Larry Jackson wants to put a human face – Ernie Semkiw‘s face – to a new rule requiring drivers to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles.
As of Monday, B.C. motorists must brake to 70 km/h on highways where the speed limit is 80 or higher and to 40 km/h on urban roads when they pass a stopped police cruiser, fire truck, ambulance, tow truck or other emergency vehicle that has lights flashing.
If two lanes are available, drivers must move to the lane farthest from the emergency vehicle.
On Dec. 13, 2006, Jackson‘s car broke down on Highway 97 south of Vernon. When Semkiw of Vernon Towing came to the rescue, a passing U-Haul moving van struck and killed him.
“I like to call it Ernie‘s Law in memory of the tow-truck driver who gave his life assisting me,” said Jackson, Interior executive director for the B.C. Ambulance Service who was just steps away when the van killed Semkiw, 50.
“I attempted to resuscitate Ernie while waiting for the police and ambulance. Following that tragedy, I wanted to do something in memory of Ernie and to increase awareness for our paramedics, other tow-truck drivers, police and firemen who are at the scenes of accidents continuously.”
Jackson told then-Okanagan-Vernon MLA Tom Christensen and deputy solicitor general David Mohart what happened and suggested B.C. join other provinces that have “slow down, move over” regulations.
“These people (emergency workers) have families and we all have a part to play in ensuring they come home safely at night.”
The B.C. Ambulance Service responds to more than 100,000 calls in the Interior every year, 10 per cent of them vehicle crashes, Jackson said.
He promised Semkiw‘s widow, Lynn, he‘d see the law through to its enactment. She‘s struggling to carry on and the death was tough for their son and grandchildren, he said. Now that it‘s in effect, he‘s happy for the family.
“If it could bring some peace and recognition of the public service that Ernie
provided, and if it makes the highway safer for those working in emergency services, something good came out of it.”
Vernon Towing‘s Keith MacLachlan also lobbied provincial officials for the law and got support from the B.C. Automobile Association and Automotive Retailers Association.
Semkiw was inducted into the Wall of the Fallen at the International Towing Hall of Fame and Recovery Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn., last year. MacLachlan sent Lynn to the induction ceremony where 65 drivers killed in the past year were honoured.
Semkiw was “a consummate professional at what he did, very meticulous, proud of what he did as a professional, enjoyed helping people and is certainly missed around here,” Jackson said.
As of Monday, B.C. motorists must brake to 70 km/h on highways where the speed limit is 80 or higher and to 40 km/h on urban roads when they pass a stopped police cruiser, fire truck, ambulance, tow truck or other emergency vehicle that has lights flashing.
If two lanes are available, drivers must move to the lane farthest from the emergency vehicle.
On Dec. 13, 2006, Jackson‘s car broke down on Highway 97 south of Vernon. When Semkiw of Vernon Towing came to the rescue, a passing U-Haul moving van struck and killed him.
“I like to call it Ernie‘s Law in memory of the tow-truck driver who gave his life assisting me,” said Jackson, Interior executive director for the B.C. Ambulance Service who was just steps away when the van killed Semkiw, 50.
“I attempted to resuscitate Ernie while waiting for the police and ambulance. Following that tragedy, I wanted to do something in memory of Ernie and to increase awareness for our paramedics, other tow-truck drivers, police and firemen who are at the scenes of accidents continuously.”
Jackson told then-Okanagan-Vernon MLA Tom Christensen and deputy solicitor general David Mohart what happened and suggested B.C. join other provinces that have “slow down, move over” regulations.
“These people (emergency workers) have families and we all have a part to play in ensuring they come home safely at night.”
The B.C. Ambulance Service responds to more than 100,000 calls in the Interior every year, 10 per cent of them vehicle crashes, Jackson said.
He promised Semkiw‘s widow, Lynn, he‘d see the law through to its enactment. She‘s struggling to carry on and the death was tough for their son and grandchildren, he said. Now that it‘s in effect, he‘s happy for the family.
“If it could bring some peace and recognition of the public service that Ernie
provided, and if it makes the highway safer for those working in emergency services, something good came out of it.”
Vernon Towing‘s Keith MacLachlan also lobbied provincial officials for the law and got support from the B.C. Automobile Association and Automotive Retailers Association.
Semkiw was inducted into the Wall of the Fallen at the International Towing Hall of Fame and Recovery Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn., last year. MacLachlan sent Lynn to the induction ceremony where 65 drivers killed in the past year were honoured.
Semkiw was “a consummate professional at what he did, very meticulous, proud of what he did as a professional, enjoyed helping people and is certainly missed around here,” Jackson said.
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