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Tow truck drivers in Utah help however they can during storm

Posted at 5:58 PM, Feb 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-20 08:41:46-05

MURRAY, Utah - Utah has been waiting a while for the snow storm that blew through Sunday night, but it made for a difficult Monday morning commute.

As cars crashed and slid off the road, police and tow truck drivers were making rounds, stopping to help wherever they could.

One of those people was Travis Creager, a driver for Atomic Towing and Snowy Mountain Research and Recovery in Murray.

“We’re out there to help anyone we can,” Creager said.

FOX 13 went on a ride along with Creager late Monday morning, during which he helped two people. One car needed a little push up the on-ramp to the freeway and he stopped traffic for another woman to safely pull over after a truck rear-ended her.

Creager said they charge for an actual tow, but for those who needed a little bit of help, he and his co-workers stop for free.

Police agencies have tow truck drivers on call, ready to assist. Creager got home at 5 a.m., slept for three hours, and was called out again when a woman collided head-on with another car after losing control of her vehicle.

On his way into work from Sandy, he saw a serious accident.

"There was a semi that jackknifed and then shoved another truck up against the cement barrier," Creager said. "So those are the ones that we really don’t like to see. Not that we like to see anything, but those ones are probably the worst ones.”

He said on this job, you need to have a thick skin.

“When I first started with this company… when they interview you they tell you-you will be going to a fatality. It could be tomorrow. It could be three months, could be a year, but you will be going on one,” he said.

For 10 years, Creager has worked in the industry, starting as a repossession agent. He is not always a face people want to see, but on a snowy day, he may be just the help someone needs, and he said he is glad to be there.

“This is like my day off," he said. "You’re relaxed. Get to help people, and I do this all for free. Out here driving the truck for free right now and I don’t mind it. I like it.”