A local towing community is grieving after a longtime tow truck driver and business owner was killed on the job Monday in Highlands County.
Florida Highway Patrol says 53-year-old Ken Sposato of LaBelle was standing on the northbound shoulder of U.S. 27, helping a stranded driver, when another vehicle veered off the roadway and struck him. The crash happened just north of Ragan Avenue.
Sposato owned Cape Coral Towing & Recovery and Stonewall Towing in LaBelle. He had decades of experience in the field and was known for going above and beyond to help others.
“He was just a young guy just dreaming about getting a tow truck and so he did,” said Mike Dowling, a close friend and fellow tow truck driver who rushed to the scene after getting the devastating call. “He's got a great family and a little eight-year-old boy who idolizes him... Senseless, he's gone and senseless."
Troopers say the driver of the vehicle that hit Sposato veered off the outside lane and onto the shoulder, sideswiping Sposato.
The crash is still under investigation, but the incident has sparked a renewed plea from those in the industry for drivers to slow down and move over when they see flashing lights.
Dowling and others are urging lawmakers to enhance protections for tow truck operators and make sure more drivers understand Florida’s Move Over Law — a law that requires drivers to shift lanes or slow down when approaching stopped emergency vehicles.
“It was a senseless act,” Dowling said. "I would like to see some awareness and see some people actually do something about it, instead of just talking about it and putting posts on Facebook in some way, more needs to happen."
Friends say Sposato’s impact on the community stretched far beyond the side of the road. He recently wrote a letter advocating for stronger protections for tow operators, hoping to encourage drivers to serve the unsung heroes who serve them.
“He was one of the good guys who always looked out for everyone else before himself,” Dowling said. “He'd get a shirt off his back, always."
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