About Wreckers…

Troopers owe their existence, sometimes literally, to the tow truck operators that work our roads and highways. They clean up the carnage on our highways, facing the gore in the aftermath of killing accidents and the extreme tension when assisting with accidents where folks are pinned in, around or under cars and trucks. In my days on the road, they were under compensated, often providing services to indigent folks without charging or charging very little.

In the early ‘70s, in Odessa, Mo., we were blessed with two ultra reliable tow truck services that evoke fond memories of my years patrolling I-70 and Lafayette county. They were Gene Carroll and Walter Douthit, a man we called Popeye. Gene ran a service station and was always quick to respond to wrecks and any service needed on the road. Walter, on the other hand, operated out of a small shop where he slept on a cot next to his wrecker and telephone. He had no family and was a man of service, as reliable as an atomic clock, who lived to provide assistance, sometimes free. As I recall, Walter died prematurely, in a VA hospital, after a heart procedure. I have known many service oriented folks in a Patrol career, none exceeded his capacity to help out, 24/7, 365.

This work is anything but easy. Crawling through snow, creek water, deep ditches, culverts, anti-freeze, gasoline and oil to hook up and pull is their life. When the event required a police presence, we never lost sight of protecting the tow operator who needed total concentration to do his job. We did not have the magnificent equipment in use today, the work was manual in nature….and dangerous. On occasion, cables parted when under extreme tension, and were lethal in recoil, easily severing the leg or arm of an operator or bystander not paying attention.

On a personal note, Douthit responded quickly and pulled me out of a ditch, buried in snow, behind our weight station where I was headed for fuel. Not as embarrassing as sliding down a 50’ embankment, in deep snow, with a probationary officer in the seat next to me! Douthit was there in minutes, and we continued to a fatal accident, a chagrined training officer and a prob with dinner plate eyes. The lesson here was that MoDot maintenance crews turned around at the end of their district, and the next crew may or may not have gotten to the next section of Interstate. There isn’t a trooper alive that hasn’t over driven a situation and ended up on the hook behind a tow truck…….yes, we too have our moments.

Thank you to the guys who saved the day when I needed them on our roadways. God bless this understated occupation as their work is in His hands every time they hook up.

Have a great week!

SR