TowNews

 

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TAMPA, Fla. - A parade of tow trucks wound across Davis Islands last night, but there was no accident and no wrecked cars needed a tow.

 

Instead, the tow truck drivers were sending a message of thanks to the staff at Tampa General Hospital. The 6-day-old daughter of a member of the Tampa Bay tow family, Robert Reichold, is in TGH’s NICU unit.

 

He says the staff has taken her from near death to greatly improved.

 

"This is an appreciation,” he explained. “Being first responders ourselves, this was something to give back to TGH. We're out here, too. We know what's going on. We're out here in the fight."

 

Reichold's wife works at TGH as well.

 

The tow drivers also wanted to thank the hospital for their work and sacrifices during the pandemic.

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

 

 

South Bay nurse says fear over her contact with COVID-19 patients caused tow company to refuse service

 

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- In the South Bay, a nurse on the front line says concern over her contact with COVID-19 patients kept her stranded on the side of the road with a blown out tire.

Meg King was on her way to work when her tire blew out in Watsonville, Sunday morning. Waiting at the end of her hour-long drive, was a full 12-hour shift.

"You cannot be late as a nurse. Really. It causes problems for everybody," King explained. "Because somebody has been working 12-and-a-half hours and they're waiting for me to come in so that I can take their patients. So they can go home."

 

King reached out to AAA.

The company required her to answer several COVID-19-related questions. One specifically asked about whether she'd come into contact with an infected person.

She answered yes.

Stuck on the side of the road, King was told help was not coming.

"I believe that they did not pick me up because I had answered that I had taken care of COVID-19 patients," King told ABC7 News.

 

She said the AAA agent had named Rossi's Towing.

On Rossi's company website, it calls itself "Santa Cruz's one and only AAA towing service provider," servicing Santa Cruz County.

ABC7 News reached out to both AAA and Rossi's Towing to learn what happened, and why King would've been left without help.

In a statement to ABC7 News , AAA said in-part, "AAA Northern California is aware of this incident involving a healthcare worker and AAA member over the weekend. We spoke to the member today and have both apologized and acknowledged this situation was not handled in the best way."

The company explained, "In this case, there was limited tow service coverage in her area."

AAA would not elaborate on whether Rossi's was involved in its response.

ABC7 News reaches out to Rossi's Towing on Wednesday.

The company supplied the following statement on Thursday:

"Rossi's Towing is an Independent Contract Station for the AAA network. AAA has provided protocols to follow during this unprecedented pandemic. These protocols are in place for the benefit of members as well as our team of drivers to reduce exposure to COVID-19. We at Rossi's Towing are re-evaluating our protocols, guiding and coaching our team daily with new ways to handle challenges that come up while continuing to provide service to the motoring public. Our sincerest apologies go out to Ms. King for this unfortunate occurrence."

 

Responding to questions about new measures during COVID-19, the AAA statement read:
"During this challenging time, we are taking preventative measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, while operating as an essential service. Members are asked to respond to health-related screening questions before providing service to protect both our drivers and members. If a member answers affirmatively to any of the screening questions, we connect them with a specialized servicing team that works to find a safe solution."

"After the so-called 'specialized team' talked to her, she sat for another half-hour," King's husband, Henry Ross told ABC7 News. "Until someone told her that Rossi's refused to pick her up. Those were the words. There was no ambiguity about that."

Instead, a passing California Highway Patrol officer helped King get back on the road more than 90 minutes later.

"In all honesty, if they had just said that in the first place- like at 6:30 when I called. If they said, 'The driver's scared, is worried about getting COVID-19 and bringing it home to his family,' I honestly would've been fine and understood that," King told ABC7 News.

 

In the statement by AAA, the company explained, "We were unable to locate an available truck to provide her timely service so we offered to call the CHP or another service option. The member was understandably frustrated with the time it took to address her road service issue. As is our protocol to help ensure the safety of our members, we stayed on the call until, in this case, the CHP reached her."

King disputes there was any offer to call the CHP. Instead, she said the AAA agent instructed her to call 9-1-1 for help.

 

King's husband, clearly frustrated, added he knows his wife is a hero in this pandemic.

"This is such hard work. It takes too much out of you," he said. "And to add this on top..."

King said after the ordeal, she was able to get in touch with a representative at Rossi's Towing who denied the company ever got the call for service.

She and her husband both shared their dissatisfaction at Rossi's and AAA, as they've received no clear explanation about why she was refused service.

