TowNews

VIDEO IN LINK BELOW

 

GLADEWATER, Texas (KLTV) - Wrecker companies are always busy; vehicles break down and accidents happen. But vehicles are also abandoned, and at least one wrecker company says that is happening more often since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

 

Although as it turned out it was not the case in this instance, vehicles break down, are pushed somewhere, and just left there since some owners can’t afford to fix them. Ryan Hill with 271 Wreckers in Gladewater says in his four years of pickups he’s seen an increase in abandoned vehicles.

 

“A lot of these are coming from gas stations and even side of the road. It’s almost like people are walking away not wanting to deal with the financial liability of having it towed, getting it repaired,” Hill said.

 

And some, Ryan said, like the one he had just picked up, became abandoned because the owner had pandemic related financial issues.

 

“She couldn’t afford to pay the note on the car that she has. The lienholder didn’t want to pick the vehicle up; they didn’t want to pay to pick the vehicle up. It has some mechanical issues with it, but her landlord wanted the vehicle removed so we’re helping the landlord, we’re helping the tenant,” Hill said.

 

So it’s not always as simple as a broken-down car that costs too much to fix, but that is also the case.

“Many of these vehicles, the amount of repair it would take; it would be a totaled vehicle, honestly, you know. Needs a new motor, needs a new tranny, a whole new suspension. The list can go on and on. These vehicles have to be dealt with somehow,” Hill said.

 

Maryland State Police Investigating Crash That Killed Tow Truck Operator In Prince George’s County

September 10, 2020

 

(COLLEGE PARK, MD) – Maryland State Police are investigating a crash that killed a tow truck operator working on the side of the road Wednesday evening in Prince George’s County.

 

The victim is identified as Jose Maria Zuniga, 76, or Silver Spring, Maryland. Zuniga was transported by ambulance to University of Maryland Prince George’s Medical Center, where he died.

 

The driver of the 2015 Dodge Charger involved in the crash is identified as John Lewis Tunstall III, 31, of Glenarden, Maryland. Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation and consultation with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. Tunstall, who remained at the scene, was transported to the hospital by troopers before being released. The two other passengers in his car were uninjured in the crash.

 

At about 9:25 p.m. on Wednesday, troopers from the Maryland State Police College Park Barrack responded to a call of a pedestrian struck on westbound Route 50 at MD 704. According to a preliminary investigation, Zuniga was picking up a vehicle when he was struck by the mirror of Tunstall’s car.

 

No arrests have been made at this time in connection of the crash. The incident remains under investigation.

 

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the College Park Barrack at 301-345-3101

 

RESOURCE LINK

Appellate Court Cuts $10M Award For Maimed Truck Driver

Sept. 9, 2020, 8:22 PM

 

An Illinois court of appeals on Tuesday vacated a $10 million punitive damages award for a tow truck driver who lost an eye and fractured his skull when the hood of his truck slammed down on his head in windy Chicago weather is entitled to a $9.5 million compensatory award, but a $10 million punitive damages award against Paccar Inc., the truck manufacturer, must be vacated, an Illinois appeals court said.

 

The safety cable and hook system at the heart of the case, “no matter how flawed, was not on Truck 55 at the time of the accident,” and the radiator and hood were not Paccar’s original parts, the Appellate Court of Illinois said Tuesday.

 

 

Anyone with information is urged to call the Detroit Police Department

DETROIT – A tow truck driver is recovering after being badly injured in a hit-and-run incident while doing his job on I-94.

It’s a call Lavish Towing company owner Lavish Williams never expected.

“I got a strange voice over the 2-way radio from a lady who was hysterical,” Williams said. “She was pretty much saying, ‘Your driver just got hit on the freeway.’”

It all happened on I-94 near Woodward Avenue on Tuesday night as the driver was attempting to tow a vehicle. His partner, Juhnn’e Bailey saw it all.

“I heard the crash and when I turned around, his legs were in the air,” recalled Juhnn’e Bailey.

Sadly, the driver took off and no one immediately stopped to help.

“They didn’t even slow down. They kept going and at least eight or nine cars were behind it. That’s why I never saw the car that came,” added Bailey.

David Salomon now has a few bad injuries, including having to get several staples in his head and a broken foot.

“I don’t think I’m supposed to be here. I was up about at least 8 feet in the sky. Came back down and I don’t remember nothing else after that,” said Salomon.

And his boss is pleading with drivers to move over when seeing tow truck drivers flung their jobs.

“When you see these lights on, people really need to take head and move over. It’s a reason why we have these lights on. We gotta dangerous job that’s not really spoke on too much. They don’t realize the dangers that is tow operators actually go through,” Williams concluded.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Detroit Police Department at 313-596-5200.

