TowNews

From New Hampshire State Police: A Trooper was on scene with a crash on I-89 SB near exit 2. A tractor trailer failed to move over and struck a tow truck that was loading a disabled vehicle. Fortunately, no injuries were reported but this serves as another reminder to Slow Down & Move Over.

Dozens of tow truck and jeep drivers went up in a procession on Saturday roaming down the road to remember one of their own.

Tow truck driver injured after shooting in Markham TORONTO -- Police say a tow truck driver received minor injuries after a shooting on highway ramp in Markham. The Ontario Provincial Police said the shooting took place on the Steeles Avenue westbound ramp to Highway 404 northbound at around 1:45 a.m. The male victim told police that he and a female passenger were stationary when people inside an unknown vehicle allegedly approached and fired shots at the tow truck, investigators said. Officers said the man sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital. He has since been released. The female passenger was not injured. Police said Saturday afternoon that there is no suspect or vehicle information available as of yet. RESOURCE LINK Additional News Link

Suspect arrested after Botetourt County business break-in, stolen vehicle found BOTETOURT CO., Va. (WDBJ7) The Botetourt County Sheriff's Office is investigating after an auto business was broken into early Saturday morning. Just after 4 a.m., a deputy observed a suspicious male at Bailey's Auto Sales. While investigating, the deputy discovered the business had been broken into. A stolen tow truck from a Salem business was also found on the property. After walking the property, the deputy found an additional vehicle with missing parts. Shortly after, the sheriff's office discovered the tow truck belonged to another business in Salem. The suspicious person is now considered a suspect in the breaking and entering as well as the stolen vehicle. He has been taken into custody. His name has not been released at this time. RESOURCE LINK

A woman has died after a horror crash between a car and a tow truck on the Mornington Peninsula on Saturday afternoon. Police said the collision occurred on Balnarring Road, near Gillett Road, in Tuerong about 3pm, causing both vehicles to run off the road and down an embankment. A female sitting in the back seat of the car died at the scene while the female driver and a male front-seat passenger were both cut from the car. They were both flown to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The 39-year-old truck driver from Lyndhurst is in police custody. RESOURCE LINK

I-80 traffic stops net $594,000 of crystal meth in Seward County Three men were arrested on Wednesday after the Seward County Sheriff's Office seized 37 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, authorities said in a news release. While patrolling Interstate 80, Sheriff Mike Vance pulled over a flatbed truck that was hauling a Cadillac Escalade around 12:45 p.m. During the traffic stop, Vance noted inconsistencies in what those in the vehicle were saying, according to the news release. At some point, a passenger in the tow truck told Vance that the owners of the Escalade were traveling in another vehicle on I-80. Deputies in the area stopped the vehicle matching the description, and a K-9 at the scene detected the odor of illegal narcotics coming from the Escalade, authorities said. A search turned up 21 packages of crystal meth weighing 27 pounds and with a street value of $594,000 hidden in the sidewall of the vehicle, the news release said. An investigation determined that the narcotics were being transported from Juarez, Mexico, to Omaha. The men -- Christian Gardea, 24, of El Paso, Texas; and Perdo Robles, 33, and Rex Kmiecik, 39, both of Omaha -- were arrested for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of crystal methamphetamine. It's unclear who was in what vehicle. According to the news release, the tow truck driver, two children under the age of 5 and a woman were released. RESOURCE LINK

