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Tow Truck Driver Seriously Hurt Changing a Tire on Virginia I-495

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A tow operator in a hi-vis vest changes a car tire on a highway shoulder near a red wrecker as a blue semi passes under flyovers
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A tow truck driver was seriously injured early Saturday, Oct. 24, after being struck by a tractor-trailer while changing a tire on Interstate 495 in Northern Virginia, Virginia State Police said.

The details come from Virginia State Police, as reported by WJLA 7News. No one involved has been publicly identified.

What police said

The crash happened around 5:16 a.m. on southbound I-495, north of southbound Interstate 95, according to a preliminary investigation, WJLA reported. The area is near the interchange known as the Mixing Bowl in Fairfax County.

The tow truck driver was taken to a hospital, police said. The collision also caused a fuel leak, according to WJLA.

WJLA described it as a developing story.

What is not known

Police had not shared several details as of WJLA's last update Saturday:

The investigation is preliminary, and no charges had been reported as of WJLA's last update. Police have not said what caused the crash, and this story will not speculate.

A second roadside crash in two days

The Virginia crash came the morning after a separate crash on Interstate 35 in Oklahoma, where a tractor-trailer stopped on the shoulder for repairs, with a service truck behind it, was struck by a second truck. One person was killed in that crash.

In that story, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, as cited by KXII, said more than 2,100 people were struck and killed while stranded or working on U.S. roadsides from 2019 through 2023, including roadside assistance workers. Read Oklahoma I-35 shoulder crash brings a move-over law reminder.

Big Rig Daily wishes the injured tow operator a full recovery.

For state-by-state rules, see the truck laws by state guide, which links each state's official sources.

A question for readers

Police say the tow truck driver was changing a tire on the interstate when he was struck.

When you see a tow truck or service vehicle working on the shoulder, how much room do you try to give it?

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A tow operator in a hi-vis vest kneels to change a car tire on the highway shoulder beside a red wrecker at sunset
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