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On Monday, at approximately 12:12 p.m., a tow truck carrying a vehicle crashed into a concrete utility pole near Reel ‘Em In Bait & Tackle on US-1 in Sebastian, Florida.
The crash caused approximately $43,000 in damage after striking a road sign and a concrete utility pole.
The tow truck driver, Jacob William Blohm, told police that he looked down at his mobile phone for a moment prior to the crash.
“The driver advised he looked down at the maps on his phone and saw black,” a traffic investigator said.
According to the traffic report, Blohm was in the fast lane at a high rate of speed and swerved to the right, striking a curb, then continued off the road striking a wooden pole head-on.
The vehicle then rotated to the right, and the truck’s bed struck a concrete utility pole, snapping it in half.
The truck then struck another vehicle parked on the side of US-1, throwing the occupant on impact. The occupant was transported to the Sebastian River Medical Center.
Blohm didn’t sustain any injuries and refused medical treatment. However, he was cited for Special Hazard – Failed to Use Due Care.
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Breakdown recovery driver seriously injured in hit-and-run on Frank Perkins in Peterborough
Note: We just learned of these two UK deaths today and have been working to find information.
The man was struck on the Frank Perkins Parkway on January 11.
A breakdown driver has been left with serious injuries after being hit while working on a car in Peterborough.
The driver of the car failed to stop after hitting the driver on the eastbound carriageway of the A1139 Frank Perkins Parkway at around 8.15pm on Wednesday evening.
The breakdown driver was taken to Peterborough City Hospital with serious injuries, where he remains.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision or who may have dashcam footage of the road and the pedestrian in the moments leading up to it get in touch either online or via 101, quoting incident 434 of 11 January.
UPDATED: 01/18/23
Lorry driver faces years in jail after admitting killing stranded bride-to-be, Good Samaritan and
recovery driver when he ploughed into them on busy dual carriageway while on his phone
- Michal Kopaniarz smashed into motorists on A303 near Andover, Hampshire
- Bride-to-be Alex Britton, 28, was on her way to work when Vauxhall broke down
- Tina Ince, 58, who was driving a Mercedes food delivery van stopped to help her
- Both women were killed - along with DAF recovery truck driver Tom Watson, 30
A lorry driver today admitted killing three motorists, including a bride-to-be, after his HGV ploughed into them while he was on his phone.
In the horror crash on a major dual carriageway, Michal Kopaniarz, 39, smashed into Alex Britton, 28, who had been on her way to work when her Vauxhall Astra broke down.
Good Samaritan Tina Ince, 58, was driving a Mercedes food delivery van when she stopped to help Miss Britton on the A303 near Andover, Hampshire.
Both women were killed, along with DAF recovery truck driver Tom Watson, 30, when Kopaniarz's lorry smashed into their vehicles at around 8.40am on August 25 2021.
Kopaniarz now faces years in jail after pleading guilty to causing three deaths by dangerous driving.
The 39-year-old also admitted destroying the phone he was using during the crash.
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Recovery truck driver dies in second fatal collision on Leicestershire's A47 in matter of days
Note: this incident occurred on at 9:20am Friday January 30th. The article does not read well.
A recovery truck driver has died after being hit by a car on Leicestershire’s A47. The incident happened on the A47 Uppingham Road at around 9.20am this morning (Friday, January 20) and is the second fatality on the route this week.
The collision, which happened close to the village of East Norton, involved the driver of a breakdown recovery vehicle and a black Audi A4 estate. The driver of the recovery vehicle, a man, was outside the vehicle at the time of the incident and died at the scene from his injuries.
The driver of the Audi was not injured in the collision, while a child inside the car was taken to hospital as a precaution. The A47 remains closed while investigations continue.
Several crews from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service were also deployed to the scene, while traffic was seen being turned away by police near the village of Tilton on the Hill while investigations got underway. Traffic between Leicester and Uppingham has been affected as a result of the road closure.
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/recovery-truck-driver-dies-second-8055816
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Tow truck hits parked vehicle, flees: Time to stop ‘unholy, terrible’ company, El Barrio owner says
A recently released video shows a tow truck driver for Parking Enforcement Systems hitting a parked truck with a vehicle he was towing, then leaving the scene.
