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THORNHILL, ON, Sept. 18, 2019 /CNW/ - This week marks the fourth annual Tow Safety Week, and CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is calling on the Ontario government to prioritize the regulation of the towing industry.
"Long wait times, unscrupulous tow truck drivers and sky-high towing bills will continue to be an issue for motorists unless the Ontario government makes provincial towing regulation a priority," said Teresa Di Felice, AVP, government and community relations at CAA SCO. "Doing so would ensure Ontario motorists have certainty when it comes to towing services, regardless of when or where they require support. It will also help to earn respect for the many men and women who work hard to provide an important service on our roads."
Di Felice points to the recent discussions around highway incident management and the long traffic delays caused by collisions as another reason for regulation.
"Calling for a tow truck on the side of the highway can be a stressful experience for motorists, provincial towing regulation will make certain that the standards of training, service and equipment in the towing industry are kept high," added Di Felice.
To help consumers, CAA launched the Towing Bill of Rights (TBR), a glove box reference card, to help avoid any confusion when it comes to the rights of motorists when calling for a tow truck. Since its launch in 2018, CAA has distributed over 22,000 cards. The TBR continues to be one of CAA's most sought after educational items. A digital version of the CAA Towing Bill of Rights is available for download or printing at www.towrights.ca or at CAA stores.
CAA and the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario developed Tow Safety Week to raise awareness among consumers, the industry and government officials on towing issues in the province. The awareness week concludes at the provincial Tow Show, where a panel of experts will be discussing some of the issues affecting the industry.
About CAA South Central Ontario
As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of over 2 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and governments to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads. -
Flatbed Tow Truck Crashes Into Toll Plaza On Polk Parkway
A flatbed tow truck caused a Sunpass lane to be shut down for hours.
LAKELAND, FL — A flatbed tow truck caused a Sunpass lane to be shut down for hours Wednesday morning as the truck crashed into a toll plaza along Polk Parkway.
The truck driver told Florida Highway Patrol troopers that he thought he struck something along the road as he approached the toll plaza.
The driver told troopers "he believed he struck something else in the roadway, looked for the item and subsequently crashed into the attenuator along the left side of the Sunpass lane," according to FHP.
Florida Highway Patrol reported that the tow truck went on to strike a concrete barrier wall before becoming disabled around 6:20 a.m. west of State Road 540.
FHP said the Sunpass lane had to be shut down for about four hours as a result of the crash.
The driver was identified as 28-year-old Timothy D. Johnson of Gibsonton, Florida. He suffered minor injuries but was not taken to the hospital, according to FHP.
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Kudos to Elite Towing for donating their services on the corvette. I guess they were either tie up or had enough. It seems the next tow truck in this video charged for the service. I'm kinda on the fence, but I have to lean towards the donation as they got a shout out in first video.
Does your municipality recover these vehicles on some sort of schedule. That is the ones that are not recovered shortly after they go into the water? Do you get stuck with the expense or does an agency pay the charges?
Again, I lean towards the donation in most cases when drivers are donating their time. Perhaps the Tow Truck should find a sponsor and do their own video as well. Hmm...
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Wait till the water recedes, there is absolutely no reason to enter the water. The vehicles are already a total loss and what little fluids may leak with not be enough to contaminate the environment. The tow truck you see in this image may not be effected by this action tomorrow or next week. But it will show signs of failure within a month or two. unless the fluids are changed immediately.
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I can assist you in the different methods used in adding images within a post.
However, with an understanding that you do not post your recovery photos on social media or website for customer privacy. Do you have a continued interest in entering this Recovery Challenge? Also, unless there is some sort of conflict as in a pending investigation, an pending invoice or a commercial account I find no valid reason for a customers privacy as these images do not include license plate numbers. Many contributors decide to block commercial account names based on their relationship with that commercial account.
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Oh and don't forget to visit our TowForce Supporters many of which believed in the Towing Information Network. These supporters both Sponsors & Patrons have shown faith through our adversity. Like a Phoenix is Reborn so is Tow411 and it's name is TowForce. Thank you and here's to the next 18 years and the next chapter.
For now support our current sponsors a join me in welcoming several new sponsors to our network.
When you visit our Sponsors at any Tow Event please take the time to identify yourself as a Tow Force member.
TowForce Sponsors Exhibiting at the Ohio Tow Show
Beacon funding
Beacon Software
I Tow In
Integrated Leasing
OMG
Tow Professional
Tow Times
WreckMaster
Blust Sales & Service
ClipSavers
East Coast Truck & Trailer
Matheny Motors
Pardo’s Sales & Service
And be sure to stop by the Towing & Recovery Museum Booth for some great merchandise.
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This incident occurred 09.14.19 when an SUV failed to Slow Down.
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And ongoing list of those responding to various roll call posts can be found here.
