CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Twenty more tow operators killed while working on the side of the road now have their names on the Wall of the Fallen at the International Towing and Recovery Museum in Chattanooga. Hundreds of people turned out Saturday, Oct. 17, for the museum’s 19th annual name unveiling ceremony, some of them families who traveled from out of town to honor relatives.
One guest showed how close the danger is to home. A Doug Yates Towing driver who was hit on Interstate 24 on Oct. 1 came to the ceremony while still recovering. He had been working on the shoulder with his emergency lights flashing when a passing motorist did not shift lanes, drifted over the line and hit him.
The crash left him with severe injuries, and his operation ran for over 10 hours. He has been recovering at Siskin Rehabilitation Hospital.
Two Hamilton County EMS paramedics who answered the call, treated him at the scene and took him to the hospital met him and his wife at Siskin on Saturday and then brought him to the museum, where he reunited with coworkers and friends from the towing company. The agency said the day let him take part in honoring those in the industry who died on the job.
Others in the crowd came in grief. Among them was a mother whose son, also a tow truck driver, was killed on the job in Florida.
The driver said he hopes his survival can help keep similar crashes from happening. Hamilton County EMS used the moment to remind motorists that slowing down and moving over protects everyone who works along the roadside. The reminder comes during a month set aside nationally for the Slow Down, Move Over message.
Section: More Chattanooga TN crime news
Filed under: Chattanooga TN Traffic News