“They are an unholy, terrible company that I wish would not tow anymore,” said Neville Baay, owner of El Barrio. “They will tow people who are not necessarily there illegally and then the way they see it is ‘Well we towed your car; you have to come pay us to get it.’”
The incident is the latest in a long and continuing series of negative reports about the conduct of Parking Enforcement, a company that has contracts to remove vehicles from many lots downtown when illegally parked or in the lot past the time the driver paid for.
Baay described Parking Enforcement Systems as “aggressive and predatory” reflecting not only the numerous complaints about the company on social media sites like Yelp, Nextdoor and Facebook, but what residents have told reporters as well.
The incident captured on video on the afternoon of January 17 involved a tow truck driver trying to remove a pickup truck hitched to a UHAUL trailer from a tight parking lot. Anna Vanderbleek and her husband Jared watched it, recorded it on a cell phone and carried on a running commentary as it unfolded. Then they reached out to The Lede.
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Man accused of breaking into cars at tow lot
PARAGOULD, Ark. (KAIT) - A Jonesboro man faces felony charges after police said employees at a Paragould tow yard caught him breaking into vehicles.
According to the affidavit, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, workers saw 43-year-old Brandon Potter inside the fenced lot, throwing items over the fence.
When police arrived, they found that “Potter had entered and taken property” out of multiple vehicles, the court document stated.
During an interview, Potter reportedly claimed someone in Jonesboro offered him $10 an hour to go to the lot and clean it up.
Potter is being held in the Greene County Detention Center on suspicion of three counts of breaking or entering, theft of property, and criminal mischief in the first degree.
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1 person dead after crash on Hwy. 17, Chatham Co. Police investigating
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Chatham County Police Department is investigating a crash that killed one person.
It happened Wednesday night on Highway 17.
Northbound lanes of Highway 17 had to be shut down from Chief O.F. Love Road South to the Bryan County line.
Georgia State Patrol was also on scene.
Georgia State Patrol says a tow truck was trying to make a u-turn on highway 17 near Love’s Seafood just after 6:30 p.m.
A car traveling behind the tow truck was unable to stop, causing the crash.
After the impact, GSP says the car burst into flames.
The driver died at the scene.
Police have identified him as 32-year-old Adam Daughtry from Savannah.
The crash is still under investigation.
UPDATED:
A woman who says she stopped to help a driver who died after a crash in Chatham County is talking exclusively with WTOC.
That crash happened Wednesday evening around 6:30 p.m. on Ogeechee Road at Chief of Love Road.
Stephanie Lange says she was driving northbound on Ogeechee Road when she came across the crash.
She says people tried desperately to help free the SUV driver.
“The car, like, exploded, and everybody backed away and it started to catch more fire,” said Lange.
Stephanie Lang says the SUV was already billowing with smoke when she and others pulled over to help the driver.
Lange didn’t want to go on camera but says once the group realized the tow truck operator didn’t have a fire extinguisher, they used shovels to break through the SUV’s windows but it was too late.
“It kept on exploding and it would do a big cloud of smoke, or a big fireball and it would catch more on fire,” said Lange
Preliminary info from Georgia State Patrol says the tow truck was traveling north on Ogeechee Road making a U-turn to travel south.
The SUV, a gold GMC Yukon, also traveling north, was unable to stop and struck the tow truck.
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TAMPA, Fla – A 49-year-old Tampa man has died following a crash that happened around 9:03 pm on Wednesday, after a tow truck hauling a school bus struck his motorcycle and then fled the scene.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the tow truck driver was traveling south on US-301 in the left lane to enter the SR-618 eastbound entrance ramp around 9:03 p.m.
While the Tampa man was on his motorcycle heading north on US-301, a tow truck turned left into the path of the man, striking him.
Following the crash, the suspect fled the scene and was last seen driving eastbound on SR-618. The motorcyclist died at the scene of the crash.
According to troopers, the suspect’s vehicle is described as a light-colored flatbed tow truck loaded with a short yellow school bus.
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It was like a scene ripped from the pages of Hollywood, but a Wicker Park business owner said he knew the law was on his side when a tow truck driver tried to take his car last October and the situation ended with him facing the barrel of a gun.
