Family of tow truck driver killed in Cherokee County crash says he was hit in similar crash before

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A family is mourning the loss of a loved one after he was killed alongside Interstate 575 Thursday afternoon.

According to police, a tow truck driver, Frank Lee Ingram, 48, was responding to a call on the interstate.

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Woodstock police said the crash happened at approximately 1:10 p.m.

The crash shut down lanes between Sixes Road (exit 11) and Ridgeway Parkway (exit 9).

Channel 2′s Michael Doudna was live near the scene on WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. Sadly this is not the first time this family has dealt with this.

The family told Channel 2 Action News that Ingram barely survived a similar crash just a few years ago.

The family was too distraught to speak on camera, but their message was simple: move over and save lives when you see flashing lights.

Ronnie Mayer is a tow truck driver and he says the Ingram family has been in business for decades

“If you called them, they were there for you. If one of the towing services had a problem, they called them,” said Mayer. ”I’m still here, but any day somebody could call my wife and say your husband is on the side of the road dead, it’s very sad.”

Robert Hydrick is with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

“These deaths are 100 percent preventable. They should not be happening,” said Hydrick.

He says preventing deaths like these is why the state has a move-over law, which requires you to either move over a lane or slow down below the speed limit when you see flashing lights.

“The people who are out on the road, they family just like you and I. They want to get home to their families,” he said.

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The crash is still under investigation.

This is the third tow truck driver death this year.

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