(Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

SLOW DOWN, AND MOVE OVER

Tow truck operator says ticketing enforcement and safety improvements are needed, following serious collision

Dec 22, 2019 | 1:54 PM

MALAKWA — A close friend of a tow truck operator who suffered serious injuries from a collision while on the job says people need to take extra care around working vehicles on highways.

Mike Horsley says his friend, John Brown, who is a tow truck operator out of Sicamous, has been hospitalized with extensive injuries after another vehicle collided with Brown’s tow truck.

According to Horsley, Brown was working on a vehicle recovery along Highway 1 near Malakwa Friday evening (Dec. 20) when his work vehicle was rear ended by a pickup truck.

“He (John) did indicate that he was on a straight stretch, was positioned appropriately, and had all his emergency lighting on, and this truck rear ended his (vehicle) hard enough to basically write off a five tonne truck,” explains Horsley, “It sent the deck right into the back of the cab.”

The injuries Brown suffered sent him to a nearby hospital in Vernon, then Horsley says his friend was taken to Kelowna where he was briefly treated in the Intensive Care Unit.

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“Pretty much the entire right side of his body is pretty broken up right now,” says Horsley, “He’s got broken bones and all kinds of lacerations or hemorrhaging in muscles and stuff from being struck by his own truck.”

Given that Brown’s line of work is based on commission, his income stream will likely suffer by him not being able to work. Among regular living expenses, Horsley says Brown is also paying for his recent wedding in the Philippines, and trying to bring his wife over to live with him in Canada.

To help out with bill payments, and other costs while Brown is recovering, Horsley started a GoFundMe campaign to assist his friend. (To access the fundraiser, click here)

“I just don’t want him to be concerned about bills when all he needs to focus on is mending himself and making himself whole again,” Horsley explains, “The GoFundMe – it’s not my style, and it’s so not his style. John is a very hard worker, and he’s a proud man, and I’m sure he’s a little bit humbled and probably a little bit embarrased by this. But at the same time I’m just hoping to take that financial strain off him so he can just focus on what matters right now.”

According to a post Horsley made on the fundraising page, the other vehicle’s occupants were also injured as a result.

While accidents do happen, Horsley – who is also a tow truck operator, says the incident does bring to light why the industry has been pushing for change around what working vehicles can use for visibility.

“We just see this day in, and day out. Every time we’re out there, we’re living with our heads on a swivel because if you’re not, you’re going to get hit”

Tow truck drivers in the region only have amber flashing lights to make their presence known. Many vehicle operators have been pushing for a change in colours, as Horsley says drivers apparently aren’t getting the message to slow down, and move over.

“The most recent drive has been asking to add blue to our ambers so that we stick out differently,” he explains, “The thought being if we have one of the colours the police are running – people tend to slow down a lot more when they see blue and red.”

Horsley says he’s not sure that simply changing the colours will solve the problem entirely. He says some larger companies like BCAA do pay to send an additional vehicle out to help block off a lane, or add visibility to the work vehicles. But that’s not feasible for smaller operations to do on a basic recovery or tire change.

File Photo – example of tight, roadside conditions tow truck drivers work in (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

“The biggest issue I see here is utter lack of enforcement,” He stresses, “I haven’t heard of anybody around here getting a ticket for failing to slow down and move over for years and years. This law has been in place since 2009.”

In British Columbia, drivers are required to slow down and move over for all vehicles stopped alongside the road that have flashing red, blue or yellow lights.

Motorists have to slow their speed to 70km/h when in an 80km/h or over zone, and 40km/h when in an under 80km/h zone. If the work vehicles are on a multi-lane road or highway, drivers have to move into another lane to pass.

Drivers who don’t do this and get caught can be fined with a $173 traffic violation ticket that also carries 3 penalty points.

(Image Credit: Transportation BC)

Horsley figures enforcement with ticketing would deter some drivers tempted to speed past working vehicles, but also notes that many drivers are just not thinking of what goes on outside of their own vehicles.

“It’s very enlightening to people when they get stuck sitting on the side of the highway with a break down somewhere on one of these busy stretches for a while. You get there, and they’re pretty much white-knuckled and wide eyed. They can’t believe that we work in those conditions.” Horsley says, “They don’t realize until they’re out sitting there stranded, and can’t move, and they have people almost running into them.”

The consequences of not paying attention and slowing down can also be deadly.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Transportation, between 2008 and 2017, 230 workers were hit by other vehicles while working on the side of the road, and 12 of those workers lost their lives as a result.

(Image Credit: BC Government / Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)