Maryland State Police say they’ve located the SUV involved in last Wednesday’s fatal hit-and-run of a tow-truck driver in Temple Hills.
According to police, the vehicle is a white 2004 Cadillac Escalade. They found it at Maryland Route 3 and Route 175 in Gambrills in Anne Arundel County.
Authorities are still working to identify the driver.
The victim of the hit-and-run was identified Friday as tow-truck driver David Reinerio Pineda Alvarez, 63, of D.C. He was assisting a motorist with a flat tire on the shoulder of the road.
Alvarez was out of his tow truck when another driver struck the disabled vehicle on the driver-side mirror before hitting Alvarez and possibly the tow truck, state police said. He died at the scene.
Investigators said the tow truck had its flashing yellow lights on, and both the truck and the disabled vehicle were on the shoulder of the road.
AAA Mid-Atlantic said in a statement Thursday that the tow truck operator was contracted by AAA and that he was helping out a member that night.
“This tragic death highlights the dangers roadside workers face on the job daily and distinctly illustrates why ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ laws are critical to safety,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Ragina Cooper Ali in the statement. “To ensure safety, the best thing drivers can do is move over and away from vehicles and people on the side of the road.”
State police also are reminding drivers of Maryland’s “Move Over” laws, which are meant to ensure an extra barrier of safety for service crews and first responders on roads. A violation of the law is a misdemeanor that includes increasing fines depending on the seriousness of the violation.
Anyone with information about this deadly crash can call state police’s Forestville Barrack at (301) 568-8101.
WTOP’s Teta Alim contributed to this report.