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I suppose this story is even more powerful as I lost my Dad to Alzheimer's this past January.
Part of a story by Mark Newberry which appeared in the Farmington Press Online / Daily Journal Online
As a natural extension of the body shop business, Rodney Milfelt has created a one-of-a-kind tribute to his father’s memory and to help cure Alzheimer’s.
“In 2007 I was on the internet just looking for wrecked cars in junkyards and ran across my dad’s very first wrecker that he bought in 1965 when he went into business,” he said, “He actually went into the wrecker business before the body shop. I found it in Potosi, went and looked at it and it was my dad’s wrecker, because it still had his name on it. Trees were growing through it, it was trash. I bought it, brought it back here and left it sit out here in front of the shop a month or so for everybody to see it.
“I’m going to restore this thing. About last year, about 12 years later, I started on the body and thought we’ll do something for Alzheimer’s. So it’s lettered on the wrecker, ‘pulling to end Alzheimer’s’ and it’s got some other logos on it, but we’re dedicating it to dad and Alzheimer’s. I’m trying to get it ready to lead the parade in Farmington for the Alzheimer’s walk. It’s been an uphill battle with it, but it’s turning out pretty neat.”
Milfelt Auto Body Shop with Tow Truck out front as it appeared in 1967.
Milfelt Auto Body as it appears 50 years later.
An Alzheimer's Walk scheduled for Saturday.
UPDATED:
Hundreds of people converged in the parking lot of C.Z. Boyer-Taylor Chapel in downtown Farmington for the Walk to End Alzheimer's on Saturday morning.
The parking lot was filled with purple shirts as walkers registered with event volunteers at booths and people were gathering around for the opening ceremony.
Audra Caine from B104 opened the ceremony and spoke of some of the challenges and statistics associated with people affected by Alzheimer's disease.
Darlene Milfelt-Klein was the individual who raised the most money bringing in $7,498.65 for the cause.
Walkers then lined up behind the Milfelt Wrecker and Auto Body tow truck which led the charge of the Alzheimer's warriors through downtown Farmington.
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That likely took a few tries to get that image. Is the light house much taller then it appears and what is the huge modern building to the left? Thanks for making time stand still and transporting at the same time.
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I would say you're likely on their list. I used to be better at that stuff too. Now I have to add thing to the list and prioritize them. Not that your not important but I am sure there is a waiting list along with logistics of the service area. INA is more of a Fleet Management Company than it is a Motor Club though in ways Companies like INA TTN and FLEETNET function similar to a motor club.
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By now we are all aware of just how fast this situation can play out. We take are eye off the on coming traffic for a half a second and there's vehicle that failed to move over right there. Had we taken a step or two at most at the very least we would caught a mirror. I had one just two days ago, not a vehicle and sight and whiz a black Dodge Charger maybe 18 inches from the white line and my truck was on it. No, back up it was around 2am all the traffic had been moving over except for this one idiot. Had I thought I needed back up I would have certainly called for it. All it take is that one time and this can happen. Luckily I was not injured and the truck was not struck. Sadly, my story can be told by countless tow operators weekly. Maybe we need a post for us to vent, cause if not these instances simply build up or do you just let them go. In reflection the memory of the last near miss is gone as soon as there is another. This happens once or twice a week, I just hope my odds of not being struck are high. But, I'll have to increase my awareness how about you?
Ohio State Highway Patrol Facebook Page:
JUST RELEASED: Dash-cam footage of trooper’s cruiser being struck this past weekend.
The trooper was changing a tire on a disabled vehicle on the Ohio Turnpike, when a U-haul truck went off the roadway striking his cruiser. The U-Haul did not stop at the crash scene, but was located a short time later. Always remember to #moveover for the flashing lights! It's the law!
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Nice effort, however not the intended use for Gojaks. They don't like bumps and they don't like rocks. Also, as tough as they appear the Gojaks can be damaged fairly easy. I notice also that you did not lock the foot peddle down. I highly recommend doing so, as body damage to the vehicle could occur if the vehicles wheels were at and angle or not locked straight. The primary use for Gojacks are to maneuver a vehicle from a location and or spin the vehicle around. I have used them extensively in the past when doing Private Property Impounds. Since we do fewer of those types of tows I no longer carry a set of them. But, they still a valuable access if you can justify carrying them around on the truck. We have a couple of sets in the garage for moving vehicles around in there. That is an asset there for sure. Thanks for sharing...
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Great, 4 or 5 shots one before and one after could make the difference on a disputed images. And really it a $350+ TowMate Light Bar.
What amazes me is the number of topics in Heavy Duty Recovery Challenge. At this point I can say will likely have 50 submissions in the Light Duty Recovery Topic Challenge by October 31st. At that point the drawing will be held. As for the $1100+ TowMate Light Bar may go all the way to the end of the year.
