(NJ) Tow truck driver dies after being hit by a SUV on Route 287 in N.J.
A 24-year-old tow truck driver was killed Wednesday when he was struck by a SUV after responding to a disabled vehicle on Route 287 in Morris County, a spokesperson for the New Jersey State Police said.
Daniel “DJ” Ortiz, of Hopatcong, who worked for Ron and Sons Towing, was assisting the driver of the vehicle on the right shoulder of Route 287 South at milepost 31.4 in Harding Township when the crash occurred.
According to authorities, the SUV entered the right shoulder and struck Ortiz, the tow truck and the disabled vehicle. Troopers responded to the scene at 11:42 a.m.
Ortiz was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries, where he later died. The driver of the SUV sustained minor injuries, police said.
“He was out there doing his job. Helping someone in need,” Ron and Sons Towing stated in a Facebook post. “Standing on the shoulder with his lights flashing, clearly visible, clearly working and someone’s complete negligence and lack of attention ended his life in an instant.
“DJ wasn’t just a coworker. He was family. He was one of the kindest, most helpful, sweetest, and friendliest people you could ever meet. … He made this world better just by being in it.”
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, state police said.
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