RESOURCE LINK

Tow truck driver somehow survives freeway hit and run in Detroit

 

A sweet reunion outside a Detroit Towing Company as truck driver David Salomon still can't believe he survived...

 

DETROIT (FOX 2) - There was a sweet reunion outside a Detroit Towing Company as truck driver David Salomon still can't believe he survived. 

 

"You can see the staples in the top of my head," he said.

 

With his girlfriend by his side, Salomon trying to remember the moment he was hit, not even 24 hours earlier.

"I saw my legs up in the air when he smacked me," Salomon said.

 

Salomon, with his truck lights on, says when he began bringing the disabled car onto the flatbed, a car slammed into him.

"I looked to the side and another vehicle just came and hit me and knocked me up into the air," he said.

 

Hearing the loud crash, Bailey jumped out of the passenger seat.
 
"I kept screaming for him, but I couldn't find him," she said.
 
Bailey then found her boyfriend bleeding from his head and foot. The person who hit him was long gone.

"How can you hit somebody, no you hit somebody and keep going," she said. "A piece of your bumper is still on the freeway."

 

Bailey says that about 30 cars continued to drive by without slowing down or moving over. and Salomon almost got hit a second time.

 

"I'm like literally dragging this man trying to get him off the road and nobody stopped," she said. "(This) ain't no city I want to live in."
 
Bailey pulled him to safety but was unsure where they were. She alerted his boss over the truck radio.
 
"(They asked) 'Is he ok?' I'm like, 'No,'" she said.
 
Salomon's boss rushed to the scene along with an ambulance and Michigan State Police.
 
"If he would've been behind the truck, he wouldn't have been here to speak. He would've been pinned," said Lavish T. Williams, owner of the tow company.

 

Salomon treated at the hospital for a fractured foot and injuries to his head and lower back.

 

"I'm still trying to figure out how I survived it, because that was a hit," Salomon said.

Salomon hopes this will remind people to slow down and move over when you see vehicles with flashing lights on the side of the road.
 
State police are working to get a description of that car. and everyone is hoping witnesses, and that driver, to come forward..
 
"The driver that hit me. I hope he finds his conscience and acknowledges what you did," Salomon said.
 
"This should be weighing very heavily on your mind," Williams said. "You could've killed this guy." 

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

MIDDLETOWN — There is an old joke in auto racing that goes something like, 'I just watch for the wrecks.'

For Jerry Bliesener, wrecks are no laughing matter.

Bliesener, a Burlington native, has been on both ends of wrecks during his lifetime of racing, both behind the wheel of a race car and behind the wheel of a tow truck for Beckman's Towing, which he drives every Saturday night at 34 Raceway, cleaning up the wrecks to keep the show moving.

You will find the story HERE

https://www.thehawkeye.com/story/sports/2020/09/09/burlington-man-now-operates-tow-truck-34-raceway/5743042002/

 

 

 

The tow truck driver parked next to this open inspection drain in the dark, and fell in after stepping out of his vehicle.
Image: Netcare 911

 

On Sunday night a towing operator fell about 5m down a water inspection drain which had one of its covers missing.

 

Shawn Herbst of Netcare 911 said paramedics were alerted about a collision at 9.40pm on Sunday in Tshepisong, Soweto. One person sustained minor injuries in the accident involving two vehicles. 

 

Herbst said the tow truck driver arrived on scene soon after the collision. When he climbed out of his vehicle, he fell into a manhole located next to his door of his vehicle.

 

Emergency personnel at the scene rushed to his aid.

 

"A private service paramedic and rescue technician were lowered into the hole to assess the patient, who was found to have sustained serious injuries.

 

"The patient was treated and stabilised by an emergency care practitioner and, with the use of spinal immobilisation equipment and a rope system, he was brought to the surface where treatment continued."

 

A helicopter ambulance airlifted him to a specialist facility for further care, said Herbst.

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

CORDELE, Ga. (WALB) - The Cordele Police Department is asking for the community’s assistance in identifying a tow truck.

Police said the truck picked up a 2009, light blue Toyota Camry in the 1200 block of 13th Street on Aug. 27, around 3 p.m.

During the investigation, police said they determined that the vehicle was not repossessed but was taken unlawfully.

 

There is writing on the side of the truck but it is unreadable.

 

 

Anyone with any information regarding the above tow truck is asked to contact Captain Farrow at the Cordele Police Department at (229) 276-2921.

VIDEO PENDING

 

ASHLAND, Ohio (WJW) – A tow truck driver was recognized Thursday for his heroic acts that fire officials say helped save three lives following a horrific crash on I-71 in July.

