TowNews

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man has been indicted for seven armed robberies of tow truck drivers in the Milwaukee area – crimes that took place between Sept. 17 and Oct. 6, Acting United States Attorney Richard Frohling announced on Wednesday, Dec. 15. Latherio Meadows, 26, was charged with seven counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce, seven counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, two counts of possession of a stolen firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. If convicted, Meadows faces up to 20 years in prison for each robbery count and a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years and up to life in prison on each charge of brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence, which must run consecutive to any other sentence. He also would face up to ten years in prison for each of the counts of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon. This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. Resource Link

This is yet another press release type notification which we suspect is a scam. Anyone in Georgia know this company? https://www.openpr.com/news/2499109/tow-life-alpharetta-announcing-the-launch-of-the-brand-new

Updated 12.15.21

Tow truck and sedan collide at intersection of Travis Street and Gray Street, police say

On 12/14/21 at approximately 11:00pm, an employee of C & D Towing located at 301 Cypress Lane entered the business after-hours carrying a gas can. An employee was able to flee the building before the suspect poured what appeared to be gasoline inside an office and set the building on fire. The suspect then fled the scene in a flatbed C & D tow-truck, which he stole from the tow yard. At the time of the arson, there were no employees or customers in the building and no one was injured as a result of the fire. The arson caused extensive damage to the building. The suspect in this case was identified as Burton Kanehailua, a tow truck driver for the company. Kanehailua, a resident of El Cajon, was last seen in a clearly marked C & D Towing flatbed tow truck, which is a 2016 Dodge Ram 5500. Kanehailua is also known to drive an older model white Volvo station wagon. Police are actively searching for Kanehailua and the stolen C & D tow truck. This is an on-going investigation. The El Cajon Police Department is asking for the community’s help in solving this crime. Anyone with information regarding this incident or the whereabouts of Kanehailua are encouraged to call the El Cajon Police Department at (619) 579-3311 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or on-line at SDCRIMESTOPPERS.ORG.

A tow truck driver was shot in Atlanta following and altercation. Atlanta, GA (WGCL) — Police are investigating a shooting on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway and Northside Drive in Atlanta. The altercation happened between a tow truck driver and another person, according to police. The tow truck driver was shot and transported to a local hospital. Further details are limited at this time. We will update this story as new information becomes available. Resource Link

Tow truck driver struck, killed on I-65 in Saralan SARALAND, Ala. (WALA) -- A tow truck driver died Monday morning when he was hit by a car while loading a disabled vehicle onto his truck. It happened just before 9 a.m. on Interstate 65 at mile marker 12 in Saraland. Investigators said Jonathan Neesmith, 40, was on the shoulder of northbound I-65 when he was struck. Neesmith was rushed to University Hospital where he died from his injuries. The Saraland Police Department said its traffic homicide division is still investigating the incident. Resource Link UPDATED 01.04.23: Wilmer woman indicted on manslaughter charge in Saraland death of tow truck driver MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — Elizabeth Bolling Sprinkle, 59, of Wilmer, has been indicted by a Mobile County Grand Jury on a manslaughter charge in connection with the death of Jonathan Neesmith. Neesmith, a tow truck driver, was on the shoulder of I-65 in Saraland attempting to load a disabled vehicle when he was struck and killed on December 13, 2022. According to the indictment, Sprinkle was under the influence of Tramadol, an opioid pain killer, when she struck and killed Neesmith. Sprinkle was arrested on the indictment on December 20, 2022 and bonded out less than two hours later after posting a $30,000 bond. Note: there is an error in the date of the tragic event which took the life of Jonathan Neesmith on 12.13.21. RESOURCE LINK

'Move Over and Slow Down': ODOT urges drivers to pay attention after yet another crash Resource Link

man said two firearms were taken from his SUV when it was towed from a concert, according to a police report from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. The 2020 Subaru Outback was towed from the Regal Starlight off North Tryon Street near Interstate 485. The owner of the Subaru said he paid to get his SUV back after it was taken to a tow lot at 7425 Orr Road. “I had the Barretta in here, and the Glock down in here, shoved down in here, so you couldn’t see it,” the victim told Channel 9′s Mark Becker. The victim, who did not want to be identified, said he tracked the Subaru to the lot and paid $375 to get it back. He noticed the guns were missing after getting it back. “Even though it was dark, I could feel around in there,” he said. “The Baretta was gone, and I was, like, that’s not OK.” The man said employees at the office got defensive when he asked questions. “I said something about my guns missing,” the victim said. The employees asked him to leave the property. The victim called police and when they got there, officers saw two men they have dealt with in the past. David Satterfield, who owns the towing company, and Jonathan Stopher, who works for him, were charged with breaking into a car and stealing a gun in April. In a search warrant, officers said the two were behaving suspiciously and that Satterfield was argumentative when officers confronted them. They found the two stolen guns in another car on the lot and have charged Satterfield in the case. On the phone Wednesday afternoon, Satterfield was adamant that he was working in the office that night and didn’t steal anything. “I was so happy to know my guns were safe and they’re not in the wrong hands or something,” the victim told Becker after the guns were recovered. The victim said police are holding his guns for evidence. “How many other victims are there?” the victim asked.

