Wreck raises Safe Clear questions

A deadly accident on the East Loop involving a Safe Clear wrecker yesterday has drawn criticism of the city's mandatory towing program and calls for investigations of all drivers in city programs.

"We need a thorough investigation of not only this driver but all drivers who are involved in city programs who are then involved in accidents," said Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, a critic of Mayor Bill White's mandatory freeway towing program, which cost the city $3 million in its first year. "If they're not acting responsibly, we have to take the appropriate action."

Christopher Flowers was killed when a wrecker from T&T Motors slammed into the back of his Honda just before 1 p.m. Wednesday. Witnesses said the wrecker driver was speeding northbound on the freeway and didn't appear to slow down as he came to a traffic jam Flowers was in back of. The impact pushed Flowers's car into a box truck that then crashed into an 18-wheeler (KPRC said Flowers's car was pushed under the 18-wheeler, but no one else did). Flowers was the only fatality; the wrecker driver hit his head on the windshield and was taken to Ben Taub.

As unfortunate as the accident was, we don't think Safe Clear is to blame — after all, we see wrecker drivers speeding and driving erratically often. Houstonist is no city planner, but we think things are better now than they were before Safe Clear, when dozens of wreckers would race to an accident scene. Now that could be dangerous.