A New Jersey tow truck driver was killed Thursday morning when he was hit by an SUV while helping another driver on the highway.
Daniel “DJ” Ortiz, 24, was assisting a broken down vehicle on the right shoulder of Route 287 South in Morris County’s Harding Township when a Jeep drove onto the shoulder and struck Ortiz, the tow truck and the other vehicle at around 11:42 a.m.
Ortiz was taken to a nearby hospital where he died as a result of his injuries.
The driver of the Jeep sustained minor injuries, state police said.
Ortiz, of Hopatcong, worked for Ron and Sons Towing. The company mourned his death and blasted the driver of the Jeep for violating the state’s Move Over Law.
“He was out there doing his job. Helping someone in need,” Ron and Sons Towing wrote on Facebook. “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.”
The company remembered their co-worker as “one of the kindest, most helpful, sweetest and friendliest people you could ever meet,” saying he made the world “better just by being in it.”
“And now he’s gone. Just like that. Because someone didn’t think his life was worth slowing down for,” they added.
The company then said they’re “done staying quiet” over the dangers their drivers faces every time they step out of a tow truck, as well as similar threats faced by first responders and emergency workers.
“It’s about every man and woman who works the road. Tow truck drivers, police officers, EMTs, utility workers, anyone who stands on that shoulder putting their life on the line,” they wrote. “SLOW THE F— DOWN. MOVE THE F— OVER. It’s not a suggestion. It’s the law. And more importantly, it’s the bare minimum you can do to not kill someone.”
The crash remains under investigation.