After his golf cart is stolen, a 73-year-old California man turns into a successful sleuth When Laguna Woods Village resident Dennis Hannan, 73, noticed his golf cart was missing from his carport, he called his daughter, whose husband is in law enforcement. Within minutes, the New Yorker found it featured in an Orange County Craigslist post. “Of course,” Hannan said. “The one time I leave it unlocked, somebody takes it.” The same morning, Hannan brought his findings to Jerod Morgan, salesman and cart builder at Cart Mart in Lake Forest, where he had purchased the cart. It turns out, Morgan had stumbled upon the same ad. “I see this all the time,” Morgan said. “But I’ve found them online on three different occasions.” The first instance was a simple relinquishment, where Morgan tracked the cart down and the seller claimed he didn’t know the vehicle was stolen. The second time, Morgan was too late. The cart had already been sold. This time — with Hannan coming forward — would be the tie-breaker. “We just felt like we needed to do something,” Morgan said. “I’m not taking this sitting down; Let’s go get it.” The listing was located in La Puente, about 50 miles from Laguna Woods. After having no luck over the phone with authorities across the board — from Laguna Woods Village and Orange County to Los Angeles county — the two drove to a sheriff’s department substation close to the stolen cart location. “The interaction with law enforcement was disappointing, and I wasn’t about to walk into anybody’s gun,” Hannan said. “Let’s walk in there and let them know we’re not fooling around with this thing — somebody’s got my cart.” That’s when detective Erik Coker of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stepped into the case. Arriving at the seller’s home, Morgan and Coker decided to swap roles, with the deputy assuming the role of the interested buyer and Morgan the tagalong. They even agreed on a code Morgan would say once he identified it to be Hannan’s cart. Having built the cart himself, Morgan could easily spot the unique half cover and tan-ostrich seats embroidered in a pattern custom to his partners in Rancho Mirage, who did the upholstery work. “This is a good deal,” Morgan said — cueing their code. The jig was up. Here’s where the plot thickens: Not only was Hannan’s golf cart found at the seller’s home, but a second one — reported stolen from Laguna Woods Village on Dec. 18, the day before Hannan’s went missing — was there as well. The carts were taken from inside the Village, off of Via Serena N. and Via Buena Vista, according to Lt. Gene Inouye, chief of police services in Laguna Woods. Morgan recalled the carts being grossly undersold: the $11,000 carts were priced at $5,900 each. Back at the station, the carts were taken to a sheriff’s impound lot. Though the two detectives-for-a-day ended the chase by 9 p.m the same day, Hannan had to return the next day to pick his cart up, shelling out $700 to cover LA Sheriff’s Department impound fees and transportation with tow truck. “It wasn’t a cheap deal to get it back,” Hannan said, noting that the owner of the other stolen golf cart found during the investigation had to pay $1,500 to cover costs. Although this story ended well, Laguna Woods Village Security Chief Tim Moy advised against civilians pursuing their own cases. “Typically we prefer residents to work through us,” Moy said. “We want to make sure we protect our citizens.” Moy said he wished he and his team could have been more involved, but once an incident occurs outside of the Village, it’s out of their hands. Once notified, they filed an incident report and reached out to a sheriff’s department investigator, who was preoccupied with another case at the time, Moy said. Moy’s team provided security footage from Gatehouse 7 of two men leaving with Hannan’s golf cart in an unmarked truck around 8 a.m. on Dec. 19. One person has been arrested by Orange County deputies, the department said. Moy noted that stolen golf carts are a “pretty rare occasion,” though it’s an easy crime to pull off. He noted that most carts come with a generic key — so it’s important to use a wheel or steering wheel lock when parking and recording the unique serial number, just in case. Hannan has since looked into what he thinks may be a local ring selling stolen golf carts in different cities via Craigslist, all linking back to a single email made up of an indecipherable mix of numbers and letters. “It’s very disturbing,” Hannan said. Hannan has advanced from a steel-fiber cable locking mechanism for his cart’s steering wheel to a heavy-duty chain for protection. RESOURCE LINK

Very few details other than a Tow Truck with Marv's Quality Towing was involved in a crash resulting in no serious injuries disrupted traffic Wednesday morning, according to police. The crash involved a 2006 Chevy SUV and a Ford tow truck, said Josh Lewis, a trooper with the Colorado State Patrol. He added that no charges have been filed against either driver involved.

No details other than Garbage Truck failed to Slow Down & Move Over.

