SKYKOMISH, Wash. — A man is recovering with serious injuries after being pinned under a cement truck in Skykomish on Wednesday.
It was a team effort between multiple fire departments and a local towing company to save him from being crushed under thousands of pounds of pressure.
Crews say they couldn’t drive off the man or else it would’ve caused more damage.
“When it’s out of their ability to pick up, they just phone us up and we just go en route,” said Todd Peterson, President of Dick’s Towing Inc.
Todd and his brother, Troy, got the call from authorities and immediately made the 55-mile trip from Everett to Skykomish. Washington State Patrol escorted them down Highway 2.
In the meantime, firefighters used struts to stabilize the loaded cement truck.
But once the Petersons arrived, they say their best rotator was put to work.
“We reached out 30 feet from the other driveway so that we could get next to the truck and just pick the back. You rig the back and work with the fire department and just pick it up about a foot off the ground so they can get the guy out,” said Troy Peterson, Vice President of Dick’s Towing Inc.
A two-hour nightmare was over in just 10 minutes after they arrived.
Fire officials say the cement truck operator was taken to Providence Regional Medical Center with serious injuries to his legs.
The Peterson told KIRO 7 they’ve trained for these types of emergencies.
“The last 20 years, we’ve trained with the Snohomish County, King County, and Skagit County fire departments, just for this reason,” Todd explained.
They say it helps strengthen their relationship with emergency responders.
“They know you’re the same guy that they dealt with this at the training, so they know what you can do, and you’ve already seen what you can do, so they don’t have to question,” Troy said.
The Petersons say lifting trucks is part of the job, but sometimes it also means saving lives.
“We’re second-generation to this business and our dad started the business and this is all we’ve ever done, you know? So, I mean, it makes us proud of what we do,” Todd said.
©2025 Cox Media Group
