Father of tow truck driver killed in crash: ‘Move over’

HASTINGS, Mich. (WOOD) — A West Michigan father is hoping to raise awareness on highway safety for tow truck drivers after his son was hit and killed last November.

Twenty-five-year-old Keagan Spencer died after he stopped his tow truck to help a dog that was in the median, Michigan State Police

House Bill 5552 would designate a section of M-6 in Kent County, starting at Kalamazoo Avenue and continuing east to 60th Street, as the “Keagan Spencer Memorial Highway.” The bill was introduced Wednesday in the Michigan House of Representatives.

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“Fellow towers want to put some type of memorial up, and this is going to be his memorial,” said Matthew Spencer, Keagan Spencer’s father.

According to MSP, Keagan Spencer was driving his tow truck along M-6 near Kraft Avenue. He then stopped his truck to apparently help a dog that in the median, when an eastbound vehicle lost control, hitting Keagan Spencer.

Matthew Spencer said since the loss, the family is “just getting by.”

Keagan Spencer posing for a picture with his family. (courtesy photo)

“His daughter, Lenora, she was 16 months old when the accident happened and, you know, she was with him when it occurred. Riker, his stepson, he’s 4 and he’s struggling,” said Keagan’s dad.

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Since the crash, the tow truck community, along with Keagan Spencer’s father, has worked with politicans to raise awareness on stricter laws when it comes to drivers and tow trucks.

“There’s some bills that are introduced,” said Matthew. “Right now, Representative Gina Johnsen has introduced ‘Keagan’s Law,’ which is to clean up some of the verbiage in the move-over laws, but the biggest thing is allowing tow trucks to turn the blue emergency flashing lights on our vehicles,” he added.

On Tuesday, Matthew shared a message for motorists when they are out on the roadways and come across a tow truck pulled over on the shoulder.

“Imagine your office chair on the white line, you’re sitting in front of your computer, you’re typing away, and you have a car that drives by you at 70 mph. Move over,” he said.

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