ABC7 News has reached out to Rossi's Towing about the incident. The company has not yet responded.

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

Corey Iodice, a well known Tow Operator lost his life Wednesday night. The tragic incident happened on the Merritt Parkway in Trumbull. Reports coming in that he was loading a vehicle onto a rollback when an accident occurred.

 

Tow truck driver hit, killed in major Merritt Parkway crash in Trumbull

 

TRUMBULL — The driver of a local tow truck was hit and killed in a major crash Wednesday afternoon that shut down a stretch of the Merritt Parkway for hours.

 

Troopers from the Connecticut State Police Troop G barrack in Bridgeport responded to Route 15 south in the area of Exit 47 for a reported crash around 4:45 p.m., according to Trooper First Class Christine Jeltema.

First responders on scene indicated over dispatch broadcasts that there were three “walking wounded” and one “DOA.”

 

Corey John Iodice, 58, of Magnolia Avenue in Seffner, Fla., was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a state police accident report.

 

Iodice was driving an Iodice Family Transport tow truck, which operates out of Fairfield.

 

The website for IFT said Iodice had more than 30 years of “towing and heavy recovery expertise.”

 

He was there to tow the disabled vehicle of a 25-year-old Bridgeport man.

 

A third vehicle on scene was driven by a friend of the Bridgeport man, who he called for a ride.

 

While Iodice was loading the disabled vehicle onto the tow truck, the report said, a 46-year-old Weston man driving in the right lane, “lost control for unknown reasons,” and hit the vehicles of the two Bridgeport men.

 

The Weston man’s vehicle then continued “up the bed” of the tow truck and hit Iodice, “who was standing adjacent to the flat bed portion of the tow truck,” the state police report said.

 

The report said the Weston man’s vehicle then rolled on its roof and came to a rest on the right shoulder of the highway.

 

Medics pronounced Iodice dead at the crash site, state police said.

 

The drivers of the other three vehicles were evaluated by medical personnel on scene and declined to be transported to the hospital.

 

The highway reopened to traffic by 9:15 p.m.

 

The crash remains under investigation by state police.

 

Please keep the Iodice Family in your Thoughts & Prayers.

 

NEW LINK ADDED https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Major-rollover-crash-on-Merritt-Parkway-in-15219281.php

 

 

Found on the Fairfield Police Department FB Page:

How to manage unanticipated roadside events

Handling the before, during, and after of an unexpected heavy duty vehicle tow or recovery.

by: Erica Schueller

 

Downtime is the antithesis of productivity for a fleet operation. When that downtime is unexpected, or becomes an emergency situation, it is even more integral to have a plan in place to efficiently and effectively respond to issues, so the problem does not get exponentially worse.

 

When an emergency roadside situation occurs, a safe and organized response is crucial. Adhering to these critical steps can minimize not only the loss or damage of cargo but also protect and potentially save the lives of the driver and others on the road who may be in jeopardy.

 

Having a plan in place to handle the before, during, and after of an unexpected tractor tow or vehicle recovery can help fleets to better plan for these events.

Prep when possible

In preparation for the unexpected, fleets should first vet and select one or several towing and recovery service providers that best suits their needs. When selecting a service provider, review the network they serve. There may be instances where a fleet runs outside of the network, or a fleet may require a nationwide network to provide service.

 

Once a service provider is selected, the fleet should apply to be added to the towing and recovery company’s account base. Information such as the main fleet contact, purchasing agent, accounts payable staff, and fleet manager should all be provided to the tow company, says Randy Resch, tow operator expert and owner of Randall Resch Training.

 

Brian Riker suggests dedicated mobile maintenance providers may specialize in certain vehicles or systems, while dedicated towing service providers who also provide some mobile maintenance services may likely offer more general services. Riker is president and chief compliance specialist for Fleet Compliance Solutions, a transportation compliance consulting company for the commercial vehicle market.

 

Additionally, “they may be more inclined to tow the breakdown into their shop rather than repair it roadside,” Riker advises.

 

He adds that service providers will also take into consideration how quickly their tower can get off the side of the road.

 

“On average, a tower or mobile mechanic is struck by a passing vehicle once every six days in the U.S.,” he says.

 

Read the Entire Article HERE

The statewide stay-at-home order has been dimming everyone’s plans lately.

Among those arguably hit the hardest are children that have had to celebrate their birthdays AT HOME!

While we understand as adults the importance of social distancing, it’s not the easiest thing to explain to the little ones.

