Calgary, Alberta — October 8, 2015 — A tow truck driver was left with serious injuries after he was struck on Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail N.E. earlier this week.
Metro News reports the operator was recovering a vehicle in the far left lane near the 16 Avenue N.E turnoff on October 5 at around 7:30 p.m. when he was hit by a passing driver.
The man, said to be in his 30s, flew up onto the car’s windshield before falling back down onto the ground.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene and transported the victim to hospital in serious but stable condition. EMS say he suffered injuries to his pelvis and lower body.
According to Global News, he was released on October 6, and is in recovery.
The female driver of the passing vehicle was uninjured.
Calgary police continue to investigate the incident. It is not yet known if any charges will be laid.
Under section 115 of Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act, motorists must slow down to 60 km/hr or lower when passing parked emergency vehicles with their lights flashing. Violation of the law can result in demerit points and fines ranging from $115 to $703, based on the severity of the speeding offence.
The province plans to increase fines by an average of 35 percent this year, reaching a maximum of $949.
According to tow truck drivers and emergency workers, these incidents are far too common.
In March, a Stony Plain tow truck driver fell victim to a hit and run while working along Highway 16 near the Highway 60 overpass. He was clipped by the mirror of a white one-tonne truck travelling westbound. He suffered minor injuries.
“People just have to be more aware of their surroundings and move over. There are some people who just don’t understand; some don’t care, and some feel like we’re invading their space, when it’s actually the other way around,” Meadowlark Towing owner Randy Shenfield said of the March 23 collision. “It’s a simple message.”
