Michigan
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Tow truck driver hurt delivering vehicle to Lapeer dealership A tow truck driver is recovering after he was hurt while delivering a vehicle to a Lapeer Dealership. The owner of the towing company tells us a 19-year-old was unloading the vehicle on Tuesday when he was run over as it was coming off of the flatbed. Questions remain about what happened after the accident, and how quickly the driver was able to get care. "It was disbelief," Larry LaCroix said. That's what LaCroix, the owner of Cut Rate Auto Repair, felt when he learned his Tow Truck driver Jacob Budrow was accidentally run over by a car. …
Last reply by GRUMPS The Towman, -
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Tow truck driver urges drivers to follow the law, move over on the road State's expanded 'Move Over' law took effect this year MUSKEGON, Mich. — A West Michigan tow truck driver is reminding those out on the roads to pay attention as road conditions worsen throughout the winter. Joseph Vandermolen, a driver and account manager with ASAP Towing , has been responding to crash scenes for 34 years. In that time, he has seen traffic crashes caused by distracted drivers over and over again. “We’ll be sitting there and we have to squeeze against our trucks so the cars can go by us on the highway to get in our driver's door. I mean,…
Last reply by Moose, -
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Michigan Towers are you seeing more Deer Hits? It is Reported the legal deer kill during firearm season in KY was over 104,000 Indiana over 160,000 Wisconsin over 160,000 Ohio over 76,000. I could not find DNR numbers for Michigan or Illinois. Oh, did you get you a deer or have all of yours been deer hits this year? https://www.wilx.com/content/news/Car-Deer-accidents-up-delaying-repairs-566047671.html
Last reply by Moose, -
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MUSKEGON, Mich. — A West Michigan tow truck driver is getting national recognition for his bravery. On Saturday, Eagle Towing Operations Manager Andrew Heykoop received one of his industries highest honors for his quick response to a scary accident, six years ago. “It was a cold, wintry day and there were a lot of accidents in that area,” Heykoop said. Heykoop was working on US-31 in Muskegon, when a red Chevy truck passed by him, lost control and flipped several times. The scary crash was recorded on his tow truck’s dash cam. “They rolled over multiple times before they went off into the median and j…
Last reply by Moose, -
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Tow truck driver shot person in Flint, police say FLINT, MI – One person was left critically injured after being shot by a tow truck driver Monday afternoon on Flint’s north side, police said. Officers with the Flint Police Department responded along with Michigan State Police and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office for a report of a shooting around 3:15 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2 in the 4100 block of Donnelly Street, between Moore Street and Myrtle Avenue. Flint Interim Police Chief Phil Hart said the incident started as a neighbor dispute. “One neighbor called the tow truck on the other neighbor,” said Hart. When the …
Last reply by yoBdaBenO, -
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CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI —A 51-year-old Clinton Township woman is dead after crashing head on into a tow truck Sunday night. Clinton Township Police said the woman was driving a Chevy Equinox on northbound Groesbeck Highway around 4:30 p.m. Nov. 17 and began to drift left into the southbound lane. That's when she reportedly collided with a tow truck head on as it drove south along the highway. The driver of the tow truck reportedly tried to avoid the crash, but was unable to. He waited at the scene until emergency officials arrived. They found the woman in the Equinox unconscious and extricated her from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the hospit…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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BYRON AJ COLEMAN, October 14, 2019, age 55. Beloved husband of Betsey for 12 1/2 years. Loving son of Shirley and the late Samuel. Dear brother of Shane (Ann). Dearest step father of Austin (Jennie) Chiles and Katie (Jeoff). Cherished uncle of Nathan AJ and Katie. Devoted Papa of Harrison, Nora and Reagan. Byron dedicated the first part of his life to helping build the family Towing and Recovery business. Using his wealth of experience and specialized knowledge he went on to operate at several towing and recovery companies across the US. Throughout his life his family, fellow operators, and friends benefited from his sharp mind, keen wit, and dedication to his craft. …
Last reply by rreschran, -
