PJ’s Towing helping stuck drivers out of the ditches

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WILX) - Tow drivers had a busy day responding to calls and pulling people out of ditches Friday.

Related: Michigan State Police urge residents to slow down after dozens of crashes

Winter storms brought snow, ice and strong winds to the area, causing power outages and stranded drivers. PJ’s Towing Co. said they received a 48% increase in calls Friday.

Ben Arend said he spent his 10-hour shift getting people out of ditches and responding to crashes.

“I love going out and doing this job, you meet all sorts of different people,” Arend said. “You get to help people from all different walks of life.”

Ardene Jackson got help from Arend when her car got stuck in the snow Friday. She said she was thankful nobody got hurt.

“I really actually thought that we was going to hit the curb and the curb was going to help us but we kept going,” Jackson recalled.

Arend said he wants everyone to be safe on the roads.

“People just don’t pay attention to their surroundings anymore and they drive too fast for the roads,” Arend said. “When you get a snow storm like this, you have to drop your speed a little bit to get to where you got to go safely.”

Jackson said she wants people to take precautions to make sure everyone gets to their destination without any problems.

PJ’s Towing said you should drive at least 15 miles per hour slower than the speed limit based on the road and weather conditions.

It’s state law to move over when you see an emergency vehicle on the road.

Related:

• State Emergency Operations Center activated due to Michigan winter storm
• Michigan plow drivers warn drivers of blowing snow, ice on roads
• List: Snow emergencies across Mid-Michigan
• Winter storm leaves thousands of Michiganders without power

Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning.

Copyright 2022 WILX. All rights reserved.