Tow truck driver John Brown, left, is pictured with a friend while in hospital after being struck by a vehicle while he was working on Dec. 20, 2019, on Highway 1 near Malakwa, B.C.
Image Credit: GoFundMe
January 07, 2020 - 2:06 PM
An Alberta resident involved in a motor vehicle incident that left a tow truck driver with serious injuries in late December may be facing a violation ticket under the Motor Vehicle Act.
Sicamous RCMP Sgt. Murray McNeil says they have asked authorities in Alberta to serve a violation ticket to the 42-year-old driver of a pickup truck for driving with undue care and attention after a collision that sent a tow truck driver to the hospital on Friday, Dec. 20.
READ MORE: Tow truck driver injured while working on Trans-Canada Highway should be call to action, says friend
The tow truck driver, John Brown, was getting ready to haul another vehicle that had veered off the road on the Trans-Canada Highway when he was struck by another vehicle. A friend of Brown's and former co-worker Mike Horsley says he was told Brown suffered several broken bones and internal bleeding.
Horsley also started a GoFundMe page to help with Brown's recovery. The most recent update by Horsley says Brown was released from the hospital on Dec. 26.
"It sounds like he's getting by reasonably OK at home. I hope it stays that way and his recovery continues without setback," Horsley says.
The area where the collision happened is a four-lane highway in Malakwa, according to McNeil.
"We do see some higher speeds in that area especially in the summertime being a large four-lane section for 11 kilometres," he says. "(Some) see that as an opportunity to speed."
This incident also highlighted issues around Slow Down and Move Over laws that have been around since 2009. By law, drivers are required to slow their speed to 70 kilometres an hour in areas 80 kilometres or more and move over to another lane if passing a vehicle with flashing lights on. In zones that are under 80 kilometres an hour, drivers are required to slow down to 40 kilometres an hour.
The violation ticket to be issued to the Alberta driver is not a criminal charge, McNeil says.
For more information on the Slow Down and Move Over laws, go here.
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