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Tow truck processional rides through Kalamazoo to honor beloved fellow driver KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Joseph Bird choked up when he talked about his friend Sam Smith. He’d known him for 40 years. They both owned tow truck businesses and always helped each other out, he said. “I know numerous people that called him that didn’t have money for tows. Smitty would go help them out,” Bird said taking a deep breath. “Sorry. I get a little choked up here.” Bird said Smitty, as everyone called him, was always ready to help people out. When he wasn’t in a tow truck, he was in a plow truck. “Smitty he would just light up your day,” said Bir…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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Last ride planned for owner of towing service Coopersville-area residents are encouraged to line the city’s streets late Saturday morning when the family of Ken VanDoorn gives their loved one his last ride in a tow truck. The owner of John’s Towing Services died July 17 after a battle with cancer. He was 55. Lt. Jon Alkema of the Wright-Tallmadge Fire Department said emergency services vehicles from several area departments will join the family in a procession following the funeral at Coopersville High School. The funeral is at 10 a.m. The procession is expected to begin at about 11:30…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit hookah lounge owner is stuck with thousands of dollars worth of damage after a tow truck crashed into his business. Surveillance video captured the collision which happened early Saturday morning. The store owner told a 7 Action News photojournalist a tow truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the Paradise Hookah at 9000 Michigan Avenue near I-94. Police are still investigating the incident. RESOURCE LINK With Video
Last reply by TowNews, -
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Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com Mike Wood, of Budget-Stadium Towing, adds a memorial decal to a tow truck for his colleague Nader Chehadi, of Ypsilanti, who was killed after an SUV crashed into a disabled bus he was assisting on the shoulder of I-94 in Pittsfield Township. Tanya Moutzalias, MLive.com Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com ANN ARBOR, MI – Nader Chehadi will not be forgotten if his colleagues can help it. One year after his death while servicing a disabled school bus on the side of I-94, Chehadi’s coworkers at Ypsilanti’s Budget and Stadium Towing are honoring him with a “Light up the Night” memorial procession. It’s set to roll through the streets o…
Last reply by TowZone, -
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While the people who ride in tow trucks aren’t sworn officers, sometimes they are tasked with keeping people safe, and this was the case for one driver on April 9th when a car overturned on the road. “I immediately wanted to panic,” said truck drive Erin Reed. “My first reaction was to run.” But that was actually the opposite of what she did. Reed was on her way to another call when she saw the overturned vehicle. “It was fresh and it was still kind of smoking and when I pulled up to the vehicle, I can see somebody’s hand on the window. So I jumped out and went around to assist them,” Reed said. While Reed is not an office…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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Five fire departments are at the scene. ORANGE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Crews from five fire departments are battling a large business fire south of Ionia. It’s happening along Grand River Avenue in Orange Township; photos from passersby show the business is Reed & Hoppes Towing & Equipment. There are no reports of injuries. A Reed & Hoppes employee said all workers are accounted for and unharmed. The worker didn’t know what sparked the fire. Ionia County dispatchers say the call came in around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 3. There are no fire hydrants nearby, so crews are going to nearby Portland to fill tanker truc…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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A man was critically injured and traffic was diverted for hours after a crash early Tuesday morning in Allen Park. The incident occurred at about 5 a.m. while the motorist, driving a Chevrolet pickup truck, was traveling east on the I-94 Freeway, at the Southfield ramp. According to Fire Chief Douglas LaFond, a flatbed tow truck had just loaded a disabled vehicle when the motorist struck the tow truck at a high rate of speed. The tow truck driver and the woman who was driving the disabled minivan were not injured. “He ran into the truck and a concrete embankment,” LaFond said. “He was still alive, but was in pretty rough shap…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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An officer was sent to the 900 block of Oak Street at 8:39 p.m. Jan. 27 in response to a caller who said someone took the keys to his 1999 Peterbilt semitruck. He told police he usually starts the tow truck every two hours to keep it warm, because he is on call 24/7. He started his truck and left it unlocked. He went outside at 8:30 p.m. to shut off the truck, but found it wasn’t running and the keys were missing. The resident told police he believes it might have been a neighbor, due to a previous civil dispute over a parking space. The officer spoke with the neighbor, who denied taking the keys. The officer told her if she finds the keys to …