 

“A Saturn Outlook with seven occupants inside was struck from behind by a tractor trailer causing them both to leave the roadway,” said Ashland Fire Chief Rick Anderson. “The tractor trailer became lodged on top of the vehicle trapping all seven occupants. The crash claimed the lives of four people but because of Derrick, three people were saved.”

 

The chief said Derrick Hamilton found a way to get the tow truck in a tight space between trees so that the tractor trailer could be lifted from the vehicle.

 

“He truly was the one, the pivotal person,” Anderson said. “His work let the guys get in and do their job and do it safely .”

 

Hamilton was awarded the Ashland Division of Fire’s Civilian Medal of Honor. The chief said this is just the second civilian of medal honor he has given in 10 years.

 

Hamilton says he is just grateful that he was able to help.

 

“Something I will just never forget is when they were trying to figure things out, I heard something about we found a pulse and that was go time,” Hamilton said. “I was going to do whatever I had to do to get something done. “

 

He also thanked his boss, Aaron Aber of Aber’s Towing, for coming to the scene to help.

 

“We have to take care of the people and obviously there were lives in jeopardy,” Aber said. “We want to help.”

 

According to Lt. Raymond Durant of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, no charges have been filed in the crash and the case remains under investigation.

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

 

 

Watch: Colleagues give a touching farewell at funeral of tow truck driver

 

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As Frankie Molfetta finished burying his father, he was almost immediately blinded by a bright ray of sunshine.

Molfetta says that was his father.

Francis Molfetta Sr., known as Frank, like a ray of sunshine lit up every room he entered, his family said. If something was wrong, he was able to make you forget about whatever was going on.

Molfetta left an impact and a smile on everyone he came across. After more than 35 years as a tow truck operator, he left a lasting impression on his colleagues on Staten Island.

Multiple tow trucks lined up as they formed a make-shift motorcade to escort one of their own to his final resting place last Saturday.

Tow truck drivers raced ahead of the procession to temporarily block intersections as they drove along Victory Boulevard. The large motorcade was made up of over 30 trucks and cars.

Although many towing companies may be essentially competing for business on Staten Island, the companies came together to honor Molfetta and his impeccable service to the industry.

Molfetta passed away at the age of 54 after a short battle with cancer. Those close to Molfetta say he was working until the end.

His son, Frankie Molfetta Jr., said that the owners of Breen Brothers Towing don’t want to use his father’s rig anymore -- to remember his legacy.

“My father was someone that everyone liked, Molfetta Jr. said. “He always said that everything is going to be alright. When I was feeling sad after the burial and that ray of sunshine hit my face, I knew it was my father and I knew everything was going to be alright.”

Molfetta Jr. says that his father helped him and was the inspiration for his own company, River Quality Contracting. At the age of just 24, Molfetta Jr. was ready to close the doors to his business after the death of his father, but when he saw the love and support he received from family, he realized his father would tell him to keep going.

RESOURCE LINK with video

 

 

The Texas Department of Transportation’s roadside assistance program, known as HERO, is coming to San Antonio starting Monday.

 

By October, HERO will have 28 trucks on 14 major San Antonio highways, including Loop 410, Loop 1604, Interstate 35, U.S. 281, U.S. 90, Interstate 10 and Texas 151. Hoping for under-20-minute response times, the trucks will run from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., usually two vehicles per route, less frequently overnight and on weekends.

 

If it sounds familiar, it’s because HERO-like programs operated in some Texas cities more than 10 years ago but were often stalled by budget cuts.

 

HERO drivers in Dodge Ram 2500 pickups will be able to change a flat tire; offer a gallon of gas, water, jump starts and cellphone calls; and push disabled cars to a safer spot. They will not tow your car.

 

“We’ve seen fatalities where good Samaritans stop to help people and they get hit,” TxDOT traffic operations manager Dale Picha said. “It’s really sad, all because their car broke down, so our goal first is to get them safely off the road.”

 

HERO trucks will be loaded with electronic arrow boards, orange cones, on-board video, wireless cameras, strobes and direct radio communication with TransGuide, TxDOT’s “smart highway” control center that monitors some 190 cameras on San Antonio roads and can issue warnings to drivers approaching accident scenes.

 

Picha said Austin’s experience with HERO taught him that its drivers also will spend a great deal of time clearing debris from highways and helping make an accident scene safer for police and victims.

 

“You’d be shocked,” he said, “at how many sofas are thrown on our freeways.”