Thanks for both your support and participation, we're more than half way into this message board rebuild. We'll be nearly 100% a little over a year for now.
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The chance of winner are now just 1 in 4. If you told me that in July I would have laughed. At this point it not a case of message board traffic. It's a case that many have gotten used to the single image topic on Facebook and forgotten how to create posts with disruptions. Recoveries with discussions to learn from....
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There were two images when the topic was recreated. However, the method of transferring topics failed. Another manner in which images are transferred has worked better. Our apologies for missing images.
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SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. — A Virginia man will serve a maximum five-year prison sentence for assault on a law officer despite not landing a punch or having a prior felony record.
The Free Lance-Star reports 26-year-old Maurice Scott Beasley was sentenced Friday in Spotsylvania Circuit Court. Judge Ricardo Rigual cited his lack of respect for law enforcement in announcing the sentence.
Prosecutors say Deputy Frank Fleming responded to a minor accident on U.S. 1 in August 2018 and discovered Beasley didn’t have a license or auto insurance. The deputy arranged to have the vehicle towed.
Prosecutors said Fleming later decided to arrest the driver, but Beasley resisted and the two men rolled into a ditch. Beasley raised his fist to punch the 41-year law-enforcement veteran before a tow-truck driver stopped him.
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A year later and we are at 3,682 members. That's about 750 members short of where we should be at this point. I am sure that if every tow operator visiting our message board would take a few seconds to join this deficit could be made up by years end. Participation is the key to a successful community but social media has become about reading and not participating.
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If there is a center of the industry, let there be no doubt TowForce is it.
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Give Her a Call is Female and if you're going to the Ohio Tow Show in September you can find her there.
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Call (866) 853-2125, or by e-mail at customerservice@inatowing.com
Leave a message for Gay Rochester It may be mid week before you hear back with it being a Holiday Weekend.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
A Jefferson County judge sentenced Billy Hillard to eight years on Wednesday. Hillard had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter, in exchange for a lesser sentence.
Hillard hit and killed Steve Simpson, a tow truck driver, on October 3, 2016. Simpson had responded to a call on Dixie Highway.
Simpson's widow, Tammie Simpson, spoke at sentencing, describing her life since then as 'a living hell.' She told the judge she wanted Hillard to have time behind bars to truly consider his actions.
"Tomorrow he's going to be able to call his kids. He's gonna be able to call his wife. That's something I can't do. I can't call my husband in heaven. He has turned my life upside down," Tammie Simpson said.
Hillard apologized to the family and promised he was dedicated to his sobriety, "I know nothing I say or do will possibly change what happened. Best thing I can think of is I'm sorry. I pray to God every night that he takes your pain away and heals y'all hearts," Hillard said.
While Hillard's attorney asked Judge Barry Willet to consider home incarceration or probation, Willett followed through with the recommended eight year sentence.
Still, Tammie Simpson said that did not seem long enough for the years she would spend without her husband.
"Forgiveness comes from the heart and right now our hearts are not ready to forgive someone that took our loved one," she said after Wednesday's hearing.
Hillard will be eligible for parole after serving 20 percent of that eight year sentence. Because of time served, that could be less than a year.
Ottawa tow truck driver charged for posing as CAA service vehicle: police
in TowForce TowCanada
Posted
Ottawa police say they have charged a tow truck driver with fraud after he allegedly claimed to be with CAA roadside auto assistance.
On Sept. 12 police arrested Ibrahim Masri after receiving complaints from vehicle owners.
Masri has been charged with several counts of fraud over $5,000 and theft of a motor vehicle. He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 9.
Police say their investigation began in August when they received several complaints of an Ottawa-based tow truck company conducting business falsely claiming they were CAA.
According to police, complainants whose cars had been towed later found out that CAA had no records of their service call.
In one case, investigators found that a vehicle was allegedly taken without the owners consent and towed to an unknown location where impound fees exceeded $5,000.
Police said CAA had nothing to do with the alleged fraud and cooperated with the investigation.
Ottawa police are asking anyone who may have experienced a similar incident to call them at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300. The investigation is ongoing.
The city of Ottawa has implemented its own bylaws to help curb forceful tow truck drivers. Those who arrive at a collision must stay 100 metres away or face a $500 fine.
The Ontario Government also has rules concerning tow trucks, including a requirement for operators to provide an itemized list of charges.
Ottawa police spokesperson Const. Chuck Benoit says Ottawa police recommend drivers who have been in a collision contact their insurance company and get a list of agencies, as well as suggested places to tow the car to, such as a garage or compound.
Benoit also advises drivers to prepare a check list to have in the case of a collision and to remember that the vehicle owner has ultimate say in where there car is taken.
RESOURCE LINK with video