Last reply by TowNews, -
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JACKSON, MI – A 37-year-old Jackson man woke up Friday morning stuck between a storage trailer and a building, unsure of how he got there after a night at the bar, police say. Rescue crews were called at about 9:20 a.m. Friday, Feb. 15, to the 600 block of E. Washington Avenue, where they found the trapped man, Jackson Police Lt. Adam Williams said. Arriving police officers and Jackson firefighters found the man wedged in a gap between an offloaded semitrailer being used as a storage container and a building it was pressed up against, Williams said. Both the man and the rescue crews were unable to determine how the man became stuck where he did, Wi…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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Local TSA agents impacted by the government shutdown received a free meal from two generous men. Bill Giorgis, owner of Mike’s Wrecker, and his friend Tom Roy partnered up to deliver breakfast and lunch for all members of the TSA at MBS International Airport in Saginaw. After seeing how workers were being affected by the shutdown, they wanted to thank them for doing their job despite not being paid. The pair reached out to the community asking for food donations. “People are donating and wanting to help out because they understand the situation. A lot of people don’t realize you gotta buy the esse…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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A 23-year-old Cadillac woman was killed in a crash with a tow truck over the weekend. GREEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A 23-year-old Cadillac woman was killed over the weekend in a crash with a tow truck. According to Michigan State Police, the incident happened around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9 on southbound US-131 near 22 Mile Road. A tow truck driven by a 22-year-old Paris man was going south on US-131 and turning left in the median turn around when a car also going south rear ended the truck, MSP says. The car was driven by 23-year-old Desiree Farve, from Onsted and formerly from Cadillac. Farve's 14-month-old toddlers was also in the …
Last reply by TowNews, -
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Towing company owner makes safety his mission after another driver hit on side of the road (WXYZ) - Dennis Brewer has been in the towing business for more than a half century. He has made it his mission to make sure drivers working on the side of the road are safe. He worked with the legislature on the Move Over Law. Drivers must move over a lane when first responders are on the shoulder. Brewer made sure tow truck drivers were part of that. It is a $500 fine. His driver, Eric Downs, was hit at 3 am Sunday on State Road. The impact was so hard, Downs we…
Last reply by goodmichael, -
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Michigan drivers who do not move over and slow down when passing emergency, maintenance and utility vehicles will now face a $400 fine under a new law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder Thursday. “This legislation will better protect those responding to emergencies as well as workers on busy roadways,” Snyder said in a statement. “My hope by signing this bill is that more Michiganders will slow down and give a lane.” The new law requires drivers to not only move over a lane, if possible, but to also slow to 10 mph below the posted speed limit. That requirement is for when passing police, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, garbage trucks, maintenance and utility vehicles t…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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RILEY TWP, MI - The man killed in a St. Clair County crash while waiting for a tow truck has been identified. Lawrence McDaid, 70, of Port Huron, was killed after he crashed his vehicle in slippery conditions on Tuesday on Interstate 69 near Stapleton Road in Riley Township. Deputies with the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office responded shortly before 8:30 a.m. Nov. 13 for a rollover crash on westbound I-69. McDaid was driving a truck that was hauling a trailer, lost control on the slick road, slid into the ditch on the north side of the highway and rolled the trailer, police said. McDaid got out of the vehicle and stood near the truck with his p…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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- 375 views
