From the driver’s seat, Donnie Sechrest has seen it all.

He’s witnessed horrific accidents that killed nearly all the passengers. He’s seen accident victims crawl away unscathed from twisted metal and damaged cargo.

From the seat of his giant green wrecker, he’s seen a lot of life and death, but working at the family business since he could walk is all he’s known.

“I could turn a wrecker around when I was 7 or 8 years old,” he said, sitting atop a bench inside the waiting area at Sechrest’s Garage in Williamstown.

Sechrest got the towing bug from his father, Ray Sechrest. Ray worked in a garage on U.S. 25 owned by Dewey Pettit and eventually bought Pettit out in 1945.

For nearly 60 years, Donnie has spent five and a half days a week, at the Williamstown landmark that’s hard to miss – first, with its rock building, which has since been replaced by a newer, larger metal building in shades of green.

Sechrest’s employs a dozen people.

“This is all I’ve ever done,” he said, smiling.

Sechrest’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“I’ve never seen a

situation that he couldn’t handle,” said Williamstown Police Chief Al Rich.

Rich and Secrest have been good friends for many years.

That sense of community and professionalism is the reason that Rich nominated him for the Order of Towmen Award from American Towman Magazine.

“I nominated him because of his knowledge of the business. He’s been good to the community, keeping the family business going and he’s been good to law enforcement,” Rich said.

The Cross of the Order, a Maltese cross with a unique towing icon sculpted inside is awarded to a towing professional for his/her dedication to the towing trade and the community they serve.

“The extreme professionalism shown by Sechrest Garage in performing accident-related tows” was recognized in November 2011 in Baltimore, Md. during the American Towman Exposition.

Sechrest has done it all. Towed in broken down vehicles, assisted in pulling large tractor-trailer trucks up an embankment after they had tumbled off the roadway.

He’s helped stranded motorists far from home.

“Basically, I just try to

treat people like I want to be treated,” he said.

He’ll turn 71 this month and when he thinks about slowing down, it sounds good, but doesn’t know what he’d do with himself.

“I’d like to slow down but I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of wrecker work and working on cars,” he said. “Come to think of it, I’ve been here a long tim, but I don’t know if I’ll ever quit, if I don’t have to.”

Last winter, Sechrest fell while working on a broken down vehicle. He hit his head causing his brain to swell. He spent several weeks resting in Florida.

When he’s not working, he enjoys NASCAR racing.

He’s traveled to a dozen racetracks and worked a wrecker during races. He’s even been to Japan to work before.

“Last year was the first year that I missed a race at Dayton in probably 25 years,” he said.

He works at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta during racing events. He also enjoys riding his 2007 Screaming Eagle Harley Davidson when he has time.

The rest of his time is spent with his wife, Marsha and daughter, Sabrina Harris, as well as his three grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Sechrest’s son, Brian, died in 1995. It’s a chapter of his life that still hurts as tears filled his eyes when he

talked about Brian’s death.For a man that has spent

his life around mammoth vehicles and equipment, it’s a small black and white dog

named Cricket that makes him smile.

Cricket is a fixture at the garage and eagerly climbed into Sechrest’s lap for a

belly rub.“The award was nice,

but I’m just me and I’ll just keep plugging along,” he said.

GRANT COUNTY NEWS, Thursday, February 23 2012 - 11

Business Matters The Grant County News publishes business-related items free of charge. Send items to: www.grantky.com or e-mail them to: gcneditorial@grantky.com or fax

them to 824-5888 or mail them to: P.O. Box 247, Williamstown, KY 41097

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By Jamie Baker-NantzEditor

Sechrest honored for professionalism, serviceDonnie Sechrest has spent five and a half days a week for nearly 60 years at Sechrest’s Garage, a landmark in Williamstown. Photo by Jamie Baker-Nantz

Cricket has becme a fixture at Sechrest’s Garage in Williamstown for Donnie Sechrest and his wife, Marsha. Photo by Jamie Baker-Nantz

With its wonderful new building and leading-edge technology, the NKU Grant County Center brings

21st century capabilities to Grant County residents. The NKU Grant County Center truly

does bring college closer to home.

Bringing college closer to home

•Classes offered online and via television,

as well as face-to-face

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390 N. Main Street, Williamstown, KY 41097 Phone: (859) 824-3600 • Fax: (859) 824-3625

email: grantcounty@nku.edu • web: http://grantcounty.nku.edu

Open 24 Hours

20 Ferguson Blvd., Dry Ridge, Kentucky 824-0575

TAX HELP AVAILABLE One-Stop offers free help

The One-Stop Office will assist you in filling out and filing your tax forms for free.

Bring your tax information to One-Stop Office in the Grant County Court House in Williamstown from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays in 2012 by appointment only. The dates are as fol-lows

• Feb. 22, 29• March 7, 14, 21, 28 • April 4 and 11 Call 859-491-8303 extension 2223 for a personalized appoint-

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trained and certified volunteers.Bring: • Valid picture ID• W2’s, 1099’s, 1098’s, Social Security statement and the

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• Social Security Card(s) for you, your spouse, children and any others shown on the return.

• 2010 federal tax return