Family of tow truck driver killed in hit-and-run asking Texans to be cautious: ‘slow down, move over’

BUCHANAN DAM, Texas (KWTX) - It’s been nearly one month since Patrick Morin was killed in a hit and run accident in Mills county.

“How much time is it going to add to your trip if you just slow down and move over?” Asked Patrick’s wife, Mitzi Morin.

That’s what the Morin family wants to know after their beloved husband and father was killed in a hit and run, on Dec. 10, 2022.

“No one wants to see officers show up at your door. When they did, as best I can recall, my words were ‘this is not good’,” said Mitzi.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Morin was loading a vehicle onto his tow truck along US183 near Goldthwaite when a Toyota Tundra, driven by 38-year-old Kerry Kavanaugh, struck him then failed to stop and render aid.

“By not putting on a seatbelt you’re playing with your own life. When you go by somebody on the side of the road you’re playing with somebody else’s life at that point,” said Patrick’s son Kristopher Morin.

Kristopher and Mitzi don’t think the penalties for such actions are strict enough.

“It just really upsets me that there’s not respect or they’re not following the law. I do see it as a lack of respect for life,” said Mitzi Morin.

Since the accident, groups like the highway angels have given the Morin family an unwavering amount of support.

Now, the family is working to protect the safety of other tow truck drivers as a part of Patrick’s legacy.

“It’s important to honor Patrick by trying to save someone else’s life,” said Mitzi.

Along with Kristopher, Patrick is survived by his daughter, Bethany.

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