Home of the Brave

By Steve Calitri

Ienvision a tow boss taking a moment with his tow operator(s) to pin the Towman Valor pin on his chest, look him in the eye and say, “All Towers and American Towman thank you for your brave service.” Then shake his hand. The pinning would take place before a photo wall that we created with imagery of a towman working the white line. Someone in that party would take pictures. In many cases, a wife would pin her husband who has gone out on many calls, and maybe still does.

There will be many opportunities to take that sort of photo in Baltimore, complete with a dramatic backdrop: the Towman Monument, the murals, The Towing Industry on canvas, or the Masters of Chaos. Perhaps using one of the many tow trucks on the show floor as a backdrop.

We take for granted the bravery of our operators because it is what is expected. It goes with the territory. Towmen work along the perilous roadways of this nation. Their valor isn’t given a second thought, if ever a first one.

I am sure there are some tow bosses who appreciate their operators putting their lives on the line each and every day and will express their gratefulness to them. We hope this new tradition in Baltimore will have a ripple effect on other bosses, by encouraging them to take the time to honor their men and women in such a way.

After all, the lives of tow operators are what keeps us in the business of towing and recovery. Their dedication keeps the roads clear. It only takes a split second on the roadside to take out an operator.

For good.

Maybe someday in the not-too-distant future, there will be robots and selfdriving wreckers attending to calls by the side of a busy highway. Perhaps there will be a junkyard of all the smashed-up robotic towmen that can be recycled into more robots, and maybe only the cost of these robots will make us cry.

Until that happens, the cost of a towman should be appreciated while he is still alive, by keeping him alive. It’s our responsibility to see to it. We’ll start by initiating this tradition of showing how much we value the towman’s life and dedication. By recognizing the towman’s valor, and not looking past it—because it’s required.

Some hard-boiled tow bosses might look at the Valor Pin as nothing more than a participation trophy. In this they would be correct, for it recognizes those who participate in the nation’s most dangerous calling to make a living.

Family and Towmen Protest Verdict in Death of Tower

In Charleston, S.C., the family of a tower gathered at the courtroom to protest the verdict and minimal fine imposed on the driver who hit and killed tower, Timmy Peagler, on Sept 13, 2022. Barry Pritchard, who was driv- ing the car that hit Peagler, was given a $500 fine. Peagler’s widow Trisha, lawyers and fellow tow-truck drivers admit to being devastated over a sentence they consider “a slap on the wrist.”

“I don’t think it’s right,” Trisha Peagler said. “I think the law needs to be changed. It’s too late for him, but not for them [other drivers] and I’m going to fight for them.”

According to Charlie Condon, the attorney representing the Peagler family, the defendant Barry Pritchard was driving at approximately 70 mph and admitted that he was not looking at the road when the accident happened.

“If you look at what this defendant did, speeding, not looking, and then not respecting the move-over law, it resulted in the death of an innocent public safety worker,” Condon stated. He pointed out that Pritchard was in clear violation of the move-over law. “Extreme negligence” is how Condon describes Pritchard’s actions that resulted in the crash. Condon says Pritchard should have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

“Involuntary manslaughter is defined as the reckless disregard of the safety of others,” Condon explained. “And we feel clearly and passionately that there’s probable cause to believe that defendant Pritchard recklessly disregarded the safety of others with his conduct that day, which resulted in the death of Timmy Peagler.”

Source: live5news.com

NY Tow Company Must Pay Restitution

Bobby’s Towing and Recovery in Poughkeepsie, New York, was found guilty of predatory tow practices in a lawsuit brought about by the NY Attorney General, Letitia James, at the Dutchess County Supreme Court, and will have to pay restitution.

According to court documents, the Attorney General’s office began an investigation into the towing company after receiving numerous com-