Towing Company Releases Statement Regarding Highway Death Of Employee

We are hearing from Allied Towing in Tulsa after one of its tow truck drivers was killed on the job in Claremore. 

1/26/2018 Related Story: Person Dies After Being Struck By Vehicle On Will Rogers Turnpike

The driver, 43-year-old Jonathan Taylor of Broken Arrow, was helping a disabled semi Friday afternoon when another semi, driven by 55-year-old Harry Welker of Broken Arrow, hit him along the Will Rogers Turnpike. 

Allied released a statement saying, "This is a terrible tragedy. Our hearts go out to the Taylor family. We are anxious to learn the results of the official investigation. Until then, we can only help a member of the Allied family deal with the loss of a loved one.”

It’s a tragedy that is certainly being felt in the towing community.

"You're gonna know them as soon as you find out who it was. You seen him before, you know him and it hurts," said Randy Post.  

Post has been in the towing business since 1984. As the owner of Claremore's Dunlap Wrecker, he knows firsthand how close the community is. 

"It's a small town and it happened close to our town but it's like anybody in any business and they lose someone close it hurts," Post said.  

Friday afternoon, a semi-truck hit and killed the Allied driver as he helped load a vehicle onto the back of a tow truck. 

The accident blocked traffic in the westbound lanes for hours. 

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the semi driver who hit the worker stopped about a half mile down the road.

According to Randy Post, on average, 50 tow truck drivers are killed each year, proving just how dangerous the job is.  

"We've got the move over law but you still have to be aware that people aren't moving over. Move over and slow down that's what they're supposed to do," Post said. 

The workers at Dunlap left work Friday evening visually upset to know what happened easily could have happened to one of them. 

"All we can do is pray for 'em and pray for their family. It's just a really bad situation," said Post.

A spokesperson for Allied said Mr. Taylor was 44-years-old and the father of three kids.