However, our community rallied together recently for one Springfield child to have a birthday to remember.

Malcolm turned 3 this month but he wasn’t able to have a party.

His mother, Jessi Gray, says Malcolm has autism and loves sirens and lights.

She made a Facebook post for friends and family to organize a small parade to celebrate through social distancing, but things escalated quickly.

Gray says a driver from Integrity Towing reached out because of the post and several other companies followed suit.

On the day of Malcom’s parade, friends, family and complete strangers came to wave and drop off candy and gifts.

There were tow trucks and wreckers lining the street from Integrity Towing, Affordable Towing, RPM Towing, Floyd’s Wrecker Service, UAR, and Finley River Towing.

The Springfield Police and Fire Department also showed up to show off their lights and sirens.

Ozarks Flag Distributors even brought a large truck carrying a flag, which Malcolm loved!

Malcolm’s third birthday was held under quarantine, but it was definitely one to remember.

Watch part of Malcolm’s parade here:

 

https://www.ktts.com/2020/04/19/boy-from-springfield-gets-tow-truck-parade-in-lieu-of-a-party-this-year/

 

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Tow trucks from all around Tallahassee lit up the campuses of local hospitals, saying thank you to healthcare workers.

 

The trucks paraded around, showing signs of love and support.

 

From Tallahassee Memorial to Capital Regional, a parade unlike any other.

 

Over 30 tow trucks sending a message of gratitude to those working on the front lines.

 

Beeps of love and thanks as tow trucks from all around the Capital city say:

 

“Thank you so much for everything that you’re doing for us and for our community, and putting your lives on the line everyday to keep us safe, “ said Jennifer Bay, the owner of A-Bay Towing and RJC Towing.

 

Jennifer Bay and her family coordinated the parade, getting tow truckers to shine their lights in a dark time, letting healthcare workers know just how much they are appreciated as they change shifts.

 

“A lot of them feel unappreciated, they don’t think people care about them," said Chad Whitfield, a tow truck driver with McGuffey’s Towing in Tallahassee. "But we do. That’s why we’re here tonight.”

 

All of them, competitors on most days, but for one night they're united as one.

 

“Whenever it comes to something like this we put our competitors temptation to the side and come together as brothers and sisters,” Whitfield said.

 

While this is a scary time for many, they want lift up those fighting COVID-19.

 

”Hospitals and nurses and everybody," said Bay, "doctors, ambulance drivers, everybody, firefighters how much we appreciate everything their doing.”

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

 

Autocar Press Release:

We are proud to announce the delivery of the first production model DC™-64R conventional roll-off to WCA Waste Corporation of Houston, TX.

 

DC-64R

 

In May, 2019, Autocar partnered with WCA Waste Corporation to produce our first collaborative effort; a result of careful planning and production.

 

“The three C’s of a healthy relationship are communication, compromise and commitment. WCA Waste was the right partner, and we learned to communicate, to compromise, and to stay committed so that trust was established and extraordinary results were created. This has been a long time coming.” - Jimmy Johnston, Autocar® President

 

DC-64

From TruckScience 04.17.20: We ran our 'Axle Weight Calculator Basics' webinar for NTEA members in Argentina, Mexico, Canada and United States yesterday. 86% of respondents rated it 'Excellent' 😊. Watch it back now and let us know if you'd like an invite to the next webinar in the series, 'Vehicle Weight Management Strategies'.

 

 

One person suffers life-threatening injuries after tow leads to chase, shooting in KC

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One person has life-threatening injuries Tuesday night after a shooting near the Raytown-Kansas City border.

 

Police said the incident began in Raytown as a disturbance call involving the towing of a vehicle. A spokesperson for the tow company told FOX4 they were called for a police impound tow, and officers left before the car was secured.

 

Police then said a chase between the two vehicles ensued. According to the tow company, the driver of the car began chasing the tow truck driver.

 

The chase continued into Kansas City where it ended in a shooting near E. 59th Street and Marion Avenue.

 

One person has life-threatening injuries, police said, though they could not confirm who. The tow company did say, however, that the tow truck driver shot at the other driver.

 

Police could not confirm if anyone was in custody at this time.

 

Police said they are just beginning their investigation and will release more information as it’s confirmed.

 

RESOURCE LINK

SOUTH BEND — The city Board of Public Works on Tuesday granted a second three-month extension to the contractor handling police towing to give the city more time to consider bids from four companies seeking a share of the work.

