A tow truck driver helping a stranded motorist on a busy freeway was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver.

The driver had stopped to help a woman whose car had a flat tire. He had parked the tow truck on a raised island near a freeway ramp. The woman was sitting in the relative safety of the truck cab and the driver was walking to the back of his truck to get his tools.

An out-of-control vehicle sideswiped the tow truck driver, the tow truck and the disabled car. The stranded motorist was not hurt, but the tow truck driver was seriously injured. He died in a hospital a few days later.

The tow truck driver was safety conscious – parking on the island out of the traffic and asking the motorist to sit in the truck cab. It was the unsafe driving of a passing motorist which led to his death.

The tow truck driver’s job was risky but he performed a valuable service rescuing stranded motorists – getting them out of dangerous situations and preventing traffic pileups. There are others doing necessary work out there on the streets and highways – road construction crews. Many workers are killed every year by drivers who speed or ignore warnings about work zones.

When you drive, be aware of any obstructions and any activity on the side of the road. And maintain your vehicle properly to avoid putting yourself and other motorists at risk.