SPECIAL REPORT: Tow truck drivers act as unsung first responders of Central Coast

When a car accident happens, the first agency called is usually the California Highway Patrol.

From when officers arrive and as their investigation continues, CHP officers will often make a call of their own.

That call ends up being to the local tow truck company.

Whether it’s helping someone with a stalled vehicle along the highway or for a traffic collision, local tow companies are often right there alongside CHP seeing exactly what they see.

William Edwards is a tow truck driver and says he worked what was a deadly head-on collision at Highway 101 and Spence Road in July 2017.

“It was a Ford Mustang versus a Honda. The Honda got ripped in two and unfortunately the passenger didn’t make it,” Edwards explains.

Edwards says he has seen all types of accidents in his 8 years as a tow truck driver.

The fatal accident on Highway 101 and Spence is one he says he does his best to block out of his mind.

“The car was full. 3 kids in the back mom driving husband the passenger,” he continued. “Everyone walked away except for him [the husband] and it’s so unfortunate for that family.”

It’s a job that isn’t for everyone as tow truck drivers working an accident scene also have to contend with drivers speeding close by.

Edwards describes it as a nerve-wracking environment to be in.

P & R Towing owner Dorothy Perez says the mental condition and safety of the company’s drivers are always a priority.

“There’s times where we’ll have to tell them to take the afternoon off if something happened,” says Dorothy Perez when asked if counseling is provided to tow truck drivers should they see something which is mentally unsettling.

The fatal collision William Edwards saw is somewhat of a rarity for P & R Towing as some drivers have told me the California Highway Patrol normally calls in another tow truck company to handle those situations.

Especially if there’s evidence that requires further examination.

“Our biggest concern is for the evidence not to be tampered with,” says CHP Officer Jessica Madueno. “They need a facility to hold the evidence. Nothing left outside. Evidence must be inside locked and where if we need to access, we can.”

Officer Madueno says for now California Towing has the only facility which can hold evidence during an ongoing investigation.

Each year the CHP reaches out to tow truck companies in an effort to partner with as many as they can to clear wreckage from our streets.

“This year we happen to have 17 tow companies with us. I believe right now we’re in the middle of checking 22 or 24,” says Officer Madueno.

It’s a partnership both the CHP and towing companies believe is crucial in keeping county highways safe for travelers.

“They see what we see,” says Officer Madueno. “There’s a comradery there where they’re a part of helping us clear the roads as quickly as possible and getting the aid to the people.”

The California Highway Patrol says they will have what they refer to as its annual “tow agreement” where they reach out to tow truck companies about partnering with CHP.

That process will happen in October. Once it is complete the CHP can revise its rotating list of tow companies in the area.