 

ASAP Towing & Recovery, which has been the exclusive provider of towing services for the South Bend Police Department since 2016, will continue through July under the extension granted Tuesday morning.

The city decided to seek new bids for the police towing work after reporting by The Tribune last fall raised questions about the city’s handling of the exclusive contract.

 

In December, the Board of Public Works extended the agreement with ASAP until April to allow time to seek new proposals for the work. The city later said it would seek to divide the work between two companies. Four companies submitted proposals last month to be one of the two firms to share the police towing.

 

During the board’s meeting Tuesday, board president Gary Gilot said a committee scoring the bids needs more time to evaluate them and “do this thing right.”

 

The board unanimously approved extending the agreement with ASAP to July 31.

 

“I do hope they can get it done in that time,” Gilot said during the meeting, which was held by video conference because of the coronavirus outbreak. “We’ve extended it a half-year now, so hopefully that’s enough time to get the bids and evaluate, interview the people submitting proposals and make a decision.”

 

In the new round of bidding, the city received proposals from ASAP, Hamilton Towing, Tony’s Mobil Service and Vic’s Towing & Recovery.

 

The city has long used private towing companies to remove crashed and impounded vehicles for the police department. Those companies traditionally have not been paid by the city, but bill vehicle owners directly.

 

Until 2016, a rotation of five companies took turns handling police towing requests. Then, the city decided to dissolve the rotation and award the work to a sole contractor.

 

The Tribune’s reporting last year documented how the city awarded the exclusive agreement to ASAP, even though other companies complained they never knew of the city’s plan to seek a sole provider until it was too late.

 

The Tribune found ASAP had spent more than $100,000 to more than double the size of its storage yard — more than two months before the city publicly sought bids for the exclusive contract. The company also bought a new wrecker for more than $90,000 in the weeks before the city advertised the contract.

City officials have said the city met its legal obligation by twice printing advertisements for the contract in the newspaper.

 

The Tribune also found the city twice renewed ASAP’s one-year contract without seeking bids, despite exercising little oversight and collecting little data to measure the company’s performance. ASAP has performed upward of 3,000 tows a year for the police department since 2016, according to data released by the city. The agreement allows the company to charge a minimum of $145 for wrecks and $165 for impounds.

 

RESOURCE LINK

Nancy, Eddie, Mickey and Bill Knight - 1994

 

After more than 50 years in business, Knight Auto Care Center closed its doors Friday for the last time.

Owners Eddie and Nancy Knight are retiring – a little sooner than planned – and hope to sell the business to someone as dedicated to serving their customers as they have been over the years.

 

The Knights had planned to retire in June. After notifying their employees of that decision, some have moved on to other jobs. They were a little shorthanded, and with the pandemic going on, business is slow. Closing now will give their remaining employees a chance to find other good jobs, Nancy Knight said.

 

“We’re just in a position where we’re able to close, and at our age, we just want to go on and open another chapter in our lives and get on with it,” she said. “This might sell next week and it might not sell for who knows how long.”

 

Leaving the customers who have come to rely on them is difficult.

 

“You hate to close up and not have it sold to someone that can take over for your customers,” Nancy said. Eddie agreed.

 

“That’s the worst part of it,” he said.

 

Nancy called it “the biggest regret we have actually. We’ve kind of done it all of a sudden here, but most of them understand.”

 

Eddie added, “This (pandemic) had kind of accelerated our putting it down.”

 

It all started in 1966, when boyhood friends Bill Knight and Jack Maher left Heavin Motors and struck out on their own, renting a Quonset hut on Water Street from Hermet Muegge to open Knight & Maher, a two-man auto repair shop. A year later they purchased the property and opened a parts store in the building in front of their shop. Maher ran K&M Auto Parts and Knight ran the repair shop.

 

Wrecker service was added in 1968 and 15-year-old Eddie, Bill’s son, was old enough to work at the parts store and go on wrecker calls.

 

“When I got mad at my dad I’d quit for three or four months and go work at a station,” Eddie laughed. “I did that a couple, two or three times.”

 

Eddie graduated from Salem High School in 1971 and married the former Nancy Arnett in August. He was working full-time for his father by that time. Bill’s partner, Jack Maher, was stricken with cancer and died in 1972, leaving Bill to carry on. After his death, Bill’s wife Mickey pitched in and helped with the bookwork.

 

Bill Knight decided to go into the used car business in 1972, but the lot was small. In 1977 a deal was struck to buy the adjoining property, which became the auto sales lot and parking for the wreckers.