Tow truck driver injured in hit-and-run; Pittsfield Twp. police looking for suspect PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A tow truck driver was injured in a hit-and-run Sunday morning after assisting a disabled vehicle in Pittsfield Township, police said. The 37-year-old male, a Pittsfield Township resident, was returning to his tow truck after assisting the vehicle on northbound State Road when he was struck and fell to the ground, according to investigators. The worker was wearing a reflective safety vest and the tow truck's emergency lights were activated when he was hit, police said. The disabled vehicle had already left the scene. …
Last reply by TowNews, -
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FLINT (WJRT) - (08/06/18) - A flatbed wrecker was hit while responding to an SUV rollover along I-475 Monday evening. It was one of two at the scene helping to turn the vehicle back onto its wheels. The crash happened just before 6 p.m. in the southbound lanes of I-475 at Atherton Road in Flint. It's not clear if anyone in the passenger vehicles involved was hurt. Both wrecker drivers were OK, but shaken up. They hope the crash will be an eye-opener about how important Michigan's move-over law is. "I have kids I need to get home to every night. Every night. Get over," Justin Passmore, a manager for US-23 Auto Care and Towing…
Last reply by mooresbp, -
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Last reply by TowNews, -
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The owner of Eagle Towing in Montague is suing Michigan State Police, claiming the firm has been unjustly removed from a list of companies called to remove disabled and abandoned vehicles and those involved in accidents. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The head of a third-generation towing company is suing Michigan State Police, claiming he is being blacklisted for helping expose criminal wrong-doing by a former police chief in Oceana County. John Heykoop, who owns Eagle Towing, says the state police scrubbed him from a list of companies it uses to remove disabled and abandoned vehicles and those involved in accidents. Montague-based Eagle Towing, which operat…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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01-10-18: SAGINAW COUNTY, MI (WNEM) - A tow truck driver was hit and killed while loading a vehicle on his truck Wednesday night, a police source told TV5. It happened on northbound Dixie Highway near the Bridgeport exit in Saginaw County after 8 p.m. The driver worked for Mike's Wrecker Service in Saginaw and was struck while loading a disabled vehicle onto a flatbed truck, a police source told TV5. It is unclear if anyone else was injured. Bridgeport Township police is investigating the incident. TV5 will update once more information is available. RESOURCE LINK
Last reply by TowZone, -
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Another tow-brother has just been killed this morning in the line-of-duty at the scene of an empty, broken down school bus in Pittsfield Township, near Ann Arbor, Michigan. The name of the tower has not been released and details are few at this time. Early reports stated the tower was standing at the rear of the bus when a Ford SUV plowed the rear of the bus. No other vehicles were parked on the shoulder when the SUV struck the bus. Some news reports indicate that the driver of the SUV has died of their injuries. My prayers and sympathy’s go out to the tower’s family, his company and those who knew him. R. Tow truck driver killed, 7 injured in crash involv…
Last reply by TowNews, -
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Last reply by TowZone, -
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LANSING, MI -- Mark Maltz of Waterford simply stopped to fill up his work truck with gas last week when he decided to buy a lottery ticket. That one purchase kicked off a string of wins that culminated with a $325,184 win while playing the Fast Cash Jackpot Slots game from the Michigan Lottery. "I work for a tow company and we stop at the BP to fill up our trucks," said the 42-year-old Maltz. "I was in the store on Friday after filling up my truck and I bought a scratch off and won $10. I decided I'd buy a Fast Cash ticket, and won $15. Then, I bought a $5 Fast Cash Black Jack ticket and the $10 Jackpot Slots Fast Cash ticket, and the rest is history. "Whe…
Last reply by silverhawk, -
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MUST SEE FROM MSP: "We talk about slowing down in bad weather and giving us a lane. The trooper saw it coming and was trying to get another car to block the ramp. They never made it. Please give us a lane." - Michigan State Police RESOURCE LINK Disabled vehicle owner was in the troopers vehicle and is in the replies. Does anyone know the tow operator and company involved in this incident?
Last reply by TowZone,

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