CLERMONT, Fla. - Clermont police say a tow truck driver was arrested after he crashed and went airborne into several parked cars. Body camera video shows officers giving 35-year-old Welsey Howard a sobriety test. It all happened early Friday morning. Officers say Howard was going 80 mph on State Road 50 crossing over the median, through opposite traffic, and into a business parking lot where the truck left the ground and landed on top of several cars. Police say his boss, the owner of Car Store Towing, came to the scene and showed them video from the truck’s interior and exterior cameras from the moment of impact. Officers launched a DUI investigation after they noticed Howard was out of it and not making sense at times. At one point, officers seem perplexed as Howard talks about winning that 70s Show. Police say they found pills in his pocket. While he told them they were Aspirin, officers say they were pain pills. Car Store Towing says Howard passed all requirements to be a tow truck driver, but he is no longer employed with the company. Resource Link

Texarkana man killed in East Texas crash LINDEN, Texas - A 21-year-old Texarkana, Arkansas man died Tuesday morning when his pickup ran into the back of a truck that had stopped for a school bus. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers identified the victim as Brandon Prewitt. Investigators says Prewitt ran into the back of a vehicle being towed on U.S. Highway 59 about four miles south of Linden. The tow truck driver was not injured. Resource Link

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - A weekend tow truck rally brought attention to a state law that makes things safer for first responders. The rally is an annual event that started after tow truck driver John Hubbard was struck and killed in December 2016 while trying tow a vehicle. Tow truck drivers use the rally to bring attention to the state’s Move Over Law. More than one hundred tow trucks, law enforcement and emergency vehicles participated in the rally. It started in Hueytown and ended in Tuscaloosa. First responders want as much space as possible to safely help motorists, move vehicles and perform other duties. The Move Over Law requires drivers to move over to the left lane if possible if they approach an emergency vehicle with lights flashing. “Hypothetically speaking, if you’re traveling on the interstate, the majority of the vehicles are travelling at least 70 miles per hour. So, its really a great law that was put in place to protect law enforcement and emergency responders because we always want to encourage motorists to create an area that’s conducive for safe travels,” Alabama State Trooper spokesman Reginal King explained. If it’s not safe to move over to your left lane when approaching an emergency vehicle with its lights flashing, King recommended you slow down to 15 miles under the posted speed limit. Resource Link

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has signed a bill designed to enhance safety for emergency and roadside workers. “Distracted or negligent driving is dangerous and can even be deadly. This bill is a critical step in ensuring the safety of workers on our roads, whether they’re emergency and first responders, construction and utility workers, or tow truck drivers,” said Gov. Evers. “I’m glad to sign this bill that will help make sure folks can do their jobs and respond to emergencies while keeping workers and travelers safe on our roads.” Violators could face a fine up to $10,000 and/or up to nine months in prison. Wisconsin Act 115 includes: • Defines an “emergency or roadside response area” as a section of roadway within 500 feet of an authorized emergency vehicle giving a visible signal or a tow truck displaying flashing red lamps; • Creates a new crime and penalty for traffic violations that result in bodily harm when the violations occur in a road construction area, utility work area, or emergency response area; • Applies the existing doubling of fines for certain violations in a road construction area or utility work area to an emergency response area; and • Requires the Department of Transportation to conduct an awareness campaign for the provisions in the bill. CLICK HERE to read the bill that was signed into law Resource Link.

A pair of Rome men are accused of damaging a tow truck on East 12th Street Tuesday afternoon, reports stated. According to Floyd County Jail reports: Alton Barrian Searcy, 61, and Albert Searcy, 64, ripped more than $5,000 worth of equipment from a tow truck, causing it to be inoperable. Both men are charged with felony second degree criminal damage to property. https://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/news/police_fire/rome-men-accused-of-ripping-equipment-from-tow-truck/article_9f1b469a-52d3-11ec-860b-4b9c6ee66c64.html