 

HERO operations in San Antonio will be funded with $16 million over three fiscal years, with costs shared by the city, county and state. They will be run by a London-based multinational contractor, Serco, which has operated Hong Kong hospitals, the Dubai Metro system, Australian prisons and London’s traffic lights, among other ventures. Its North America office is in Herndon, Va.

 

Starting in the early 1980s, according to Picha, San Antonio’s TxDOT employees ran a “Courtesy Patrol” operation for many years, but it was discontinued in 2008-2009 because of budget cuts. Since then, San Antonio has remained the largest metropolitan area in the country without a safety service patrol.

 

“I give kudos to the city of San Antonio and to Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff” for funding HERO, Picha said. “We looked at the 20 largest cities in the U.S., and I think 16 of them had some program like this.”

 

HERO’s red, white and blue trucks can be summoned by calling 210-732-4376 (HERO) or 911.

 

Picha said the program was not meant to replace or compete with auto insurance companies’ roadside assistance programs.

 

“Those often take awhile. We want to have some urgency,” Picha said. “We just really want people to know how dangerous it is for you to be sitting out there on the concrete with your vehicle. We talk about this all the time.”

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has launched an investigation after a tow truck operator called police on a Black Pickering family, leaving them stranded on the side of the road last weekend, nearly two hours away from their home.

 

Part of a confrontation was captured on camera, moments before police arrived and after the family said the driver had been verbally abusive towards them. CAA claims it was the other way around.

 

Brianne Smith says the CAA operator left the scene before police arrived, alleging that prior to their altercation he was growing increasingly “irate, aggressive and verbally abusive” during the service call that lasted less than one hour, repeatedly screaming at her mother and 80-year-old grandmother.

 

“It was a complete abuse of power,” Smith said. “He just wanted to inconvenience my family. He was comfortable with leaving us on the side of the road right from the beginning.”

 

Part of the altercation was posted to the 29-year-old’s Instagram page which appears to show her confronting the driver, repeatedly telling the employee, “I thought you were calling the cops.”

 

Smith also questioned why he was refusing to tow the vehicle, telling him he’s going to be fired and his face will be in the news. That’s when the uniformed CAA employee can be seen aggressively walking towards her, screaming for her to “F*** off and get away from me now.”

 

“I was wearing a mask, and he charged towards me without wearing a mask, and he’s using profane language,” Smith said.

 

Smith said she was not the aggressor in this situation, and the 45-second video doesn’t tell the whole story of how the CAA employee had been treating them prior to this interaction. She says she only said these things to him during the recording towards the end.

 

She added when they reached the checkpoint, he was shouting at them to leave his car even though they told him her grandmother was having a hard time getting out.

 

“What prompted me to start rolling was the fact that we had taken all that abuse moments prior to this situation,” she said. “The way he spoke to my grandma, yelling at my grandma, yelling at my mom. Using curse words.”

At that point, the operator contacted the other tow truck driver who was transporting the vehicle, telling him they would not be transporting the vehicle

 

CityNews has been in contact with a spokesperson for CAA South Central Ontario since late Wednesday evening, requesting a statement or interview in response to what happened. The initial statement from the company stated that the incident was regrettable, and they were looking to reach out to the member to resolve the issue.

 

The spokesperson claims the family took issue with the fact CAA would not drive them home due to COVID-19 restrictions, that they would therefore have to pay their own cab fare and that their tow was cancelled due to their “harassing behaviour.”

 

On Friday, the company requested an in-person interview with CityNews.

 

“That dispute escalated and the driver felt he was being called names and harassed,” said Tony Tsai, vice-president of Corporate Communications and Services with CAA South Central Ontario. “He was trying to help them to keep them safe and felt that they were treating him in a manner that was troubling.”

 

Tsai called the video disturbing, noting that it was an isolated incident but said the driver’s behaviour was “normal” in the vehicle. He also called him a good driver, adding there have never been complaints about him.

 

Smith called those claims false and they were not verbally harassing or demeaning the driver, adding that they were okay to pay for the cab ride but were inquiring because under other circumstances, transportation would have been provided.

 

Rather she adds, the CAA operator became irate because they were asking this question.

 

“He yelled to get the F out of my car,” Smith said. “He turned around and screamed in my mom and grandma’s face, like get out of my car. He’s screaming at them and threatening to call the police.”

 

At 9:41 p.m., CAA said the tow supervisor, who was “traumatized,” called the dispatcher who then authorized that the call be canceled.

 

Shortly after, at 9:53 p.m., the tow supervisor called back to explain the situation and “cancel the call.” Five minutes later, at 9:58 p.m. the member, Smith’s mother, called CAA because the family saw their vehicle being unloaded while driving by in their taxi.