 

Many years later, it became the site of the new Knight Auto Care building. In 1979, an addition was built on the parts store building that included a dedicated auto sales office.

 

By 1989, Bill and Mickey were ready to retire and sold their interest to Eddie and Nancy. Over the next few years, the parts store was remodeled, a new phone system added and computers were installed. In 1993, Car Quest Auto Parts became the supplier and the whole store and signage got a makeover.

 

Soon Eddie was approached by Delano Oil of St. James about putting in a Fast Lube store. Plans were soon underway to build a two-bay lube and eight-bay general repair shop. The new location opened in September 1996.

 

Bill, who had always helped out after his retirement and worked hard in helping with the move to the new building, was diagnosed with cancer later that fall and died Jan. 10, 1997.

 

“He worried if we’d bit off more than we could chew,” Nancy said. “This was quite an investment.”

 

Eddie dedicated himself to making the new Fast Lube a success. The decision was made in 2004 to close the Car Quest parts store and rent the building out. In 2007, the Knights sold most of their tow trucks to Whitaker’s Towing and gave up their AAA affiliation.

 

Nancy remembers the towing service days.

 

“It was pretty exciting sometimes, pretty fun sometimes, pretty tragic sometimes,” she said. “I don’t miss that either, the 24-hour business.

 

“We’ve kind of backpedaled. We built up all these new things for years, and now we’re going back the other way. We just can’t handle it all anymore.”

 

At one time they employed 12 or 13 people when the parts store and wrecker service were still going. That number dropped to seven in recent years.

 

Eddie said the auto repair business is nothing like it was in the old days.

 

“Everything’s changed,” he said. “It used to be all handwritten tickets and manuals and now everything’s all electronic and computerized. You’ve got to have a lot of information to keep up on these cars because we work on all makes and models.”

 

After so many years in the business, he admitted it will be hard to adjust to retirement.

 

“I’ll probably try to come to work anyway,” he laughed.

 

“He’s been down here at 7 o’clock every morning pretty much his whole life,” Nancy said. “He’s put in some hours. But I think he’s always really enjoyed it up until probably the last couple of years.”

 

Eddie said he’ll miss his customers. His clientele has changed over the years.

 

“A lot of them have come and gone, passed away,” he said.

 

“You’ve got your faithful customers that are always a joy to work with just like any other place you work with the public,” Nancy said.

 

As for their retirement plans, they bought a motorhome about a year ago and eventually plan on traveling.

 

“Until this (pandemic) is over we’re just going to enjoy staying put,” she said. “Enjoy our yard and our house.”

 

They’re now at a point with the business where they would have to upgrade to stay ahead of the curve. “We had to either get in or get out, and if we stayed ahead of everything like we always have, we’d have to go spend some money and we’d rather spend it running around,” Nancy said.

 

Eddie pointed out that there aren’t as many people going into the automotive field as there used to be. That will likely turn around with the growing emphasis on trade schools, but that’s years down the road, Nancy said.

 

Right now, they’re looking forward to retirement after decades serving the Salem community.

 

“We just want people to know how much we’ve appreciated their business over the years,” she said.

 

“We’re a little sad, but it’s just time.”

 

RESOURCE LINK

Coronavirus risks: Tow truck drivers can now get free COVID-19 testing at sites for first responders, but sanitizer, masks in short supply

 

Jason Battey, The heavy duty manager and driver at Red’s Towing, Recovery and Transport in West springfield. Before leaving he cleans his cab and after a pick up he will clean. Supplies are dwindling and they're difficult to get. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

 

The Statewide Towing Association has expressed concern over the vulnerability of its members amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Drivers frequently come into contact with people without the protective equipment that other first responders have. But the organization has now received word that tow drivers have been given permission to receive the free COVID-19 testing at sites for first responders.

 

On Monday afternoon, Statewide Towing Association President Bill Johnson received notice from the Office of Public Safety saying that tow truck drivers with a Department of Public Utilities certificate and that are engaged in public authority towing are now able to go to the first responders testing sites.

 

The decision comes after an email was sent to Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.

 

“We are out here on the front lines and are the forgotten,” wrote Johnson. “I am sure you are busy, but I really did not know whom else to reach out to.”

 

The sites are located at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and the Eastern States Exposition, home of the Big E, in West Springfield for testing if they show symptoms.

 

“I got confirmation yesterday afternoon,” said Johnson who has been working closely with state government officials. “We will be allowed to [be tested at the sites].”