An ice-fueled driver of a stolen tow-truck who rammed and crushed an occupied police vehicle in Cranbourne has been jailed. Kieran Hilder, 25, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to the aggravated intentional exposure of a police officer to risk – a mandatory jail offence. He had stolen the truck – with its keys inside – from a Cranbourne service station about 9.30am on 17 April. Fifteen minutes later, a police officer intercepted Hilder in Cranbourne West and parked five metres behind the truck. With the officer still inside, Hilder reversed the truck, crushed the front of the police vehicle and shattered its windscreen. The police vehicle was pushed backwards and sustained “major damage”, sentencing judge Michael Bourke stated on 26 November. The police member was uninjured. Hilder’s act was “drug-fuelled, haphazard and dangerous” – though with an aim to escape rather than to harm, Judge Bourke said. Hilder fled in the truck without rendering assistance at the collision scene. He dumped the truck at a nearby construction site, stealing a closed-circuit camera, keys, phone and wallet from the truck’s cabin. Three days later, he was charged and bailed. However, on the same night, he was intercepted driving a stolen BMW, and capsicum-sprayed while resisting arrest. Hilder was charged with absconding from a County Court-imposed community corrections order for a long list of “dishonesty” offences. He was also charged with car theft, driving disqualified, trespass on the construction site and offending while on bail. Drug abuse was a “major feature” of Hilder’s offending, Judge Bourke said. But his daily ice use at the time was no mitigation. His criminal history was mainly dishonesty, bail and driving offences, with further similar offences to be heard at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in December. Judge Bourke noted Hilder’s childhood trauma including the destruction of his family’s Marysville home and “precarious” escape during the 2009 Black Saturday fires. He suffered other close-family tragedy as a child. Hilder’s early guilty plea, relative youth and the impact of Covid on his time in custody was also noted. However, Judge Bourke said jail was the only appropriate sentence. Hilder was jailed for up to three years and four months – including being re-sentenced for his CCO. He’ll be eligible for parole after serving 20 months. His term includes 221 days in pre-sentence detention. Resource Link

Woman seriously hurt in multi-vehicle crash near Richmond Hill A 27-year-old woman suffered serious injuries following a series of crashes north of Elgin Mills on Sunday which forced a closure of a portion of Highway 404 for several hours. Provincial police say a tow truck was on the shoulder of the northbound Hwy. 404 at 19th Avenue, waiting behind another earlier crash when they say a second vehicle lost control and collided with the tow truck. “Roads were wet with poor visibility due to snow falling,” OPP Highway Safety Division said on Twitter. Paramedics tell CityNews they were first notified of a serious crash around 10 a.m. Sunday. Two people were assessed on scene and one refused transport to the hospital. Resource Link

Reports: Trooper Struck By Tow Truck Monday Morning. Two In Custody Just before 3:00, Monday morning rescue crews were dispatched to 1120 Brandywine Drive in Bear for reports of a pedestrian struck. Arriving crews reported that there was no pedestrian stuck, however, a Trooper’s vehicle had been struck. One Trooper was transported to an area hospital for injuries suffered in the crash. Sources in law enforcement tell FSU that a Trooper’s vehicle was “intentionally struck” by a tow truck that then fled the scene. Moments later rescue crews from the Christiana Fire Company were dispatched to Route 40 and Church Road for reports of a shooting. Crews arriving at that scene initially found no patients. After clearing the scene crews were alerted to a fuel leak which prompted a response from Belvedere Fire Company’s HAZMAT 30 and DNREC’s Emergency Response Team Sources tell FSU that two suspects were taken into custody in the area of Church Road and Route 40. DSP issued the following statement: “Delaware State Police are currently conducting a criminal investigation on the 1400 block of Pulaski Highway, Bear. As a result, there is an increased police presence in the area. This investigation is in the early stages but there is no threat to the safety of the community. Additional information will be released once it becomes available.” This is a developing story. http://firststateupdate.com/2021/11/reports-trooper-struck-by-tow-truck-monday-morning-two-in-custody/

David Lynn Lewis, age 56, of Cypress, TX, passed away on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at the Houston Healthcare North Cypress Hospital. David was born in Joplin on June 9, 1965. He grew up and attended school in Texas, attending Sam Houston High School. Soon after he began his career as a tow truck driver for the City of Houston for over 30 years. David was a devoted and caring husband, father, and grandfather. He was united in marriage to Myra N. Hernandez Contreras, she survives. Also surviving are his children, David Lewis Jr., Jonathan Lewis, Desiree Lewis, Devin Dean Lewis, Maria Cristina Lewis, Victor A. Contreras, Divina Hernandez and Jeremias Gonzales, all of Texas; his brother, Roy Daniels, of Joplin; seven grandchildren; his aunt, Norma Frakes, of Joplin; and several extended family members and friends. Graveside services will be held on Monday, November 29, 2021 at 1:00 PM at Osborne Memorial Cemetery in Joplin. Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Parker Mortuary, Joplin. Resource Link

CHICAGO — Two tow truck drivers were shot while at a crash scene on the city’s Northwest Side, according to police. The shooting happened around 3 a.m. Thursday in the 2700 block of N. Central. Police said the two male tow truck drivers were standing outside their truck when a man in a gray or gold SUV fired shots, and struck them both. A 37-year-old man suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the lower body. A 38-year-old man was shot in the head, shoulder and torso. The men self-transported to Community First Hospital and were later transported to other hospitals. The 37-year-old is in critical condition. The 38-year-old is listed in good condition. No one is in custody as Area Five detectives investigate. https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/11/25/tow-drivers-shot-at-crash/ https://wgntv.com/news/chicagocrime/2-tow-truck-drivers-shot-on-northwest-side/ https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/tow-truck-drivers-shot-while-standing-outside-crash-scene-in-belmont-central