Michigan: Tow truck drivers, first responders honor Jason Schultz
The usual somber black of funeral attire clashed with neon yellow Wednesday morning, as hundreds of tow truck drivers and emergency personnel gathered with the family and friends of Jason Schultz.
The sound of hundreds of idling tow trucks muffled pre-service conversation outside Ross Bible Church, where the outpouring of support was both for Schultz's loved ones and for raising awareness of the importance of slowing down and giving space to first responders.
Schultz, 28, of Clyde Township was killed Friday when he was hit by a vehicle on North Road.
Schultz, the owner of Preferred Towing, was pulling a vehicle out of a west side ditch at the time of the incident. An 18-year-old Fort Gratiot man was driving the southbound vehicle that hit him, according to the St. Clair County Sheriff Department.
His name has not been released and the incident remains under investigation. Police said the Fort Gratiot man drove onto the shoulder of the road, around the tow truck that was facing northbound in the southbound lane, and hit Schultz, the tow cable and the vehicle in the ditch.
Michigan's Move Over Law requires motorists to move over for stationary emergency vehicles, or slow down and pass with caution if it is not possible to change lanes. The law applies to police, fire, rescue, ambulance and road service vehicles. A driver who violates the Move Over Law is guilty of a misdemeanor and faces four points on their license and fines of about $150.
Motorists face enhances penalties of up to 15 years in prison and/or a $7,500 find if it causes injury or death to a first responder, according to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
Joel Ballor, president of the Michigan Towing Association, said he hopes people will be aware of the dangers tow truck drivers face each day.
"I would hope that today's show of support, by people seeing over 160 cars, 250 tow trucks, that they see the community lost a great man," Ballor said. "Things happen so quickly on the roadway and can have unintended consequences."
He said nationwide, there's an average of one tow truck operator killed on the roads every six days.
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