A 54-year-old tow truck driver was struck and killed by a passing commercial semi-truck while recovering a disabled vehicle on an interstate highway shoulder in Kentucky in September 2024, with contributing factors including performing work on the side of the truck closer to traffic and the absence of a written safety program, according to a Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center fatality investigation. The report also cited distracted driving by the semi-truck operator as a contributing factor.
Operator takeaway
The investigation found the operator had no written safety program — if your company does not have a documented traffic-side work protocol, this report is the evidence that one is necessary.