Tow truck driver struck and killed by snow plow in Arnprior
Police have identified a tow truck driver who was struck and killed by a snow plow on Monday in Arnprior as a 33-year-old man from Ottawa.
The man was struck on the westbound Highway 417 under the White Lake Road overpass around 12:25 p.m.
Police say a westbound snow plow struck the tow truck operator while he was helping another driver. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Tuesday, OPP identified him as Phillip Smith of Ottawa. A statement from Fraser’s Towing and Recovery in Arnprior said he was a father of two.
“He was a loving father of two young children and will be missed deeply by his family,” the statement said.
"He was just at the end of an on ramp. Plow was plowing and he was winching, and something happened, they didn't see one another," said Tom Hanniman, owner of Dwaine's Towing. "I've had guys drive by cars in the ditch yesterday because they couldn't see them because the visibility was that bad. So that tells you, if you can't see from the road to the fence, how are you going to see traffic in front of you?"
The statement also implored people to slow down and move over when they see emergency lights on the road.
“It’s extremely important that people slow down and move over when they see any emergency lights,” the statement said. “We are all out there just trying to help everyone as safely as we can but everyone needs to help out when it comes to seeing emergency lights. Unfortunately this gets ignored on a daily basis.”
Gary Vandenheuvel, a representative for the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario says, "In North America every six days there is a tow operator either stuck and injured or stuck and killed. Every six days.
"It's a case of slow down, move over. When you see these lights, a tow truck on the side of the road or any flashing lights you need to get over and you need to slow down, especially in those conditions."
The highway was closed for several hours for the police investigation. The Ministry of Labour is also investigating the crash.
Monday’s blizzard saw a record 48 centimetres of snow dumped on Ottawa, with similar snowfall levels across the region.
"I feel for the family more than anything because you've got to go home to somebody, but he's not going home," Hanniman said. "It affects everybody. All tow truck drivers are like a big family, you know. And you know most of the people in the valley too."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.