FOUNTAIN, Colo. — A memorial was held Friday for a Fountain tow truck driver who was killed after being hit by a car Thursday night.
30-year-old David Meyer was helping out a driver on the left-hand shoulder in the southbound lanes of I-25 near Castle Pines Parkway in Castle Rock.
Friends, family, and towing co-workers gathered at Bears Towing and Recovery Friday evening around 7:30 p.m. to honor Meyers. A procession of tow trucks is planned for Saturday around noon.
The summer is both the busiest and most dangerous time of year for first responders operating on the roadside. According to AAA– American Automobile Association, Nationwide, more than 100 tow truck operators, police officers, firefighters, highway workers, and first responders are struck and killed by vehicles while working on the roadside each year. 60 percent of those killed are tow operators – with one tow truck driver killed, on average, every six days.
In Colorado, drivers face a $170 ticket, four penalty points, and a misdemeanor charge for failure to move over or slow down when approaching an official vehicle with flashing red, blue, or amber lights on the side of the road.
