Ron and Sons Towing

06/03/2026

Happy Heavenly Birthday, DJ 💛🖤

Today hurts in a way that words will never fully be able to explain. Your birthday should look so different. We should be celebrating with you here, laughing with you, taking pictures with you, giving you a hard time, making memories, and reminding you how loved you are. Instead, we are celebrating you from down here, trying to find comfort in the memories you left behind and trying to hold ourselves together on a day that reminds us just how unfair this all is.

DJ, you were so much more than a tow operator. You were so much more than an employee. You were family. You were a son, a friend, a brother to so many, and someone who left a mark on every single person lucky enough to know you. You had a heart that people do not come across often. You had a way of making people laugh, showing up, and being someone others could count on. Your absence is felt in the shop, on the road, at every event, and in every moment where we stop and think, “DJ should be here.”

It is still so hard to understand how someone with so much life left to live could be taken so suddenly. You had so many more birthdays to celebrate, so many more memories to make, and so many more people to impact. That is what makes days like today so painful. We are not just grieving who we lost. We are grieving all the moments you deserved to have.

But even through the pain, we will continue to honor you. We will continue to say your name. We will continue to tell your story. We will continue to fight for change, for awareness, and for every roadside worker who deserves to make it home. Your life mattered. Your work mattered. Your story matters. And we will never let the world forget that.

Today, we celebrate you, DJ. We celebrate your life, your heart, your laugh, your loyalty, your impact, and the love that still surrounds your name. We miss you more than words could ever explain, and we love you beyond measure.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, DJ. Forever 24. Forever our brother. Forever our highway hero. We will forever drag the chains from here. 💛🖤

05/15/2026

Here is a dash cam video from the side of Route 80 showing one of our service operators working a service call alongside NJDOT and New Jersey State Police.

Even with emergency lights everywhere, flares out, and first responders standing on the shoulder, there were still drivers in the lane directly next to them who were not moving over.

Yes, traffic was moving slowly.
But that does not change the law or the danger.

When people stay in the lane closest to an active roadside scene, it leaves almost no room for the men and women outside of those vehicles doing their jobs. One distracted driver, one sudden drift, one person looking at their phone for two seconds, and lives can change forever.

Tow companies, service operators, DOT/roadside workers, police officers, EMS, and firefighters deserve to go home safely at the end of every shift.

After losing DJ, seeing people continue to ignore Move Over laws is heartbreaking. This is exactly why these laws exist. Not because it’s convenient, but because roadside workers are put in danger every single day.

If you see flashing lights:
Move over if you can.
Slow down if you cannot.
Pay attention.
Give roadside workers the space they deserve.

It takes seconds to move over.
It takes a lifetime to live with what happens when someone doesn’t.

05/07/2026

We are still looking for more light duty drivers to fill positions in both of our locations. Please reach out through messenger or 8624192008(text only). Pay depends on experience. We are willing to train the right person as well. We are looking for asap.

05/07/2026

NJ man charged in death of tow truck driver hit while aiding vehicle

(Source: USA TODAY) See link below ⬇️

📸 Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com-USA Today Network

05/06/2026

🚨 JUSTICE FOR DJ 🚨

Charges have officially been filed in connection with the death of Daniel “DJ” Ortiz, a 24-year-old tow truck operator with Ron and Sons Towing who was killed while assisting a disabled motorist on Route 287 in Harding Township.

According to investigators, DJ was working on the shoulder of the highway when he was struck by a Jeep Cherokee. He was not standing in a travel lane. He was not acting recklessly. He was simply doing the job he was called to do — helping someone in need on the side of the road.

This is the exact reason New Jersey’s Move Over Law and Eileen’s Law exist.

Tow truck operators, police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, utility crews, and roadside workers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect and assist others. The least drivers can do is slow down, stay alert, and move over when approaching emergency lights on the roadway.

Authorities announced that Pierre Innocent, 54, of Orange, has been charged with second degree Reckless Vehicular Homicide in connection with the July 2, 2025 crash.

DJ was only 24 years old. He had family, friends, coworkers, and an entire community that cared deeply about him. His loss continues to leave a devastating impact on everyone who knew him.

This case is about more than one tragic crash.
It is about accountability.
It is about roadway safety.
And it is about making sure roadside workers make it home to their families at the end of their shift.

Please remember:
⚠️ Slow down.
⚠️ Move over.
⚠️ Pay attention behind the wheel.