 

Smith adds that the driver wouldn’t communicate to her where her vehicle would be dropped off, neither did the company and they only found out by “fluke.”

 

That’s also the time the OPP were called by the operator.

 

“I don’t know how three women, one extremely elderly with a bad knee can come off as threatening,” Smith said. “We were with him for all of five minutes. It didn’t make any sense.”

 

Tsai said they were going to inform the family of where their vehicle was being taken and arrange for a new tow, but the family called them first. He also adds they were arranging for another tow operator to come to the scene but then cancelled that call. The family claims they were never told of this.

 

In one of the email responses, the spokesperson had also said the family was yelling at the second driver and calling him names.

 

Tsai has since clarified, saying that the driver just “witnessed” their interaction at the lot.

 

He added the operator called police to de-escalate the situation, something the company empowers drivers to do in situations.

 

“He was losing control of the scene,” Tsai said. “So he wanted to call for some assistance.”

 

The OPP tells CityNews officers have spoken with both parties and they will not be investigating.

 

However, CAA has now launched an investigation, which included interviewing both drivers and said they will also be speaking with the family to get their side and ensure this doesn’t happen again.

 

“This was not an outcome we were happy with,” Tsai said. “We would never cancel a service on anyone for no good reason. So we really want to learn from this.”

 

Smith said they paid $600 for another tow truck company to pick up their vehicle at the lot.

 

“In a gesture of good will,” the company said they are offering to reimburse those fees.

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

Tow Truck drivers gathered in remembrance of Tristen Cother at Oakwood Church on Friday. Cother, 22, Tristan was a tow truck operator with his family's business, .

 

An 18-wheeler struck Cother, parked on the shoulder of Interstate 35 in Kyle, killing him on impact on Aug. 20, 2020. 

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

Images will be added as they become available.

 

From Tristen’s Family:
“We would like to thank everyone who has reached out to us from family, friends, tow brothers and sisters, customers, people we don't even know as well as our beautiful community. We want you to know that although we are not responding we have read every comment and message and are overwhelmed with the love and support offered us. We love hearing the many stories about Tristen.

Many of you have reached out to us asking how you can offer support. Tristen took great care of his wife, Sara, who we would like nothing more then to continue to provide for her needs. In lieu of flowers, we ask you to consider sending a love offering through the Ever Loving memorial site linked below.”

https://everloved.com/life-of/tristen-cother/

Thank you and God Bless you all,
with love,
Kenney and Jackie
(The Wrecker Man)

 

Highway Thru Hell

will soon return to the airways, following up on its eighth season, which made the show the most viewed on the Discovery network.

 

The tow-truck/heavy rescue show typically features B.C. Interior highways and neighbouring communities, including Hope, Merritt and occasionally Kamloops.

 

Highway Thru Hell's

ninth season will be its largest yet, with 18 episodes.

 

Season 9 will premiere at 7 p.m. on Sept. 14, while a Season 8 recap marathon will begin a week prior on Sept. 14, beginning at 3 a.m.

 

RESOURCE LINK

Truck connectivity is still in its infancy, but there are already tangible benefits being enjoyed by the trucking industry.

 

“It may seem like we’ve been collecting data for a long time, but we’re really just getting started,” said Doug Caley, Paccar engineering manager, when speaking at Trimble’s in.sight user conference.

 

But while connectivity may still be in the early stages — connected trucks have only been on the road for about five years — it has already had a profound impact on how trucks are diagnosed and serviced.

 

Managing Service Events

Connected trucks are able to streamline early diagnostics and triage processes when fault codes appear.

“It’s a really fundamental change to the way trucks have been serviced,” Caley said. “In the past…(technicians) didn’t really start on that truck until it rolled in and they could see what color that truck was before getting started on it.”

Next, it would be hooked to a diagnostic tool and troubleshot before the technician could recommend a course of action. Today, connected trucks submit health reports from the road. Technicians can evaluate the problem before the truck arrives at the shop, and when the truck arrives for repairs, the problem has already been identified and the necessary parts procured. But Caley acknowledged not all repair centers are used to this new norm, and may require some coaching from the fleets.

“This is not normal behavior for a dealer or repair facility,” he said. “Sometimes it takes some push from the customer to say, ‘I have this truck coming in, be ready for when the truck comes in so you can expedite that repair and minimize the amount of time.’”

Connected Truck as a Communication Tool

The connected truck can also improve communications between the end user, dealer, repair facility, and OEM.

Caley explained in the case of remote diagnostics, small nuggets of data are being pulled from the truck and fed into a “reasoning engine.” There, machine learning combines the data from that specific truck with information collected from historical failures and the broader truck population and makes a calculation on what could be wrong with the truck and what it will take to fix it. The diagnosis is shared with the fleet manager, dealer or technician, and the truck manufacturer itself.

