Towing Industry Honors Fallen Tow Operators

Ceremony was held at International Towing & Recovery Museum in Chattanooga, TN

CHATTANOOGA, TN, UNITED STATES, November 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ​​Tow operators have a high fatality rate, and for that reason the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum each year honors towing and road service operators who have died in the line of service during a special ceremony at the Wall of the Fallen Memorial in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Unfortunately, many nameplates are placed on the memorial each year, and 2025 was no different. At the Towing Museum's ninth annual Wall of the Fallen Name Unveiling Ceremony held in October another 19 names were added – some from as far away as Australia and South Africa, and as young as 17 and as old as 74. The Wall of the Fallen contains the names of over 400 individuals whose lives were tragically struck down.

The Wall of the Fallen was dedicated in 2006 with the aim of raising awareness of the dangers faced by workers by the roadside in the towing and recovery industry. Motor vehicle towing industry workers face an on-the-job fatality risk nearly 15 times greater than workers in all other private industries, according the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

The Name Unveiling Ceremony is an emotionally moving event for families and co-workers, providing public recognition of towing operators and employees whose lives were cut short. Most of the 2025 honorees were struck down in 2024 and 2025, but a few are from earlier years, with one from 1966. Here is the list of 2025 honorees.

RICHARD BARROWS, 38, CALIFORNIA – Richard Barrows was assisting a stranded motorist on the highway when an approaching vehicle did not slow down and move over and crashed into the vehicle he was servicing, which struck him.

BRYAN RAY BIGGS, SR., 37, OHIO – Bryan Biggs was a tow operator who also worked repossession on his off days. He went to repo a vehicle and the debtor opened fire, hitting Briggs, who died at the scene.

TERRY BLUM, 67, FLORIDA – Terry Blum worked as a Road Ranger and was assisting a disabled motorist on the shoulder of an interstate when a drunk driver failed to slow down and move over and struck Blum, killing him instantly.

SHAWN ALAN BODIFORD, 44, FLORIDA – Shawn Bodiford was working at an accident scene on the shoulder of an interstate when an approaching vehicle struck a highway patrol vehicle, which hit and killed Bodiford.

GRAEME LESLEY BROWN, 75, MIDVALE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA – Graeme Lesley Brown was handling a tow of a garbage truck on the highway when he lost control of the heavy-duty tow truck, which left the roadway and rolled. He passed at the scene.

CHRISTIAN MATTHEW BURT, 50, ESTEVAN, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA – Christian Burt was operating his flatbed tow truck on the highway when something happened as he drove that caused him to lose control and crash into a semi tractor and trailer. He passed at a hospital.

TROY LEE CALDWELL, 54, KENTUCKY – Troy Caldwell was loading a disabled vehicle on his flatbed on the shoulder of an interstate and as a truck approached it did not slow down and move over as required, striking and killing him. The truck driver was watching YouTube videos.

MICHAEL ROBERT CURRY, 17, CALIFORNIA – Michael Curry was working between two vehicles on a freeway when an approaching drunk driver sideswiped a patrol car, crashed into the sports car he was loading and crushed him. Curry died from his injuries at a hospital.

RICO K. FUNCHESS,, 50, MISSISSIPPI – Rico Funchess was driving his tow truck and as he proceeded down the road a distracted driver crossed into his lane and hit his truck head-on.

DAVID CONRAD HOLZ, 57, TEXAS – David Holz was loading a car onto his tow truck on the shoulder of an interstate and approaching vehicle failed to slow down and move over, striking and killing Holz. The driver fled the scene.

HOWARD CHARLES HUSBAND, 68, MARYLAND – Howard Husband was helping a driver secure the hood of her vehicle and, while underneath the car, the driver suddenly put the vehicle in gear and drove over him repeatedly. Howard survived for three years but eventually succumbed to his injuries.

RICHARD KENDA, 41, FLORIDA – Richard Kenda was working assisting a motorist with a stalled vehicle on the highway when he was struck by a sedan that crashed under the flatbed of his truck. He died in 1966.

MOSES B. KING, 44, GEORGIA – Moses King worked as a Georgia Department of Transportation HERO Responder and one day, while setting flares at an accident scene, an intoxicated motorist struck Moses, who died from injuries at a hospital.

MARK LLEWELLYN, 60, VIRGINIA – Mark Llewellyn was called to tow a loaded dump truck and while under the disabled truck to remove the driveshaft the drop axles came down on him.

WILLIE McPHERSON, 32, NORTH CAROLINA – Willie McPherson was operating a wrecker on a county road and while she was still in her wrecker the shoulder of the road gave way, flipping the wrecker. McPherson died from her injuries.

JOSE PARRA, 28, FLORIDA – Jose Parra was working as a road ranger at the scene of a highway accident and an intoxicated driver hit one of the vehicles, causing a chain reaction with two highway patrol cruisers, one of which struck and killed Parra.

KAVISH RAMNARAYAN, 31, PIETERMARTIZBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Kavish Ramnarayan was responding to an overturned tanker accident when a second semi-truck crashed and overturned, hitting and killing Ramnarayan and another responder.

RICHARD A. RODRIGUEZ, 32, NEW YORK – Richard Rodriguez was trying to load a vehicle with a damaged wheel onto his tow truck and while doing so another car struck Rodriguez.

KENNETH SPOSATO, 53, FLORIDA – Kenneth Sposato was checking his load securement on the shoulder of a highway and was struck and killed by another motorist who didn't observe the state's Move Over law.

For more information about the Towing Museum's Wall of the Fallen, visit towingmuseum.com

Jeffrey Godwin
International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum
+1 423-267-3132
jeffrey@towingmuseum.com
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