Call for safer driving after tow truck driver hurt in crash

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This article was published 17/11/2022 (1240 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A city tow truck company is reminding drivers to slow down and move over when passing tow trucks that have their emergency lights on after one of its drivers was hit by a car on Tuesday while working alongside the Trans-Canada Highway.

Full Tilt Towing and Transport Ltd. operations manager Daniel Kauenhofen said the driver is doing OK, but it could have been a lot worse. He urged drivers to slow down and move over as the law requires.

“It probably adds 10 or 15 or 20 seconds onto your drive, but it could save the life of one of our drivers, or a tow truck driver somewhere else,” Kauenhofen said during an interview on Wednesday, adding that another driver for the company was hit about six years ago and also, thankfully, survived.

Manitoba law requires drivers to slow down and move over when they see an emergency vehicle or tow truck pulled over on the side of the road with its emergency lights flashing. If the speed limit is less than 80 kilometres per hour, drivers are required to slow to 40 km/h; if the limit is 80 km/h or higher, they must reduce their speed to 60 km/h.

Kauenhofen said the collision happened along the Trans-Canada Highway near Sidney, in broad daylight, around 3 p.m. Tuesday.

A witness to the crash, Shaun (who asked that his surname not be used), said the collision happened alongside the westbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway between Sidney and Carberry.

Driving his semi, he had passed the tow truck driver who was parked on the shoulder of the highway between the median ditch and edge of the inside lane as he pulled a van out of the median ditch. A tow truck driver himself, Shaun turned around to help.

“Something, I don’t know what, something told me to turn around and run block for him,” Shaun said.

Shaun said he blocked for the tow truck driver by pulling over on the inside shoulder, about 200 feet behind the tow truck, with his four-way and roof emergency lights on so approaching drivers would see his truck first, move over and avoid the tow truck in front.

He then got out of his semi in his reflective vest and started to direct traffic to slow down and move over. He’d observed that the tow truck driver was working on a plateau at the top of a hill, so it may be tough for other drivers to see him. Shaun said the tow truck had its lights on, including its emergency roof lights.

However, the semi driver said he noticed that an approaching westbound silver SUV wasn’t moving over. The SUV was about 100 feet from his semi’s trailer and Shaun said he waved his arms at the SUV driver to get his attention.

“Thankfully, he saw my trailer but it was too late,” Shaun said. “He swerved hard right, somehow missed my trailer, but put himself into a really bad slide.”

When the SUV started sliding, Shaun said, he ran toward the tow truck, yelling at the driver to move. The driver did move, but not enough.

The SUV’s crescent-shaped skid sent it past Shaun by three feet, and slammed into the van that had just been pulled from the ditch and was being hooked up to the tow truck by the driver. Shaun estimated the SUV was travelling 80 to 85 km/h on impact.

The tow truck driver was crushed between the van and his truck and thrown 10 feet, Shaun said.

While hit by debris from one of the vehicles, Shaun wasn’t hurt, and he reached the tow truck driver, who was conscious and seemed OK. Shaun said he also checked on the SUV driver, who was shaken up and had an airbag burn on his cheek but otherwise seemed fine. Shaun then called for an ambulance.

RCMP responded to the scene, he said, but there’s no word yet whether there will be any charges.

Shaun said he visited the injured tow truck driver in Brandon hospital on Wednesday and he appeared to be in good spirits.

Kauenhofen said the Full Tilt driver suffered a gash to his leg that needed stitches, but there were no broken bones and he’s already moving around with the help of a walker. He’s expected to make a full recovery.

Having nearly been hit himself, Shaun said he was shaken by the close call and said he’s scared to go back to work. As a tow truck driver, he has had close calls in the past, and said more signs and lights for tow truck drivers might help.

But he also had a message for drivers.

“Pay attention when you see us out there,” he said. “Make sure we can go home to our family. Slow down and move over. Just try to put yourself in our shoes out there.

» ihitchen@brandonsun.com