Assisting with Truck Down Decisions

The connected truck can also assist with truck down decisions to reduce downtime.

 

Caley gave a real life example of a P011A fault code indicating a stalled coolant pump, which can cause the truck to overheat and damage the engine. But it could also be much less serious sensor failure, which wouldn’t necessitate an immediate repair.

 

“What do you do with that truck? You can pull over right away and call a tow truck,” Caley noted. “Or you can make the decision to run with it until you’ve either completed the load or, potentially to your next PM cycle. There is a lot of difference in the cost and impact to your business depending on which one of those decisions you make. The goal of remote diagnostics is to allow you to make that decision and to choose the decision that keeps that truck on the road as long as possible.”

 

In the case of the stalled coolant pump fault code, “Someone who knows how to read it can see what the temperature was doing,” Caley explained. “If the coolant pump stopped circulating, you will see coolant temperatures rising. If it’s rising, you really don’t have any choice but to tow that truck in – the engine is no longer cooling properly.”

 

In that case, a fleet is looking at one or two days of downtime to get the truck repaired at the nearest repair facility and has to cover the load. If, on the other hand, the engine temperature isn’t rising, it is likely a faulty sensor. That can be quickly confirmed by a technician and the truck sent back on its way.

 

“The difference is between a couple of days of downtime, and a couple hours of downtime,” Caley said.

Over-the-Air Updates

Connected trucks can receive software updates over the air, eliminating a visit to the shop.

 

“Over-the-air updating saves a lot of steps,” Caley said. Rather than bringing the truck to the dealer and needing a diagnostics session to determine if an update is available, drivers now receive a notification when an update is ready and can perform the update themselves while parked in a safe location.

 

“What could be a trip to the dealer can be a very quick repair,” said Caley.

Predictive Diagnostics

In addition to collecting data from your own trucks, OEMs are also feeding that data into a larger database with their full population of vehicles where machine learning can be used to begin predicting failures before they happen.

“Now we can say, we recognize these symptoms. Nothing has failed yet, but it’s going to fail based upon those symptoms,” said Caley. “That’s the holy grail of doing this. We can watch all these trucks and predict what’s going wrong long before it does and do that repair in a PM cycle rather than having to take the truck off the road.”

 

The challenge, however, is ensuring they’re right. Recommending fleets pull parts before they’ve actually broken won’t sit well if those parts weren’t, in fact, on the brink of failure.

 

“We don’t want to say, ‘Hey, change this part,’ and be wrong,” Caley said. “We have to be very confident that yes, that part really does need to be changed. That’s what we’re working towards – being able to predict failures before they happen.”

 

The collection of all this data also allows OEMs such as Paccar to improve enhanced vehicle guidance, or user recommendations, to improve uptime. And ultimately, it will help them build more reliable trucks in the future since they can identify problematic trends across a broad population of vehicles.

 

RESOURCE LINK

https://fox4kc.com/news/family-friends-and-fellow-drivers-light-up-the-sky-for-18-year-old-killed-on-highway/

 

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tow truck drivers from all over the metro gathered Thursday night to honor a fallen driver and raise awareness about an important issue.

 

Blake Gresham was just 18 years old when he was fatally struck by a driver while he was working to help a motorist.

Every year, friends, family members and fellow drivers turn their lights on at Berkley Riverfront Park to ‘Light up the Sky’ for Blake.

 

In the years since his death in 2012, his family and their company GT Tow, have worked to raise awareness about moving over for tow truck drivers.

 

They established a non-profit called ‘Move Over For Blake’ and fought to pass legislation that includes tow truck drivers in the state’s move over law.

 

Merchandise raised from the non-profit goes to fund billboards reminding drivers to move over.

 

You can find out how to support the cause here.

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

First, this past Wednesday August 26, 2020 a 22 year old tow truck driver lost his life. Reports state that the young tow truck driver who was not wearing a seat belt was also texting at the time of the accident. Few details are available at this time. If someone has access to the news story please fill in the gaps.

 

The Company Aus-Tex Towing & Recovery, LLC released this statement on their FB Page.

 

We hear of tow truck operator fatalities way too often.
Last night we lost one of our own. Please say a prayer for our driver, his family, and his co-workers.
Don’t take this life for granted!

 

Link to VIDEO: https://www.kake.com/clip/15125904/more-distracted-driving-crashes

 

(KAKE) - Besides first responders, there's another group of people who see crashes from distracted driving first-hand: tow truck drivers.

 

KIDD's Tow Truck driver Ryan Ritthaler says that the crashes are becoming a daily occurrence.

