The quiet stretch of highway just outside Owensboro turned tragic early Wednesday morning when longtime tow truck operator David Fischer was struck and killed while doing the job he loved—helping stranded drivers.
Authorities say the heartbreaking crash happened shortly before 7 a.m. on March 11 along Interstate 165 near the line between Daviess County, Kentucky and Ohio County, Kentucky. Fischer had pulled over to assist the driver of a disabled semi-truck parked on the shoulder. It was the kind of call he had answered countless times before.
Investigators say Fischer had stepped out of his wrecker and was working beside the disabled truck when a southbound semi suddenly struck him. The impact also hit the tow truck and the stranded vehicle, leaving heavy damage along the roadside. Fischer died at the scene before help could arrive.
The driver of the disabled semi was not injured. Emergency responders from the area rushed to the scene as traffic along the highway slowed and detours were put in place while authorities began piecing together what happened.
Police later located and detained the driver of the semi believed to have struck Fischer. Authorities identified him as Suk Subba, a 31-year-old from Antioch, Tennessee. Investigators say he was later charged with manslaughter, wanton endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury or death, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.
For Fischer’s family, the loss is deeply personal and painfully sudden. Loved ones shared that he had simply been doing what he always did—helping someone in need on the side of the road. They described the moment as every roadside worker’s worst nightmare becoming their family’s reality.
Family members say Fischer had a generous spirit that reached far beyond the highway. He loved animals, especially cats, and spent years rescuing and caring for hundreds of them. Friends say he took enormous pride in his towing work but reserved his greatest devotion for his wife Barbara and their children, Jennifer and Jason.
His death has shaken the local community and renewed calls for drivers to slow down and move over when emergency lights flash along the roadside. For the people who knew him best, Fischer will be remembered not for the tragedy that took his life but for the compassion and dedication he showed every day. In Owensboro, the man many called Uncle David will not soon be forgotten.
