'I love you, bro!' Family, tow industry pay tribute to the operator killed during Monday's snowstorm
Family members and tow-truck operators gathered in Ottawa to honour one of their own, struck and killed while helping a driver during Monday's winter snowstorm.
Approximately 100 operators formed a convoy along the Queensway, from Coventry Road to the Canadian Tire Centre, to remember Phillip Smith on Thursday, and to remind motorists to move over for tow trucks and emergency vehicles.
The 33-year-old was struck and killed on Hwy. 417 on Monday afternoon under the White Lake Road overpass. Police say a westbound snowplow struck the tow truck operator while he was helping another driver.
“It’s heartbreaking, it really is,” Smith’s brother, Sebastian Smith tells CTV News Ottawa. "I love this turnout, my brother would love it; he would do the exact same."
Smith was surrounded by family and other tow operators.
"Love you bro."
The tragedy, affecting those in the tow industry and co-workers.
"You know, it touched me personally because he left me on Innes Road, going for this call; it could have been me, it could have been any of us," Charles Ajayi, a tow operator, said. "He just passed beside me, put on his beacon lights, ‘Charles, I’ll see you man,’ and that was the end. It’s scary man."
The ride was organized to pay tribute; but, also, to raise awareness of Ontario's 'Slow Down/Move Over' law.
“We’re out here, helping stranded motorists, in the worst of weather, in the worst of conditions," says Junior Latreille, organizer, who also runs a tow operator group on Facebook called 613-Wrecked. "We’re out there, for hours, just trying to make sure that everybody gets home safe at the end of the day,”
Under the Highway Traffic Act, all drivers are required to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles with its emergency lights activated. The law also includes tow trucks parked on the roadside with their amber lights flashing.
The circumstances of Monday's crash remain under investigation.
With files from CTV’s Dylan Dyson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.