 

"Honestly, it's scary," he admits.  "Everyone's on their phone now days it's just kind of the way of life. Unfortunately they don't get to see the side of it we see."

 

Ritthaler says that approximately 50-60% of the crashes he sees are related to cell phone usage. 

Ten years ago, he adds, that number was about 20%. 

 

He added that many tow truck drivers are hit by distracted drivers while on the road, and that he'd like to see Kansas transition to a "hands-free" state: a state that prohibits driving while using a hand-held cellphone.

 

Last year, KAKE News sat in on high school students who tried testing their texting and driving skills on a simulator. The results were not pretty.

 

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, in 2018, teenagers from 14 to 19 years old accounted for more crashes than any other age group.

 

That same year, six Kansans died with their phones in their hands, a sight that Ryan and his co-workers are unfortunately used to.

 

"It's more of a full speed ax instead of a slower-paced ax," Ritthaler said.

 

There is a way to stop the temptation to pick up the phone. Apps like Life Saver lock your phone while the car is in motion. Another app, called Down for the Count, lets you earn rewards for safe driving. Both of these are high-tech solutions to a deadly problem.

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

 

 

 

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – A Hampton-based tow truck company is suing the city for $800,000 for allegedly breaching its contract.

 

“You have to stand up for what’s right,” said Wesley Ashe, owner of 3:16 towing.

 

In 2015, Ashe’s company was added to the Hampton Police Division’s on-call list for towing. That’s a rotational list that is used every time a wrecker is needed.

 

Last year, Ashe — with help from police and approval from the city attorney — began a cleanup program to sweep up debris and sop up spills.

 

“You have car wrecks and they leave a nasty mess behind,” Ashe said.

 

In January, the company was suddenly removed from the on-call list. Ashe was told he was overcharging, a claim he says isn’t true.

 

“From the ground up, we had approval with everything,” Ashe said.

 

Ashe was forced to leave Hampton. He’s had to sell several trucks. Others were repossessed. 

 

“It sucks,” Ashe added. “I’m a tough guy and I’m a proud person, but it sucks. It really sucks. I can’t come up with a better word than that.”

 

With his company hanging on by a thread, Ashe decided to take the city to court.

 

“When you had a clear path and you never saw it coming, it is really devastating,” he said.

 

Ashe says he didn’t want to go down this path, but he just felt there was no choice.

 

“We could have talked about things and done things a different way, but there was no talking about anything,” Ashe added.

 

10 On Your Side reached out city officials and we were told no one would comment on pending litigation. 

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

Activists demand the city speeds up process of creating a Zion Cemetery Memorial Park

 

TAMPA — Feeling like the process of creating a memorial park on erased Zion Cemetery’s property is moving too slow, activists are demanding the city of Tampa expedite the process.

 

The city has already agreed to help form a nonprofit charged with buying the land along the 3700 block of N Florida Ave., which is now split between three owners. That is underway.

 

But members of a Zion advisory committee want the city to offer the owners a land swap deal and do so immediately.

Then, demolition of the buildings on that land can begin and the park can be built.

 

“Can anybody explain to me why we haven’t moved forward on this?” Hillsborough County NAACP president Yvette Lewis said during the committee’s monthly meeting held virtually on Thursday. “We are just talking the talk and wasting our breath and my time.”

 

Assistant city attorney Toyin Aina–Hargrett told the meeting attendees that the city has not discussed that option with the property owners. She did not comment further.

 

Formed in July 2019 in reaction to a Tampa Bay Times report questioning if bodies were still there, the committee vowed at the first meeting to create a Zion memorial park if there were. Archaeologists confirmed the existence of coffins the next month with ground-penetrating radar.

 

Established in 1901, white developers later purchased the 2.5-acre cemetery and began building over it in 1929.

The city, knowing a cemetery was there, granted the building permits.

 

The headstones were removed but not the bodies.

 

The Tampa Housing Authority purchased a little less than half the Zion land in 1950 and built five of its 67 Robles Park Village apartment buildings on it. Human remains were discovered and identified as belonging to Zion during construction, but work was not halted.

 

Richard Gonzmart purchased around half of Zion’s land for warehouse space in 2016 and Dennis Creech bought a small piece for his tow lot that same year. Neither knew the property was once a cemetery.

 

The Housing Authority will donate their Zion land to the memorial park. Gonzmart and Creech have offered to sell their land.

 

The Hillsborough County Property Appraiser lists Creech’s property as worth $80,000 and Gonzmart’s $690,000.

But “their land is now worthless” because it is a cemetery, Reva Iman, president of the Robles Park Village Tenants Council, said. “Someone has to help those owners and the city is in a position to do that.”