 

Lt. Governor Polito didn’t comment directly on the decision but the Executive Office of Public Safety sent out a statement.

 

“As thousands of people are tested every day across the commonwealth, we are constantly assessing the demand, capacity, and capabilities of the priority testing sites in Foxborough and West Springfield,” said a spokesperson for EOPS.

 

Red’s Towing, Recovery and Transport in West Springfield covers the entire New England area, picking up stranded passengers that have had their vehicles fail, regardless of the weather, time of day or pandemic. However, the owner of Red’s, Gary Sheenan, has been increasingly concerned over the risks his staff are having to take on a daily basis.

 

The Statewide Towing Association was formed in 1970 by a handful of concerned towers to advocate for the Massachusetts towing industry. They have grown to represent 160 members across the state.

 

They have been able to supply 57 towing companies with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer who have asked for help on a case by case basis.

 

Red’s received two boxes of gloves, one box of 10 N95 masks and a bag of 10 bottles of hand sanitizer. This won’t last long with the daily pick-ups the drivers do and Sheenan has found it difficult to source this protective equipment from elsewhere.

 

“We’re pretty much left to fend for ourselves. Everywhere you go you can’t find anything you need,” said Red’s Operations Manager Ben Scott. “Even disinfecting the truck, the wipes are slim pickings.”

 

Sheenan expressed that he would buy masks, gloves and PPE tomorrow if he could but he can’t find it anywhere. He told MassLive that it’s all being bought up by the state for hospitals and other emergency services.

 

RESOURCE LINK

PITTSTON, PA (WNEP) -- Tow truck companies are taking a hard hit during this health crisis.

Joe Lokuta has owned Lokuta’s Towing in Pittston Township since 1966.

 

“We normally do 800 calls a month, and we’re probably down, we didn’t count it exactly, we’re down around 200, maybe 250 calls a month," said Lokuta.

 

One day recently, Lokuta took four calls. Normally, he takes 35 per day.

 

With people staying home during this crisis, he has having to make tough decisions.

 

“We didn’t lay anybody off yet. We’re trying not to, but in all these years of business I’ve never seen it so, so bad.”

 

Lokuta is trying to stay positive and says despite how bad business is right now, there is a silver lining to fewer vehicles on the roads.

 

“It makes it a little safer on the highways, especially (Interstate) 81, because you always hear tow truck drivers getting hit and killed," he said.

 

Lokuta hopes he is able to weather this storm, other towing companies, too, and come out OK on the other side.

 

“I just don’t know what’s going to happen, but I hope this straightens out soon.”

 

RESOURCE LINK

A tow truck driver notified police after being called to remove Frank E. Ryan’s truck from a location he thought was suspicious.

 

A man free on bond — after allegedly trying to murder someone by rerouting a gas line into their Kane County home — has been arrested again on charges of carrying a shotgun near the victim’s Elburn home, prosecutors say.

 

Frank E. Ryan, 33, faces a count of unlawful possession of a firearm, aggravated use of a weapon and violation of a bail bond, the Kane County state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.

 

Ryan, of rural Waterman, was allegedly driving in a pickup truck early April 9 when he got stuck in mud behind a building in the 800 block of Hicks Drive and called for a tow truck, prosecutors said.

 

The tow truck driver became suspicious due to the location and called police, who found a loaded shotgun inside Ryan’s vehicle, prosecutors said.

 

The home of Ryan’s alleged victim from the previous case was visible from where his pickup was stuck, prosecutors said. He was arrested since he was prohibited from owning firearms as a condition of bail for the January attempted murder case.

 

On Jan. 19, Ryan allegedly rerouted an exposed gas line on at the victim’s home, prosecutors said. He allegedly drilled a hole into the line and attached a tube, connecting it to a hole into the home, prosecutors said. He also allegedly covered a doorbell camera with tape and bought the materials the day before, prosecutors said. No one was injured.

 

Ryan posted $20,000 bail Feb. 19 for the attempted murder charge, prosecutors said.

 

On April 9, a Kane County judge ordered Ryan held on a $1 million bail on the new case. He is due back in court May 7.

 

RESOURCE LINK

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- The coronavirus has been keeping everyone in house, except for essential workers like nurses, doctors, and police.

 

Meanwhile, one local tow truck company - also considered essential - is desperately looking for more protection.

 

The coronavirus outbreak has limited businesses still operating because they're essential.

Red's Towing in West Springfield is one of them.