Bicyclist hospitalized after being hit by tow truck in Crescent Springs CRESCENT SPRINGS, Ky. — A bicyclist was taken to a hospital Tuesday after being hit by a tow truck in Crescent Springs, police said. According to the Villa Hills Police Department, the incident took place around 10:51 a.m. on Edenderry Drive near the intersection with Clareglen Drive. Police said their early investigation indicates the bicyclist, identified as Timothy Kramer, 54, failed to stop at a stop sign at Clareglen Drive at the same time a 24-year-old driver of a Smith's Towing and Recovery wrecker began turning left onto Edenderry Drive. The bicyclist then hit the right side of the wrecker, police said. Villa Hills police said the bicyclist was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for the treatment of potentially life-threatening injuries. The driver of the tow truck was not injured. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Sgt. Matthew Hall or Detective Emily Horseman at 859-341-3535. RESOURCE LINK with video

Tow truck set ablaze in Aurora, the latest in ongoing violence in GTA towing industry York Regional Police are looking for witnesses after a tow truck was set ablaze in an Aurora driveway in the latest act of criminal behaviour involving the towing industry in Southern Ontario. The blaze broke out shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday in a tow truck parked at a home on McLeod Drive, near Bathurst Street and Wellington Street West. An empty gas container lay nearby, police said. The industry has been hit by a wave of arson, and the murder of a GTA driver last year remains unsolved. Mark Graves, president of the Provincial Towing Association, said he hopes that improving licensing will help stem the violence. “The provincial towing association is working with the government to try to implement a provincial licensing system to try to alleviate this,” Graves said on Tuesday in an interview. “We’ve been working on it now with them for about eight months,” Graves said. “We believe it’s going to help.” That said, he doesn’t see a quick fix for the violence. RESOURCE LINK

Hartford tow truck and auto repair shop explodes into flames UPDATED NEWS REPORT: Click Here! Firefighters are battling a large fire at a Hartford towing and auto repair business in the southeastern part of the city. The fire is burning at Central Auto & Transport, 195 Maxim Road. There were reports of explosions. Ambulances are on the scene, but there were no reports of injuries as of 6:30 a.m. The company includes a towing business, an auto repair shop and a heavy equipment transport business, according to its website. RESOURCE LINK TowForce adds our thought's are with the company and we hope that no one has been injured.

Tow truck driver doubling down on safety after dangerous ‘move over’ violation RESOURCE LINK with video @napaneil

Police seek driver who crashed stolen tow truck into multiple cars in Tacony, 1 injured PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police said one person was injured and several cars were damaged when the driver of a stolen tow truck crashed into a van and then several parked cars on a Tacony street late Sunday. It happened around 11:30 p.m. on the 4100 block of Princeton Avenue. The driver first smashed into a van and then lost control, crashing into four parked cars, sending one vehicle up onto the front lawn of a house. Police said the driver continued to drive the tow truck for another block following the crash, before abandoning it in the roadway and running from the scene The driver of the van was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Philadelphia police are investigating the incident. RESOURCE LINK with Video

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Police are searching for a driver after a tow truck crashed into three parked cars in Philadelphia’s Mayfair section. The front-end of the tow truck is smashed in and a mess was left behind. The crash happened just before 11 p.m. Sunday on the 4100 block of Princeton Avenue. One person was taken to the hospital, but their condition is unclear at this time. Police say the tow truck driver fled the scene. RESOURCE LINK with video

Grieving mother spreads message for Tampa Bay drivers to ‘move over’ for emergency vehicles HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Twenty thousand Florida drivers violated the move over law last year, authorities say. A grieving mother is on a mission to change that. “He had such a kind heart and he just loved life,” said Linda Unruh. Unruh owned Unruh Towing & Repair for decades in her home state of New Mexico. Her son Bobby was her safety coordinator. “He was my right-hand person to go to. He was my go-to person,” she said. In February 2017, her 37-year-old son died when he was hit by an 18-wheeler going 82 miles per hour. Bobby Unruh had arrived at the scene to help another tow truck operator. “One 18-wheeler failed to notice, failed to slow down,” said Unruh. “My goal is to reach people so that we can have zero loss on our highways and that’s my mission.” Nineteen days after her son’s death, New Mexico signed “Bobby’s Law” which adds tow trucks to the list of emergency vehicles included in the state’s move over law. Linda Unruh now travels the country to tell her story. She spoke Thursday at the AAA headquarters in Tampa. “Those first responders were entering the most dangerous place on earth: our public highways,” she said about other people killed on the roadside in America. Florida requires drivers to put a lane between them and any emergency vehicle pulled over. If that is not possible, drivers must slow speed to 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit. According to AAA, one worker or first responder is killed on the roadside every other week in this country. “We’re all at risk for this. A lot of times you’ll see multiple people being injured because of a move over violation,” said Sgt. Steve Gaskins, Florida Highway Patrol. Move over violations caused 185 crashes in 2018, according to Sgt. Gaskins. RESOURCE LINK with video

