Michigan: Tow truck driver, motorist killed in I-696 crash
Two people were killed Thursday morning in a grisly accident on westbound I-696 in Novi when a tow truck driver who was assisting a motorist with a flat tire was hit by an SUV.
The accident happened around 10 a.m. on I-696 at the northbound I-96 and I-275 exchange, according to Michigan State Police Lt. Calvin Hart.
Hart said the tow truck driver had stopped on the left shoulder to assist a woman with changing a tire when a Chevrolet Tahoe swerved off the roadway and struck the tow truck.
The tow truck’s driver, a 25-year-old man from Westland, was killed along with the driver of the Tahoe -- a 37-year-old man from Canton. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
Around the state, tow truck drivers will be wearing black armbands next week in honor of 25-year-old Fred Scroggs, who was killed in an accident on Thursday.They are hoping it raises awareness and will help the public learn a lesson from the tragedy to help save lives in the future.
Bill Byers is the founder of Move Over Michigan Inc., and the owner of Byers Wrecker in Rochester Hills. He knows one of his workers could have easily been killed. "The hardest thing I would ever have to do is call and tell one of my guys' families," Byers said."
Most drivers don't know the Move Over Law applies to tow truck drivers, and you could get a ticket if you don't move a lane over when you see them if possible, or at least slow down.
7 Action News Reporter Kim Russell went on a ride-along with tow truck drivers on Friday to observe the dangers up close.
One worker laying on M-59 near Auburn had to work with cars speeding by inches away at more than 70 mph. Check out her report in the video player above
The woman whose car needed assistance was uninjured. Hart said Novi Police are on the scene assisting troopers with the investigation
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