Tow truck driver killed on I-5 near Fife amid pleas with lawmakers for solutions
Feb 15, 2022, 9:11 AM
The scene of a crash on I-5 near Fife, where a tow-truck driver was struck and killed. (Washington State Patrol)
(Washington State Patrol)
A semitruck driver struck and killed a tow truck driver on northbound I-5 near Fife on Tuesday morning.
State lawmaker hopes to address concerns over ‘dangerous’ conditions for tow truck drivers
The crash occurred just south of Porter Way around 6:45 a.m. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the semitruck — a 65-year-old man — was arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence.
This marks the third tow truck driver in Washington to have been killed on the job over the last year.
In one incident last April, tow truck operator Art Anderson had pulled over to the side of I-5 near Kelso to help a family with their disabled car. While he was providing assistance, a suspected drunk driver slammed into them, killing Anderson and two members of the family.
Just six weeks ago, Raymond Mitchell, a 33-year-old father of four who was recovering a car on I-5 near Kalama, was killed when a log truck ran into his rig.
These fatal crashes have had tow truck drivers pleading with the state Legislature for solutions.
“I shouldn’t be here today; I shouldn’t be that emotional to you people, but I am,” said Cory Wells, a tow truck driver and Mitchell’s employer, in testimony delivered to the state Senate’s Transportation Committee last week. “I love what I do, and I want to come home to my wife tonight — we need your help.”
Washington tow truck drivers beg state lawmakers for more protection on roads
“We’re not just that guy across the street,” he continued. “We’re your neighbors, we’re the guys who come out and rescue you when your car breaks down. We want to go home at night. We have families, and they love us.”
Relief could come in the form of a pair of bills under consideration this session. One would require new driver training curriculum to include an emphasis on the state’s “Slow Down, Move Over” law, while adding signage and electronic display boards along freeways to further inform the public of the law’s requirements. A second bill would allow tow truck drivers to use rear-facing blue lights while stopped at the scene of an emergency or accident, which they say would make them more visible to passing vehicles.
The state law currently mandates that drivers move over a lane when passing any emergency or construction zone, extending for 200 feet on either side of the area. If you can’t safely get over, you are required to slow your speed to 10 miles an hour below the posted speed limit. Violators can be fined $214 if ticketed.
KIRO Newsradio Reporter Chris Sullivan contributed to this story
