Cory Armstrong was helping a stranded motorist when truck was struck by a vehicle
Tow truck driver Cory Armstrong narrowly escaped death while helping a stranded motorist on the side of Highway 833 north of Camrose, Alberta on Sunday. The three-vehicle crash, which unfolded around 5 p.m., has shed light on the ongoing safety concerns for roadside workers.
According to RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Lisa Canmore, "the initial investigation reveals that a tow truck was pulled over while the operator was changing the tire of a stranded motorist when the tow truck was struck from behind by a third vehicle."
Armstrong sustained severe injuries and was promptly airlifted to Edmonton by STARS Air Ambulance. His fiancée confirmed his identity to Global News, and Armstrong spokes with the news outlet from hospital, reflecting on the terrifying incident, saying, "I could have died yesterday."
Armstrong detailed the moment of impact, saying, "as I'm in the middle of doing the removal of the cover for her spare tire, I heard a car go by real fast. So I turned to look, and no sooner did I turn to look, another vehicle, obviously one I didn't see or hear, hit my truck from the rear."
"My truck hit me, and next thing I know, I'm waking up underneath my truck with my rear tires of my flat deck — which is a 4,500-kilogram truck — on top of my legs."
Despite his horrific ordeal, Armstrong praised a nurse who helped at the scene and kept him calm while calling for help. "My lights were on the top, my lights were on my mirrors, my four-ways were on, my front lights were on," he emphasized.
Armstrong, who experienced a similar incident two years ago, urgently called for greater awareness and responsibility from motorists. "This has got to stop. People have got to learn that if they don't slow down and move over, they're going to cost somebody their life. It's dangerous to not slow down and move over."
The Towing and Recovery Association of Alberta echoed Armstrong's concerns, labeling such incidents as their "worst nightmare." Don Getschel, the president of the association, expressed his deep concern, saying, "It's hard not to get emotional when you think about that. It could just as easily have been myself or any other tower in Alberta."
"It's happening all too often,” he added. “We made some pushes, we got blue lights, we were going to have the law changed, and for whatever reason, the minister pulled back on that and now this has happened."
The recent changes to Alberta's Traffic Safety Act, which came into effect on September 1, 2023, demand that drivers slow down when passing all roadside workers. However, these regulations apply only to the closest lane of traffic, not all lanes, as initially planned by the province.
"I'm trying to wrap my head around it," Getschel said. "He had his lights engaged. How did that truck get hit? How did it get hit so hard that this truck rolled over him? It doesn't make sense to me."
The frustration among the towing industry is palpable. "We should be able to go out and help stranded motorists without having to worry about getting injured or killed."
He reiterated the long-standing request for an enforcement campaign, stating, "We've been saying the same thing for the last 20 years. When they enacted the Traffic Safety Act, there were laws for tow trucks and roadside workers, and that has now been extended this fall, which are all good things, but they're not going to be helpful unless people actually slow down."
RCMP confirmed that the driver of the vehicle responsible for the collision was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and there is no suspicion of drugs or alcohol contributing to the incident.
Armstrong's ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by roadside workers and the urgent need for motorists to exercise caution and abide by traffic laws to ensure their safety.