Strangers rescue woman trapped in burning car on I-85 A group of Good Samaritans rescued a woman who crashed on I-85 as her car caught on fire. *** Video Pending See Link Below *** DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A fiery crash on I-85 Southbound sent a group of strangers into action Friday afternoon. DeKalb County Police said a woman lost control near the Chamblee tucker road exit and spun across five lanes of traffic. Witnesses said she hit the wall, and then, a tow truck driving south hit her head on. "I just had to brace myself, and I thought I was going to die," said tow truck driver, George Washington. "I really thought I was going to die." Washington said he couldn't hit the brakes fast enough. "There was a pick up truck, and I guess she lost control because as she came around the corner, the truck started to spin around," he said. Washington said his truck smashed into the woman driving the pickup. He was okay, but the woman was trapped. "I was calling her name, telling her to get out, but she wasn't moving," said Washington. "I kept saying 'Hey! You've gotta get out! The car is on fire!' And she seemed like she didn't know where she was," said Washington. Smoke and flames started billowing out of the hood of her car as strangers rushed to help. "You could see the hood of the vehicle, the flames just rumbling under the hood," said Washington. That's when Washington and another stranger jumped into action. "I used the knife to cut her out because the steering wheel was on her knees and the door was crushed in, so that's when I went to the passenger side and pulled her out," said Washington. Washington said someone with a fire extinguisher helped put out her car fire until fire crews arrived. The group of people waited with the woman until the ambulance took her to the hospital. Washington said he has a message for that woman as she recovers. "I hope, I pray everything's okay," he said. DeKalb County Police have not confirmed the extent of the female driver's injuries. Washington said she was able to speak a little to the group and to the paramedics before she went to the hospital. RESOURCE LINK with video

This incident occurred in Caguas, Puerto Rico on Friday. The driver wrote: Things that happen to us doing our work for irresponsible drivers driving along the walk.

Photo by Woods Cross Police WOOD CROSS, Utah (ABC4 News)- Police in Woods Cross are working to clean up after they say a tow truck driver crashed on Friday. It happened in the area of 500 South 1300 West around 2 p.m. The truck was loaded with other cars at the time. Photo by Woods Cross Police Photo by Woods Cross Police Photo by Woods Cross Police RESOURCE LINK

Driver narrowly escapes as semi plows into his tow truck, catches fire All Trevor Snyder saw before running for his life on a dark stretch of highway was the headlights of an oncoming truck, moments before it slammed into the back of his tow truck and caught fire, killing the driver. The fatal crash occurred Wednesday at approximately 11 p.m. on Highway 2 south of Highway 42 outside of Innisfail, about 120 kilometres north of Calgary. Snyder, who co-owns Snyder Enterprises in Beiseker, had pulled off to the shoulder to assist someone stranded on the side of the road with a disabled vehicle. He had just grabbed a tuque from the passenger side of his tow truck when he saw the semi-truck coming straight for him. “I walked around the front of the truck to face traffic and as I was peeking out all I could see were headlights coming right for me,” said Snyder. “At that point I started running like crazy and thought, ‘this isn’t going to end well.’ ” He said the semi-truck, which was pulling two trailers, slammed into his tow truck, which was launched into the air and landed on its roof. Meanwhile, the semi-truck continued to roll down the highway, about the length of two football fields, and went up in flames. Snyder said that by the time the vehicle stopped moving, the fire was visible. There was no way to reach the driver. “There was another gentleman that was closer to where the truck was stopped. He was trying his best, from what I gather, to assist the gentleman. There’s nothing that any one of us could have done without putting ourselves in serious harm’s way of getting hurt,” he said. While he counts himself lucky to be alive, he said the entire experience has him hurting. “I know machinery and material objects can be replaced but a human life is the most valuable and precious thing on the planet,” said Snyder. “We all have to be able to come home at the end of the day to someone. We all have family members. We have mothers, kids, relatives and everything. It’s one of those things where I feel really bad for the gentleman and his family, and I am just very, very fortunate that I walked away OK.” The 62-year-old driver of the semi-truck was declared dead on scene and RCMP have not released his identity, however they said he was from Edmonton. Snyder and the person he was assisting were not injured. Snyder said his tow truck is destroyed. AMA's Slow Down Move Over Day brings attention to tow truck safety Being in the transportation industry for 20 years, he said it’s not the first time he has witnessed a tragedy. He said his team is adamant about safety and usually has a blocker truck in place, four-way flashers on, emergency beacons and pylons. “When it comes to these situations, you can never be too careful,” he said. Snyder Enterprises is a partner of the Alberta Motor Association, which released a statement Thursday regarding the fatal crash. “This is a deeply tragic reminder of the ongoing importance of roadside safety — a responsibility we all share. A single loss of life is one too many,” AMA wrote. “Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of everyone affected by this devastating loss.” Innisfail and Blackfalds RCMP responded to the collision. Traffic was diverted throughout Thursday morning while investigators were on scene. An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing. RESOURCE LINK

