Ridgeland man charged in hit-and-run that killed Lowcountry tow truck driver in December
State troopers have arrested a Ridgeland resident in a hit-and-run that killed a Lowcountry tow truck operator and Marine veteran in late December. A1 Towing employee Eric “P.K.” Albertson, 39, was fatally struck while assisting a customer on the side of West Frontage Road.
Joshua Jamaal Frazier, 36, was charged Wednesday with fleeing the scene of the fatal hit-and-run. Trooper Nick Pye of the S.C. Highway Patrol could not immediately answer questions about how Frazier was found or whether he turned himself in.
The deadly collision occurred after sundown on Dec. 27, as Albertson helped a disabled motorist about two miles north of Ridgeland town limits. In a plea for information released a few days later, the Highway Patrol described the suspect vehicle as a dark gray Chevrolet Trailblazer from 2002-2009.
At Albertson’s funeral service on Jan. 10, dozens of tow trucks and motorcycles drove down Robert Smalls Parkway as part of the man’s “last ride.” He received full military honors for his 12-year service in the Marines.
Albertson had three children with his wife Samantha and had worked at A1 Towing for three years. Friends, family and others in the industry described him as a loyal employee and an unyielding positive presence.
“He was always happy, down to do business and he didn’t play around,” said Edwin GaNun, the owner of Roadside Angel Towing in Walterboro. GaNun had frequently interacted with Albertson on the job, he told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.
Jasper County court records show Frazier pleaded guilty in 2017 to first-degree burglary and felony assault and battery, receiving a two-week prison sentence followed by five years of probation.
‘Slow down. Move over.’
The employee’s death sparked a local debate on the safety of tow truck drivers, whose jobs become even riskier when motorists flout protocols for stopped emergency vehicles. South Carolina lawmakers passed the “Move-Over Law” in 1996, which requires drivers approaching such vehicles to change lanes in the opposite direction or slow down if a lane change is not possible. Violating those guidelines is considered a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 in fines.
But the owners of A1 Towing say their industry is especially prone to dangerous, disobedient drivers, even with extra lights on their vehicles, neon reflective clothing for operators and monthly staff meetings to focus on employee safety.
“The blue and red lights are synonymous with fire, police and EMS. Everyone has a tendency to respect those,” said Bobby Davids, co-owner of the Ridgeland towing company. “The problem with the orange, yellow and white lights is that folks are used to seeing them on other vehicles, such as in construction zones, and they don’t garner the same level of respect.”
Many at Albertson’s funeral wore custom-made sweatshirts in the man’s honor. Lettering on the back made a plea to drivers encountering stopped tow trucks: “Slow down. Move over. We got the chains from here.”
Frazier was still in custody at the Jasper County Detention Center as of Monday afternoon. The crash remains under investigation by the Highway Patrol.
