No charges laid after man struck by vehicle

Foothills RCMP shared some more details on a collision that sent a man into a ditch last week.

On Monday, Feb. 21, William Hodgins with Southern Alberta Towing was setting up pylons as part of an effort to drag a vehicle out of a ditch.

Sgt. Jason Cann with Foothills RCMP says vehicles had been speeding by the tow truck, and Hodgins was trying to give the driver more space to work.

"There was a tow truck and what they call a blocker truck going to winch a vehicle out of the ditch. One of the drivers was putting pylons down as traffic wasn't slowing down. He was putting them down further behind the tow truck so they'd have a safe workspace."

He says it looks like the driver who struck Hodgins seemed to have found themselves in a tight spot with poor road conditions and little time to react.

"It doesn't appear speed was a factor, there were some road conditions. The driver was breaking and felt other drivers were coming up behind them too quickly, so they were moving over to the other lane thinking that was the safe thing, not seeing there was a tow truck ahead. Then they were kind of blocked in and couldn't get back into the position they were in and lost control of their vehicle trying to get back in."

Hodgins suffered a concussion but was able to walk away with only a few stitches and some bruising, plus a wound in his leg.

According to Sgt. Cann, no charges have been laid, though the incident remains under investigation.

While it's not believed the driver was speeding, Hodgins was having to lay the pylons because passersby weren't going slow enough for them to work safely.

"Drivers have to slow down to at least 60 kilometres per hour or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower, when passing emergency vehicles or tow trucks with flashing lights. There are demerit points as well, and the fines double, so it can be quite an expensive ticket," says Sgt. Cann.

He says ideally, it's best to give stopped tow trucks and emergency vehicles a wide berth.

"Remember to drive for road conditions. Patience is a big one, if people are slowing down just give it a moment, see why they're slowing down. Give them lots of room. I recommend getting over into a farther lane away from them in case it is icy or there's snow on the road, make some space in case you do lose control."