last night my brother was hooking up to a chev mini van on a two lane 55mph road with large shoulders. the owner of the van was standing inbetween the wrecker and mini van trying to watch, he asked her to sit in the wrecker and put on her seatbelt because it is not safe standing along the highway. my brother continued with the hook up, he had his upper body between the wrecker and mini van moving the grid on the wheel lift when he heard a car hit the noise strips on the shoulder he didn't look just started running into the ditch a car with a 75 to 80 year old driver plowed into the back of the mini van totaling both. no one was injured and my truck was fine. I think drivers over 65 should have a behind the wheel test every year.
WOW! That could of been so much worse. Glad to hear everyone is OK.
So she was just old, and not intoxicated? Did your brother have his emergency lights activted?
Some people claim (not me) that the emergency lights actually lead tired or intoxicated drivers toward you on the shoulder.
all emergency lights were on. driver wasn't intoxicated. I talked to the driver today and I asked him if he saw the lights. He said yes and he let of the gas "but these new cars dont slow down you know" I then asked him If he understood he almost killed my brother. It was hard not to loose my temper. The guy couldn't even say I'm sorry:(
Aren't some people amazingly indifferent? I'd call them something else but I’d be breaking my own rules. 
Something just as bad, this winter,a driver I worked with was changing a tire(AAA call) and the elderly woman left the car running because she was cold. He was changing the front tire (front wheel drive) and the lady forgot and put car in gear while he was tightening the lugs, broke his arm in three spots, he can't work again. Just shows you don't take anything for granted. I don't even trust myself sometimes.
OUCH! 
What was she thinking? 
Old people are very difficult to work with sometimes, especially AAA members-seems majority, pull up behind them to deliver gas or do a flat change and they most always say I don't need a tow truck. One, the truck would be in front of you if we were going to tow you Ma'am or Sir, or how are you going to get my car up there (on a Flatbed), sometimes with a big smile, I am going to pull forward and back up real fast and bounce you up there, and then NO just kidding, just stand by and you will see how its done. But I have had all ages drift to the shoulder and almost hit us (lights activated and all), most are just driving too fast for conditions and start sliding, boy you otta see this fat guy run for the ditch or a high bank, thank god gave me long legs helps in those real steep hill sides........ 
Hey a big 10-4 on that,they don't need to be driving anyway,sometimes i wish i had wings when it comes to elderly folks behind the wheel .and this fatman can run like a chicken with its head cut off when it comes to getting out of the way of danger. 
fat is where its at 
Man that is crazy. I've also had a very similar thing happen. I was in tha hammer lane hooking up a mini van and telling the customer to get into my truck when I had this feeling in my gutt... I looked up and got hit in the shoulder by a mirror. The guy that was driving the truck that clipped me did not even stop. I swear that sometimes I think the emergency lights are just a magnet for those stupid drivers. Like moths to the light.
Derek
yup emergency lights make you target, and if they hit you
you are just a tow truck driver.watch your back out there.
do all you can do be safe.
kenny smith
kenny smith`s towing
pobox-513
westville nj 08093
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