A tow-truck driver in Utah is accused of killing a CEO of an outdoor equipment company and his 16-year-old daughter after failing to safely secure a bulldozer the driver was hauling on his flatbed trailer, which rolled over while he was going around a curve and crushed the pair to death, according to officials.
“The vehicle was negotiating a right-hand curve when the bulldozer broke free, sliding off the driver’s side,” the Utah Highway Patrol wrote in its report on the July 6 incident. The crash happened on SR-39, a two-lane route that runs through the scenic Ogden Canyon.
“A GMC pickup was traveling westbound towing a boat,” UHP officials said, in reference to victims Richard Hendrickson and his daughter Sally Hendrickson. “The bulldozer landed on the GMC pickup. The adult male driver and one juvenile female passenger were pronounced dead on the scene. Two other adult passengers were transported with non-life-threatening injuries.”
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Charging documents for Michael John Love, 52, outline how he allegedly failed to secure the bulldozer in a proper and safe manner, causing the crash that day in Ogden Canyon, per NBC affiliate KSL.
“The bulldozer landed on top of the passenger compartment of the victim-vehicle, crushing and killing” the Hendricksons, according to Weber County prosecutors.
While the incident unfolded on July 6, Love wasn’t arrested until late last month, with his charges first being reported this week. He allegedly agreed to talk with investigators at Utah Highway Patrol after the crash and claimed “he never left his travel lane, and that the victim’s vehicle left the west bound lane and struck him,” according to prosecutors.
Love allegedly insisted that the bulldozer he was hauling was secured properly, telling investigators that he put chains at four points of contact — “two [on] the back, ‘two on the front, and ‘one over the bucket,” per the charging documents. He also alleged that he used a “J hook from the tow chain on the dozer and a chain over the bucket, for a total of six restraints.”
Describing what may have caused the bulldozer to topple, prosecutors say Love believed it was “too heavy” at 22,000 pounds, and too tall. “It’s the height that gets you,” he allegedly told investigators, “admitting that the height of the bed on the vehicle and the weight of the dozer made it unstable.”
When emergency crews arrived on scene, Love — owner of Love Towing out of Marriott-Slaterville, Utah — was found “moving chains” and messing with things near the storage compartment of the flatbed, according to prosecutors. He was ordered to “leave everything where it is,” with police reporting that he allegedly placed chains where they should have been in order to keep the bulldozer in place.
Surveillance video from a gas station that Love visited allegedly shows that the bulldozer he was hauling was not properly chained down. Investigators said it was “clearly visible” that Love had been lying about everything after watching the footage.
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“The video clearly shows that there is only one hook secured to the front of the dozer, which is the ‘winch cable’ attached and does not legally count as a secure attachment,” prosecutors charge. “On the back and middle of the dozer is a single chain to the bed of the truck.”
Authorities say “some of Michael Love’s first actions after the crash were to attempt to place more chains into the scene to indicate that [the] bulldozer was secured properly,” ultimately showing that he “knew the bulldozer was not properly secured,” according to his charging documents.
Love has been charged with felony manslaughter in the second degree, felony aggravated assault and felony obstruction of justice. He is being held without bail as he also has two pending felony cases for theft and “false evidence of title.”
Hendrickson, the CEO of the Utah-based company Lifetime Products, was active on social media both as a father and business leader, posting regularly about his job and family life, including his daughter.
“Richard was a visionary leader and a compassionate mentor, whose dedication and passion inspired us all,” wrote Lifetime Products in a statement. “Sally’s bright spirit and kindness touched everyone who knew her. During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with their family and loved ones.”
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