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It's a somber day at Cash's Garage in Madison Heights; a family-owned business that's now mourning the loss of its owner. Dennis Cash died on the job Monday.
"He loved his family, he loved his business, and he loved his community," said Cash's son Jonathan, holding back tears as he recalled memories of his father Tuesday.
Cash was trying to tow away a truck that crashed on Route 130 Monday morning. Witnesses say another vehicle plowed through the accident scene and pinned Cash against his tow truck. Jonathan and his brother, Matthew, watched in horror as their father's body was dragged across the length of his vehicle.
"I would have never guessed that something like this would have happened where it happened at, and how it happened," Jonathan said.
Cash's death is a wake up call for other tow truck drivers.
"When you're working a wreck, that's when you're most liable to be hurt by somebody else," said George Stanley, owner of Smiley's Towing in Amherst County.
Stanley says accident scenes are a great danger for workers like himself.
"When drivers pass by, sometimes they'll take their eye off the road for a split second to see what's going on, and things happen," Stanley said, adding that he works to stay alert when working at crash sites.
"You have to look things over, because it don't take but one mistake and something really bad can happen," Stanley said.
Witnesses say Cash was doing everything right. He was known for being safety conscious, and even won a statewide award for saving a life at an accident scene years ago.
"My Dad tried his best to help people," said Matthew Cash, adding that he'll remember his father's dedication as he and his brother work to keep the family business going.
"Most father and sons go fishing and hunting, but we did wreckers and we enjoyed it together," Matthew said. "We've got a missing piece right now."
The driver who hit Cash is from Georgia. He's not charged with anything right now, but the Amherst County Commonwealth's Attorney is investigating to see whether a criminal case needs to be opened.