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Tow Truck Driver's Mom Worried About His Career

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The mother of a tow truck driver who was killed while he was working at a crash scene over the weekend told CBS4 she's having trouble understanding why the driver who struck him didn't slow down.

Offials with the Colorado State Patrol said charges are pending against said Dana Beales, 61, of Fort Lupton, who was behind the wheel of the car that hit Martin Braden, of Aurora. The crash happened on Saturday in southern Weld County just north of Brighton at Highway 85 and Weld County Road 6.

Tow Truck Driver Killed Map
(credit: CBS)

Braden had been called to the scene of a small accident and was sweeping debris from the crash off the closed off part of the roadway when the pickup troopers say was driven by Beales plowed into a Colorado State Patrol cruiser that had its lights flashing and then struck Braden.

A trooper was hurt and airlifted to the hospital and released a few hours later.

It's likely Beales will face a distracted driving charge.

"I couldn't believe that you could not see a highway patrol car and a big tow truck with a vehicle on it and do that. I just couldn't see how you could not see it," said Adams County resident Bonnie Braden.

Bonnie said her son "loved life" and loved his career, but she said she was always nervous when he went to work.

"He never left without giving me a hug and saying me he loved me. And he said 'I'll talk to you later mom,' and I said 'Okay,' " said Bonnie.

Bonnie said she had been waiting for her son to show up at her house on Saturday.

"He got that call for the accident so he didn't make it," Bonnie said.

Bonnie knows telling her story won't change what happened to her family, but she says she hopes the news of her loss will someday keep someone else safe.

"I just hope that people take into consideration the hurt that it causes when you don't pay attention to what you're doing. That's all," she said.

Colorado does have a Move Over law that requires drivers to move over when they see flashing lights on emergency vehicles or maintenance vehicles, including tow trucks.

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