Tow truck operator safety bill passes Senate chamber
STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 8 months AGO
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Senate on Wednesday approved a measure designed to improve safety for tow-truck operators.
“Passage of this bill in the Senate today sends a strong message that safety on our roadways is a priority for Olympia, and that we need to respect the ‘everyday heroes’ who work within inches of speeding traffic,” said Senator Jeff Wilson (R-Longview), primary sponsor of the bill. “These first responders risk their lives every day.”
A release by Wilson’s office stated that Senate Bill 5023 was a two-year effort and named for two Longview-area tow operators killed in 2021 in crashes on Interstate 5.
The release also noted that tow-truck operators have a death rate 15 times higher than the national average, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The bill allows tow trucks and other emergency responders to use rear-facing blue flashers, which are more visible, when they reach roadside emergency zones. State law already permits them to use red flashers on the way to the scene, the release stated. The red-and-blue combination produces a visual effect motorists find difficult to ignore, Wilson said. Wilson’s bill faced opposition from police agencies, however, because Washington law reserves blue for law enforcement vehicles.
“When it comes to blue lights – I ask that we all see the light for safety,” Wilson declared on the Senate floor Wednesday.
The Senate voted 49-0 to pass the measure, which now moves to the House for consideration.
ARTICLES BY STAFF REPORT
Connell woman killed in Booker Road crash
CONNELL — Charges are pending against a Kennewick man following a collision about 12 miles south of Othello that killed a Connell woman and injured three other people Tuesday evening. A Washington State Patrol press memo said intoxicating substances were a factor. Jessica Zarate, 37, Connell, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near the intersection of SR 17 and South Booker Road, the WSP memo said. She was driving south on Booker Road approaching the intersection when her car was hit by a pickup driven by John Reiss, 62, Kennewick. Edgar Garcia Quirino, 28, Othello, was driving north on SR 17 and ran into Zarate's car, the WSP memo said. The crash occurred at about 6:40 p.m.
Wheeler Road closed because of traffic collision
UPDATE: The road was reopened as of noon, according to a GCSO media release. MOSES LAKE — Grant County Sheriff’s Office has announced there is a road closure between Road 3-NE and Road S-NE. There was a serious traffic collision. GCSO is asking for drivers to avoid the area and find alternative routes. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Doors opening: The Currents will provide homeownership for more local workers
About 104 homes are planned at the former Atlas sawmill site
Teachers, nurses, firefighters and other workers who keep Coeur d’Alene running will soon have more places to buy a home in the community where they work. About 104 homes are being planned to be built at Atlas Waterfront, on roughly 10 acres that are part of a swath of land that was once home to the Atlas sawmill and is being redeveloped. Ignite CDA, the city of Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, is leading this effort.