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Manmeet Bhullar's death stark reminder of highway dangers

Edmonton tow-truck driver Ryan Lemont knows firsthand how quickly things can turn deadly on Alberta highways.

The untimely death of Manmeet Bhullar is a solemn reminder of inherent risks on the road, Lemont says.

Bhullar, 35, the Progressive Conservative MLA for Calgary-Greenway, was killed Monday by an out-of-control semi-trailer after he pulled over to help a motorist who had lost control on the snowy highway.

"He was doing a Good Samaritan act, and he was doing almost exactly what we do. He was trying to help someone, and trying to pull someone out of the ditch," Lemont said. "It's absolutely tragic."

Lemont, the fleet operations manager for the Alberta Motor Association in Edmonton, says tow-truck drivers put their lives on the line every day, responding to collisions and pulling wrecked vehicles from ditches.

"Any time you step out of your truck, you're putting yourself at risk; it's just one of those inherent things about the job."

The biggest dangers? When people drive too fast or don't move to the other lane when tow trucks are on the side of the road.

Close calls are all too common, Lemont said.

Lemont remembers jumping over a guardrail on Calgary Trail to avoid being hit by an oncoming truck. Just last month a tow-truck driver in Calgary stepped out onto the shoulder of the highway when he was sideswiped by a passing vehicle.

"Lucky for us he wasn't seriously injured, but that hits kind of close to home when you hear about those kind of situations, and that danger is always there, no matter what."

As winter makes for treacherous conditions on Alberta highways, Lemont hopes drivers will remember to slow down and pay attention.

"We hear that message every year but it bears truth: Be safe to not only yourself as the driver, but anybody else that's out there working . . . we want to go home at the end of the day."