 

"We're just trying to keep business as usual. We have protocols in place to protect our customers and employees, you know, housekeeping things that we do here,” said Ben Scott, operations manager for Red’s Towing.

 

Scott told Western Mass News it's been challenging, especially considering this is all new.

 

"I've never seen anything like this in the 20 years I've been towing,” Scott explained.

 

With 25 drivers responding to a wide range of calls every day, Scott said it concerns both him and these workers coming across people who could be carrying the virus.

 

"A lot of times, we're there right with police and ambulances and we're getting in our car, exposing ourselves to all different kinds of germs,” Scott noted.

 

Stepping into a tow trucks every day to help people out on the roads, these essential workers are looking for more protections from the coronavirus.

 

"There's not much PPE available to us because technically, we're not considered first responders, even though a lot of times, we are,” Scott said.

 

Scott said they received boxes of protection sent by the statewide towing association, consisting of hand sanitizer, gloves, and other essential items.

 

Unfortunately, it's not enough.

 

"I wasn't even given enough to cover my staff of 25,” Scott explained.

 

Scott told Western Mass News their job already puts their lives at risk and now, with the coronavirus, it's essential to stay protected.

 

"Not only are we facing these dangers on the side of the road, but now, we're facing this invisible danger here,” Scott noted.

 

Social distancing is another issue.

 

"There's no social distancing, there's no six-feet in a tow truck. It becomes six inches at that point and I'm not looking for a handout. I'm just looking for somewhere to get this stuff for my employees,” Scott said.

 

RESOURCE LINK

Thieves ransack Automotive Solutions repair shop in Salt Lake City

 

SALT LAKE CITY — The owner of Automotive Solutions in Salt Lake City is still counting his losses after a very unpleasant Easter surprise.

 

A gang of brazen thieves spent Saturday night and Sunday morning ransacking his dealership.

 

Paul Goff says besides not practicing safe, social distancing, these thieves basically wiped him out.

 

They started inside the building taking keys, titles and dealer plates as well as tools from his mechanics.

Then they focused on the car lot.

 

"Then they started stealing the vehicles, so they got about 12 vehicles that day, including my tow truck, Goff said. "All throughout the night plus the morning, they came back. They went for drinks, they came back all Sunday morning and didn’t leave till probably just before noon.”

 

Goff says the stolen tow truck is bright yellow and it had a white, Ford F250 pick up truck on the back of it so he believes that will stand out.

 

“It’s tough to hide a dozen cars and a tow truck at somebody’s house so obviously this is going somewhere, industrial area maybe, I don’t know.”

 

There are at least six suspects, including the driver, five of them could be seen getting out of a white Volkswagen.

 

Goff is now working with Salt Lake police to try and identify the suspects and hopefully recover his vehicles.

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

Should this report be confirmed this would be the first covid-19 death of a member of the towing industry.

 

Justin Towing & Storage Inc. Ozone Park, New York Reported: April 6th, 2020

Today we lost a tow brother Due to this Covid-19 virus, if you knew Baba ji owner of Singh’s Towing he was an excellent man with a heart of gold. My condolences are with his family at this horrible time. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I’ve known Baba for over 10 years. I will stay updated on what will happen and how they will lay Baba to rest due to his religion and with this virus going on. Like we always due when we loose a tow brother I would like to gather as many tow brothers as possible together for his family. I will keep everyone updated as I am to get us together.

 

 

Tow Truck Parade through the streets of Maynard, Massachusetts.

 

Video Credit to Jason Walsh

 

Kalamazoo first responders, tow truck drivers hold parade for healthcare workers, patients

 

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo area law enforcement, firefighters, EMS and tow truck drivers held a parade on April 10, 2020, to honor healthcare workers and COVID-19 patients.

 

The responder vehicles lined up along Gull Road near the Walmart starting about 7:30 p.m. and headed toward Ascension Borgess Hospital at 8:05 p.m. with their sirens and lights blaring.

 

They then headed to downtown Kalamazoo to Bronson Methodist Hospital.

 

People parked along the streets to watch as they passed and took video of the parade.

 

The drivers and riders remained in the vehicles to adhere to social distancing rules.

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

Empire State Towing & Recovery Association Notification:

After closely monitoring public health events the ESTRA Board of Directors has made the extremely difficult decision to cancel the 37th Annual ESTRA Tow Show. The annual show was scheduled for May 29-31, 2020 in Lake George, New York.

 

The next show will be held as planned on June 4-6, 2021 in Lake George, New York.