A 60-year-old man died Thursday after being hit by a car and a tow truck in Gresham on the South Side. He was walking in the middle of Halsted Street about 11:40 p.m. when a westbound Chevrolet Impala struck him as he crossed 87th Street, Chicago police said. A vehicle behind the Impala swerved out of the way to avoid an accident, and a tow truck traveling behind both accidentally hit the man again, police said. The man was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and pronounced dead, police said. An autopsy found he died of multiple injuries from the crash, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. His death was ruled accidental. Both the driver of the Impala, a 22-year-old woman, and the tow truck, a 29-year-old man, stayed at the scene, police said. No charges or citations are pending Friday morning. Hours after the crash, the tow truck could be seen pulled over on the side of 87th Street with multiple other vehicles. Two men in tow uniforms, one with a tear-lined face, stood on a grassy median as rain fell steadily. Area South detectives and the Major Accidents Unit are investigating. RESOURCE LINK

Thursday morning in Edmonton on the Anthony Henday another Tow Truck was Struck. Tow Truck Operator was in the truck with the customer at the time of impact, both are OK. This is the 4th incidents this month in the Edmonton Region.

A Tow Truck / Roll Back belonging to Griff's Auto Service out of Rochester, NY was struck by a Dump Truck on Thursday. The tow truck operator was injured in the accident. "SEE UPDATE BELOW" Deputies investigating crash between tow truck and dump truck in Chili CHILI, N.Y. (WHEC) — Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a crash involving a tow truck and a dump truck. It happened on I-490, just east of the Paul Road overpass for the exit that leads to the Town of Chili. Deputies say it appears the tow truck was loading a broken down vehicle onto its flatbed portion of the tow truck then rolled over into the median. One person sustained minor injuries from the crash. Traffic was completely shut down in the area from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. RESOURCE LINK

As a supervisor for a local towing company, I am becoming more and more frustrated and saddened by witnessing drivers not slowing down or moving over while our operators are working on the side of our roadways and highways. Recently, while checking on one of our drivers performing a boost service on Highway 55 heading west just before Lively, he had his beacons and four-way flashers on, indicating that he was there working, while I was also there with my four-way flashers on. Only a few drivers moved over, while the majority (roughly 30) didn't slow down nor move over to the other lane. This is just one incident of many our drivers face every day, and it has to stop. I don't believe the average person is aware of this law, so I have taken a snippet from the Ontario Government website to hopefully educate the public in hopes of saving a tow truck driver's life. Drivers can be charged if they don't slow down, or move over when safe to do so, near emergency vehicles or tow trucks that are stopped with sirens or lights flashing. A first offence comes with a fine between $400 and $2,000, three demerit points and a possible suspension of driver's licence for up to two years. Subsequent offences (within five years) comes with a $1,000 to $4,000 fine, three demerit point, possible jail time (up to six months) and possible suspension of driver's licence for up to two years. Putting the fines and penalties aside, moving over and slowing down comes down to common sense. Too many people are killed needlessly working on the side of the road everyday where a driver could easily make the decision to slow down and move over, however, they sometimes don't and the result is most times deadly. Please consider others and let our drivers make it home safely to their loved ones. Scott Dormer Lively RESOURCE LINK