A truck from a Nanton towing company was recently struck by another vehicle while out on a call.
At approximately 4:15 pm on Tuesday, August 20th, Southern Alberta Towing received a call to go help out a broken-down vehicle that was travelling North on Highway 2, North of Granum.
"We always send out a blocker truck. And basically, the blocker truck is to make sure that traffic is aware that there's a tow truck up ahead," explains Southern Alberta Towing co-owner, Jodie Hennigar. "The blocker truck, unfortunately, is designed to take the brunt force before a customer vehicle or even our big, heavy tow truck gets struck in the event there is a distracted driver for any reason."
Hennigar says the blocker truck driver was the first to arrive on the scene.
Because the driver of the blocker truck was heading south, and the broken-down vehicle was heading north, the driver of the blocker truck had to turn around and pull up behind the broken-down vehicle.
"Turned on all of his lights. We have amber, blue lights. And then, probably within a couple seconds, the passing vehicle actually ended up striking the driver's side of our truck and then veering off into the center median."
According to a post on the towing company's Facebook page, the driver of the vehicle that struck the blocker truck was impaired.
Once the collision happened, the driver of the blocker truck's iPhone detected a significant impact and then Siri called 9-1-1 for the driver.
The blocker truck driver was assessed at the scene and is now at home resting.
While collisions like this haven't happened that often to Southern Alberta Towing, Hennigar says that is this the fourth time in three years that one of their trucks have been struck.
The first three were caused by distracted drivers.
In the Facebook post, Southern Alberta Towing passed along their appreciation to all those who stopped and helped.
"Please don't drink and drive, this could have been anyone that day. A family on the side of the road, grandma or grandpa getting out to see why their vehicle was making noise, none the less it's a scary situation that could have left a family member not making it home due to a careless act," the Facebook post reads.