Hwy. 46 crash between big rig and tow truck to slow traffic for hours near Shandon

 

A crash on Highway 46 East between a tow truck and a big rig slowed traffic for hours Thursday morning near Shandon, according to the California Highway Patrol.

 

The CHP responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision around 7:35 a.m. on Highway 46 East just east of Lucy Brown Road.

 

The crash involved two drivers, Joe Padilla, 54, from Bakersfield and Jose Casas, 47, from Indiana, who each sustained minor injuries but did not need to be transported to the hospital, according to a news release. Padilla had visible injuries and was treated on the scene.

 

According to the CHP, Padilla was driving eastbound on Highway 46 East in a 2013 Dodge Ram 3500 flatbed truck and Casas was driving westbound in a 2018 Freightliner tractor and 53-foot semi trailer loaded with produce.

 

Padilla told the CHP he fell asleep while driving and drifted into the westbound lane, sideswiping the big rig, according to the release.

 

The collision freed the rear axle of the semi trailer from the Freightliner, causing the two trucks to cross lanes.

 

The trailer from the big rig crossed the eastbound lane before coming to rest atop a concrete bridge rail over Cholame Creek, blocking the eastbound lane, the release said. The Dodge Ram crossed the westbound lane and ended up on the north shoulder of the road, the CHP said.

 

West Coast Tow responded to the scene to recover the trailer, according to the release. The eastbound lane was expected to reopen around noon or 1 p.m.

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

NC Attorney General now investigating 'predatory' towing practices against truckers

 

 

 

Trucks delivering essential goods get booted

 

Fox 46 is working to get results for truckers who are being booted and fined by local towing companies.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The complaints keep rolling in.

 

“Predatory towing has been a problem. It’s not new to this particular crisis,” said Tyler Hayes with C.R. England, a refrigerated trucking company based in Utah. “But it looks like it’s really taking off as a cottage industry in Charlotte.”

 

Attorney General Josh Stein is now investigating five complaints of tow truck companies booting and towing truckers who are transporting food and critical supplies.

 

All five complaints are in Charlotte.

 

So far, FOX 46 has recovered more than $6,000 for truckers. But some companies, like A 1 Towing Solutions, refused.

 

They insist they are doing their job and point to posted warning signs.

 

Stein is looking into the company after it towed at least two trucks from a Home Depot in Charlotte. The owner of Y-Fly Express says he was contracted by FEMA to haul water and had been given permission by a manager at Home Depot to park in the lot overnight. A 1 Towing Solutions demanded $4000 to get his truck back.

 

“For months now, we’ve been posting notices on trucks and had signage in the lot in accordance with local ordinance, which we recently updated,” said Home Depot spokesperson Christina Cornell. “We regularly work with FEMA during disasters and have not received any special requests, so we were not aware of any trucks that were carrying relief supplies.”

 

After talking with FOX 46, Cornell says Home Depot will “look into this more.”

 

“We’re scrambling to get food moved around to where it’s needed,” said Hayes, who is now the latest victim of Charlotte’s aggressive towing practices.

 

In the early morning hours last Friday, a driver for C.R. England parked at a 7-Eleven on Statesville Road after the check engine light came on, Hayes said.

 

The truck was booted, then towed, when the driver couldn’t come up with the money fast enough. The company had to pay Carolina’s Towing $5000, according to receipts.

 

“The manager of the 7-Eleven where he was parked actually came out and told the towing company that our guys were not parked illegally at all,” said Hayes. “And the tow truck driver just, he refused to even give his name.”

 

FOX 46 reached out to 7-Eleven Monday about another towing complaint and again on Tuesday about this one. The company did not respond.

 

Calls to Carolina’s Towing went to a voicemail that was full.

 

“This is egregious from a human standpoint, said Hayes. “When you’re booting a truck that someone is clearly in, if it really was an issue…just say, ‘Hey move your truck.’”

 

“This is clearly profiteering,” he added. “And this is the last thing we need to see at this point in time.”

 

RESOURCE LINK

Bureau Of Fire Chester, PA

 

 

Company 81, 82, Chester Car 3, Crozer EMS, and City Of Chester Police Department are just clearing this accident on 291 at Penn Street. Chester Car 3 (Krapf) arrived and reported a serious motor vehicle accident with 4 occupants trapped in 2 vehicles. Ladder 82 arrived on scene and began extrication, while Engines 81 and 82 stabilized the vehicles and assisted EMS. Use caution in the area, as units are still on scene.