Tow-truck driver killed on the job near Guelph

A 39-year-old tow-truck driver from Richmond Hill is dead after being struck by a vehicle while stopping to help another motorist north of Guelph.

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Wellington County OPP said that officers and other emergency responders were called to Wellington Rd. 26 between Erin Garafraxa Townline and Sideroad 27 in Erin, near Belwood Lake, for a collision Saturday shortly after 9 p.m.

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In a news release issued Tuesday, OPP said the tow-truck driver was taken to a hospital with “major life-threatening injuries” before being pronounced dead on Monday.

The driver of the other vehicle was also taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Second such fatality this month

Police are asking that anyone who might have witnessed the crash or has dashcam footage to contact OPP investigators or Crime Stoppers.

It was the second time this month that a tow-truck operator had been killed while assisting a driver in Ontario.

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On Dec. 3, a 42-year-old Kitchener man was struck by a commercial tractor trailer while helping a stranded motorist on Hwy. 401 west of the Oxford Rd. 3 overpass, east of Woodstock. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the driver of the truck, a 32-year-old from Mount Hope, failed to remain on scene. He was charged with dangerous operation causing death and failure to stop after an accident causing death.

Tow-truck drivers gathered to honour victim

The name of the tow-truck operator had not been released by police, but the Professional Towing Association of Ontario identified the victim as Kaveh Bigdeli, who worked for Majesty Towing.

“He is from out of the country and his body has been returned home, which makes this that much more tragic,” Gary Vandenheuvel, president of the Professional Towing Association of Ontario, told the London Free Press earlier this month.

On Dec. 13, about 200 tow-truck drivers — from across the GTA, Niagara Falls, Parry Sound, Huntsville, Sarnia and London — formed a procession to honour Bigdeli. The procession departed from Kitchener toward the crash site.