Tow truck driver killed in hit-and-run SR-125 collision identified

SPRING VALLEY, Calif. — An on-duty tow truck driver who was killed in a hit-and-run crash on New Year’s Eve on state Route 125 has been identified, local medical officials said.

Dale Alan Pumphery, 63, of El Cajon, was announced as the deceased, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office said on its website.

The crash occurred around 8 p.m. on SR-125 and Jamacha Blvd. in Spring Valley, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

San Diego lowriders show out as cruising ban officially lifted

Pumphery was removing a vehicle that was stranded on southbound state Route 125, when a Prius sedan struck him as he partially entered the No. 4 lane while moving to the driver’s side of the tow truck, according to authorities.

First responders attempted lifesaving measures on Pumphery, but he was later pronounced dead.

The vehicle that hit Pumphery left the scene.

One lane on southbound SR-125, north of Jamacha Blvd., was closed for several hours due to the collision.

Credits