A single careless decision can change lives forever.

Our thoughts remain with DJ’s loved ones, his coworkers at Ron and Sons Towing, and everyone affected by this heartbreaking tragedy. 💙

05/06/2026

Today, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges in connection with the death of Daniel “DJ” Ortiz.

Let this sink in.

DJ was not in the travel lane.
DJ was not doing anything reckless.
DJ was doing his job on the shoulder of Route 287, helping a disabled motorist, exactly the kind of person every one of us hopes arrives when we are stranded, scared, or in danger.

And in a matter of seconds, his life was taken.

The investigation revealed that the Jeep Cherokee struck DJ in the shoulder of the roadway. The shoulder. The one place tow operators, first responders, construction workers, and emergency personnel are supposed to have some measure of protection under New Jersey’s Move Over Law and Eileen’s Law.

This was not an unavoidable tragedy.
This was preventable.

Every single driver knows the shoulder is dangerous. Every single driver knows that when emergency lights are flashing, you slow down and move over. That law exists because people like DJ are out there risking their lives for strangers every single day.

DJ was only 24 years old.
He had a future.
He had family who loved him.
Friends who counted on him.
Coworkers who stood beside him.
A life that mattered.

Now there is an empty seat where DJ should be.
Phone calls that will never come.
Birthdays that will never feel complete.
A family forced to live every day with a pain that should have never existed.

is bigger than one case.
It is about accountability.
It is about protecting roadside workers.
It is about making people understand that reckless decisions behind the wheel destroy lives forever.

No family should ever have to bury someone because another driver chose convenience over caution.

Slow down.
Move over.
Pay attention.
Because DJ should still be here.

Authorities Announce Charges in Route 287 Crash that Killed Tow Truck Driver

May 6, 2026
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Harding Township Police Chief Michael R. Gromek announce charges have been filed in connection with a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred on Route 287 South on July 2, 2025.

On the afternoon of July 2, 2025, the New Jersey State Police responded to the scene of a motor vehicle crash that had occurred on Route 287 South, mile marker 31.4 in Harding. The preliminary investigation revealed a tow truck had pulled over on the shoulder to assist a disabled vehicle. At that time, the operator and tow truck were struck by a 2019 Jeep Cherokee, which proceeded to roll over and came to rest on its roof. The tow truck operator and Jeep driver were taken to an area hospital for treatment. The investigation has revealed that the Jeep Cherokee struck the victim in the shoulder of the roadway.

The operator of the tow truck, Daniel “DJ” Ortiz, 24, of Hopatcong, succumbed to his injuries.

The driver of the Jeep Cherokee, Pierre Innocent, age 54, of Orange, has been charged with second degree Reckless Vehicular Homicide, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-5a. Under Eileen’s Law, enacted in 2018, failure to maintain a lane of travel may give rise to an inference that an individual was driving recklessly under the Vehicular Homicide statute.

The defendant has been released under pre-trial supervision level two with the following conditions: defendant shall surrender passport & sign waiver of extradition; defendant shall not operate a motor vehicle during the period of pretrial release; and defendant shall have no contact with victim’s next-of-kin.

The investigation was conducted by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and NJSP Fatal Accident Investigation Unit.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family, friends and co-workers. We remind the public that slowing down and moving over when approaching emergency vehicles on the roadway can save lives.”

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, this defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

01/22/2026

💛⛓️🖤 FOR DJ. FOR HIS LEGACY. FOR JUSTICE. 🖤⛓️💛

has partnered with Paper Street Print Co to create another benefit store dedicated to honoring DJ and keeping his memory alive.

DJ was more than a name.
He was a light, a protector, a friend, a son, and a hero who deserved to come home.
This store is about love, remembrance, and refusing to let his story fade.

15% of every purchase will be donated directly to the Foundation, helping us continue the fight for awareness, accountability, and change while carrying DJ’s legacy forward.

When you wear this, you’re not just wearing apparel.
You’re carrying his name.
You’re standing with his family at home and at Ron & Son’s.
You’re reminding the world that DJ mattered and always will.

Thank you for standing with us, for sharing, for supporting, and for continuing to carry the chains for DJ.

💛⛓️🖤 Shop here:
https://paperstreetprintco.com/collections/justicefordj

Tow Lives Matter Online Fundraiser courtesy of Paper Street Print Co, Blairstown, NJ. All proceeds go directly to the Foundation.