GoFundMe Page Started To Support Family Of Fuel Tanker Driver Clinton Worrell
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore fuel truck driver Clinton Worrell died in an icy crash earlier in the month. But now, a fellow driver from Illinois, who never knew Worrell, has raised more than $14,000 dollars for the deceased driver's family.
"You just never know when your time has come," says Mike Lavelle, a Chicago fuel truck driver who started the online fundraiser.
Like millions of others, Lavelle saw the video of Clinton Worrell Jr.'s tanker careen into the jersey wall on I-95 in southwest Baltimore, then fall over the edge.
"I watched it once, and I just couldn't watch it again," says Lavelle.
"It's one of those things where you know the outcome, and you just don't want to see it again," he says.
He'd never met Worrell, but he knew the dangers of the job, driving for almost 20 years himself, four of them hauling fuel. So from his home in Chicago, where he spoke to WJZ over Skype, Mike Lavelle started an online fundraiser hat has brought in tens of thousands of dollars for Worrell's family, including his seven-year-old daughter.
"It's a fellow fuel hauler, and it's a brother and a sisterhood, and we all kind of look out for each other," says Lavelle.
"For every one negative comment, you have about ten to twenty heartfelt, heart-wrenching posts," he says.
Transportation Authority Police are still investigating the crash, but according to an AP report, MDTA police say the driver, 31-year-old Clinton Worrell, had the required certification to drive the truck, and had the current medical certification.
Co-workers and so many other truckers nationwide have donated money to his family.
"Not that you could ever bring Clinton back, but I hope that it's one less thing that they have to worry about," says Lavelle.
"Just something that they can fall back on, and they can see the support from people around the country," he says.
Lavelle says in tragedies like these family helps family, and that's exactly what he's doing.
Worrell's employer, Carroll Fuel, has validated the fundraising page.
Lavelle writes on the page:
"HI, my name is Mike Lavelle. I drive a fuel truck in Chicago, IL. Like many of you I watched the video of the accident on December 17, 2017 in Baltimore, MD.
I've never met Clinton Worrell. Like many of you know fuel hauling isn't for everyone. That's why it's considered a brotherhood and sisterhood. We are part of the fuel hauling family. To me family helps family. Clinton and I belong to a Facebook group dedicated to fuel haulers. Thru one of the group's members I got in touch with members of Clinton's family.
As a member of the fuel hauling family I thought it would be a nice gesture to help out his family. Which includes a 7 year old daughter durning the holiday season.
Every dollar is greatly appreciated. All of the money is going directly to the family. With the hope of it lighting the burden in their time of need. His sister Shannika has access to the money. I have no access to it at all. It's all for the family.
Thank you for all of your generosity."
To donate to the page CLICK HERE.
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