 

Gonzmart could not be reached for comment.

 

Creech is open to a land swap.

 

“I am okay with whatever we can do to resolve this,” he told the Times. “I just need something I can use for my towing business.”

 

RESOURCE LINK

Vacaville Man Says Neighbor Helped Save His Home As Fire Torched Property

 

 

18-wheeler crash in Kyle kills 22-year-old; driver arrested after leaving scene

 

 

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A man has been arrested after a crash resulted in the death of a 22-year-old early Thursday morning on Interstate 35 in Kyle.

 

Kyle police say Jose Luis Juarez, of Laredo, was driving an 18-wheeler north on Interstate 35 near mile marker 217 when the truck hit a box and tow truck parked on the right shoulder of northbound I-35. The tow truck driver, 22-year-old Tristen Cother, was killed on impact, according to police.

 

Both the tow truck driver and box truck driver were outside their vehicles when the crash happened. The operator of the box truck was hurt and taken to the hospital where he has been treated for his injuries, police say.

 

Police say Juarez, the driver of the 18-wheeler, attempted to leave the scene of the crash and was later arrested with help from the Hays County Sheriff’s Office. Juarez is in custody and has been charged with Accident Involving Death.

 

Kyle police received the call at 4:51 a.m. Thursday. I-35 has been cleared of debris and has reopened to traffic.

 

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

 

The 22-year-old tow truck driver was killed on impact.

 

 

 

 

DeWitt, N.Y. — A Syracuse man was ticketed after police said he struck the truck of a state worker who was parked along Interstate 481 helping change someone’s flat tire, leading to a multi-vehicle crash.

 

The crash happened on I-481 north, near Jamesville Road, around 6:07 p.m. Monday. DeWitt police said state Department of Transportation Highway Emergency Local Patrol (H.E.L.P) truck was parked on the side of the highway. The worker was changing a flat tire on a disabled van when Joshua Olin, 31, failed to move over from the right lane and struck the H.E.L.P truck.

 

Olin’s vehicle then struck the van, which subsequently hit the H.E.L.P worker. The H.E.L.P worker suffered minor injuries, police said. No one was inside the disabled van at the time.

 

Olin’s vehicle then struck a third vehicle that was parked on the shoulder of the highway, sending that vehicle across traffic and down an embankment.

 

 

Olin was ticketed for failure to yield the right of way for an emergency vehicle (Move Over Law) and for driving on the shoulder.

 

State Farm and the state DOT team up to provide H.E.L.P., a program that provides assistance to motorists along access interstate roadways, parkways and expressways throughout the state.

 

Along with DeWitt police, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, DeWitt Fire Department and AMR Ambulance responded to the scene.

 

Emergency crews detoured traffic off I-481 North at Exit 2, onto Jamesville Road in DeWitt, for a little more than an hour after the crash.

 

 

DeWitt Police Chief Chase Bilodeau said in a statement that the crash is a reminder of the importance for drivers to move over for emergency vehicles when they are stopped on the roadway with their emergency lights activated.

 

RESOURCE LINK

https://www.wmbfnews.com/2020/08/20/north-myrtle-beach-leaders-stand-by-ordinance-curb-predatory-towing/

A  Zanesville Highway Patrol trooper was struck while sitting in his cruiser On I-70 early Thursday morning.

 

 Investigators says just after 1:00 am Trooper Ted Davis was completing an on-scene investigation of a two vehicle accident near Gratiot in the westbound lanes with his emergency lights activated when Patricia Grant of Concord, North Carolina struck Davis’ cruiser in the rear. 

 

The cruiser was then pushed into a wrecker owned by A-One Towing of Zanesville, which was on scene due to the previous crash.   Grant was taken by MidFlight to Grant Hospital in Columbus with non-life threatening injuries. 

 

Trooper Davis was taken to Genesis Hospital with minor injuries.  The crash remains under investigation.

 

RESOURCE LINK

Waterloo Regional Police have released a video of a tow truck driver who fended off two suspects during an attempted robbery in Kitchener on Monday morning.

 

Police say the incident occurred at Active Towing on Victoria Street during the early morning hours.

In the video, a man appears to be watching the gate as a tow truck drives past.

 

A different angle then appears to show the man chasing the suspects around the compound before being allegedly attacked by the pair.

 

Police say the victim suffered minor injuries after being hit in the hand by bolt-cutters.

 

They are describing the men as being white and in their mid-20s to mid-30s.

 

https://globalnews.ca/video/7286811/tow-truck-fends-off-pair-of-thieves-in-kitchener-compound