Phoenix tow truck driver ‘blessed to be alive’ after being hit by car while on the job
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Phoenix man is grateful to be alive after being hit by a car while helping a disabled truck on the side of the road last week.
Ray Garcia is a tow truck driver, which AAA says is one of the most deadly jobs in America.
Tow truck drivers are in high-risk and dangerous situations every day.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average, two emergency responders, including two workers, are struck and killed every month.
Garcia has his second surgery on Friday and said he’s thankful for all of the support from his co-workers, church community, and family.
“I’m blessed to be alive,” he said.
The near-death and life-altering experience has Garcia feeling a range of emotions.
“I did feel angry. I felt scared,” he said.
Garcia said the crash caused him to fly into the air, spin around, and then land in the middle of the freeway. It happened on the Loop 101 by 27th Avenue around 9:15 a.m. on April 18.
“From my knee down, all my bones were broken. My bone is broken in five places,” said Garcia.
Garcia has been a tow truck driver for more than two decades and currently works for AAA.
He said the AAA member he was helping that day saved him.
“He started yelling at me, ‘Watch out, watch out, watch out!’ As soon as I heard that, I tried to like, react and move over, but that’s when I just felt the impact,” said Garcia. “If he wouldn’t have been there, I think I wouldn’t be here to tell the story.”
Garcia and his wife, Yolie, have been married for 25 years. The couple has four children and six grandchildren together.
“We’re planning surgeries, but we’re not planning a funeral,” said Yolie Garcia.
The road to recovery is long and it’s not easy for him to rely on others for help.
Ray Garcia is the sole provider for his family and while he is grateful for his life, he fears he lost his livelihood.
“It is frustrating. I’m stressing, you know, due to what’s going to become of my leg. You know, might even have ended my career,” said Ray Garcia.
DPS is handling the case and says a 33-year-old woman was cited for unsafe lane change.
Arizona’s “Move Over Law” requires drivers to move over one lane or slow down if it’s not safe to change lanes whenever a first responder, tow truck driver, or disabled car is on the side of the road.
“The at-fault driver, she’s lucky as well that she didn’t kill him or kill anybody else or injure herself by her thoughtless action,” said Bart Graves, a spokesman with the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
He says if you see flashing lights or anyone pulled over, get out of the way and do not stop and stare.
DPS says that only leads to more crashes.
“Your job is not to slow down and look. Your job is to move out of the way as soon as it’s safe to do so, so you’re not causing a crash on the freeway or endangering the lives of the people on the side of the road,” said Graves.
As Garcia heals at home, he hopes others hear his plea to slow down and pay attention when getting behind the wheel.
“Just always focus on the road because it’s not just your life, it’s somebody else’s,” said Ray Garcia.
“We’re thankful that he had an angel on his side and he has a purpose and I think that purpose is to spread awareness,” said Yolie Garcia.
There’s a fundraiser for Garcia on Saturday from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at 1133 N. Dobson in Mesa, AZ 85201.
For those looking to donate, they can send money via PayPal.
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