Tow Truck Driver Killed In 5-Vehicle Crash On 495 in Andover
ANDOVER (CBS) - A tow truck driver was killed in a chaotic five-vehicle pileup on Route 495 in Andover late Wednesday night.
State Police said it started with a two-car crash in the southbound lanes just before 11 p.m. A short time later, a tow truck arrived and began loading one of the cars onto his flatbed.
That's when police say a Pontiac G6 hit a BMW that was parked in the breakdown lane. The Pontiac then went on to hit the tow truck and its driver, who was standing next to it. The Pontiac was then hit by a Hyundai Santa Fe.
The tow truck driver, 41-year-old Daniel Coady from North Andover, was rushed to Saint's Memorial Hospital in Lowell where he died.
Another tow truck operator, a 44-year-old man from Lawrence, was on top of the flatbed at the time of the crash. He fell when the Pontiac hit the truck. He was taken to Lowell General Hospital with minor injuries.
The Pontiac driver, a 28-year-old woman from Lawrence, was also taken to Lowell General, where's she's being treated for serious injuries.
No other names have been released.
Steven Contarino, a close family friend of the driver who was killed told WBZ-TV's Anna Meiler Thursday, he "died doing what he loved."
"Everyday people go about their businesses and sometimes you forget about the police, and fire, and tow truck drivers, and EMS, I mean, you forget that. When something like this happens, it's time to say we remember," Contarino said.
No charges have been filed at this point in the investigation. Route 495 south was shut down for two-and-a-half hours for the probe and cleanup.
Coady had been a driver with Coady's Towing for 25 years.
"He was a husband and father to his loving wife and sons. Our hearts are filled with sorrow by his loss. We ask for some privacy during these extremely trying times," Frank Coady said in a statement.
A tragedy like this also touches other truck drivers in the business. At Achin's Garage in North Attleboro, drivers depend on flashing lights and bright clothes.
"If you can't move over, just slow down," said Sarah Achin of Achin's Garage. "I know everybody is in a rush to get somewhere and I understand that, but there is somebody that they want to get home to too."
