following recommendations have been made:
Recommendation No. 1: Four points of securement should be used
when transporting a load.
Recommendation No. 2: Towing operators should receive
refresher safety and operational training annually.
Recommendation No. 3: The maximum carrying capacity of the
tow truck should not be exceeded.
Recommendation No. 4: Portable warning devices should be
used when outside of the truck to alert approaching motorists.
Recommendation No. 5: Appropriate high-visibility vests
should be worn by persons working along highways and streets.
Recommendation No. 6: There should be increased public
awareness of the “Move Over Law” in Kentucky.
Recommendation No. 7: A proper pre-trip and post-trip
inspection should be performed at the beginning and closing of each day.
Recommendation No. 8: Whenever possible, the tow truck
driver should pull over at a ‘safe’ location that allows the truck to be out of
the way of approaching traffic.