It's not too late to register for the 2023 Towing & Recovery Management Summit set for March 22-24 in San Diego! Learn from great speakers and informative sessions. "Better manage your company, so your company doesn't manage you."
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Police are searching for a tow truck driver they say fled the scene of a crash on Highway 417.
The crash happened on Monday around 7:45 p.m. on the westbound highway after the Limoges exit, Russell County OPP said in a news release.
A pickup truck collided with the tow truck, which had suddenly stopped on the highway and turned toward the median, police said.
The driver of the pickup truck was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The tow truck driver left the scene. Police say the truck would have "significant damage" to its front left side.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash cam video is asked to contact Russell County OPP or Crime Stoppers.
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A man was shot Monday evening in a confrontation over a vehicle in a lot just north of McAdenville, according to a release from the Gaston County Police Department.
Police were called to a lot on the 600 block of Hickory Grove Road at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16,, according to a press release.
People who called 911 had said that a man had been shot once in the leg, and a tow truck was seen leaving the lot after the incident.
The man who was shot was taken to CaroMont Regional Medical Center with a non-life threatening injury.
Police did not identify him.
Police eventually found the tow truck that witnesses described, and the people believed to be involved in the shooting were in the tow truck. Police did not identify those people or the towing company involved in the incident.
No further information was released.
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A 45-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday for gross misdemeanor destruction of property and misdemeanor assault after allegedly throwing a rock at a tow truck, shattering the windshield, according to a Carson City Sheriff's Office booking report.
Deputies were dispatched to the area of South Carson Street and Colorado Street for a vehicle injury report. Dispatch advised the suspect threw a rock at the reporting party's vehicle that resulted in a shattered windshield, according to the report.
Deputies located the man, matching the description of the suspect, walking westbound on Rhodes approaching Curry Street. A deputy activated their emergency lights and sirens to stop the man, who turned around and raised his middle finger, the report states. The man then turned around and continued walking westbound on Rhodes.
An additional deputy responded and the deputies made contact with the man, who became argumentative and began to use curse words directed at the officer, the report states.
The deputy asked the suspect why he flipped him off. The suspect ignored the deputy and said he didn't know who the deputy was, even though the deputy had red and blue emergency lights and a siren activated.
The man was detained. During a search for weapons, officers located a fixed bladed knife in the man's right rear pant pocket. Meanwhile, deputies met with the reporting party who showed them his vehicle, a tow truck, with a large impact point on his windshield that caused a large shatter across the windshield.
The reporting party stated the suspect threw the rock at his windshield and that it was completely unprovoked. The victim advised he exited his tow truck and asked the man why he did it. The victim stated the suspect lunged at him and attempted to hit him, the report states.
The victim advised he wanted to pursue charges for destruction of property and assault. Damage from the windshield was valued at $400. The suspect was booked for suspicion of gross misdemeanor destruction of property and misdemeanor assault. Bail: $3,137.
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Two Loveland residents were honored with an award straight from the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Tuesday night for their actions in mid-November to help save lives during a fire.
Tim Sendelbach, fire chief of the LFRA, honored Sean Campbell and Michael Kaufmann at the start of Tuesday’s City Council Meeting with the Fire Chief’s Community Life Safety Award for actions they took during a fire at a home in the 4800 block of Basswood Drive Nov. 12 to help save those inside.
Sendelbach said crews were dispatched to the multi-family apartment fire around 1 a.m. that morning. When crews arrived on scene they reported that three-quarters of the second floor of the apartment was enveloped with extreme amounts of fire.
He added that crews, as well as Battalion Chief Eric Klaas, were amazed that no one was hurt given the seriousness of the fire. Sendelbach added that the fire started at a place with one way in and one way out, and the fire was in the direct line of the way out.
Sendelbach said that, in investigating, it became apparent that Campbell and Kaufmann saved the lives of the second-floor residents by notifying them of the fire and helping them get out quickly.
“Their situational awareness to the dangers and their selfless actions in alerting and assisting everyone out of the building while simultaneously communicating with 911 dispatchers who were assisting us to get to the scene, undoubtedly saved lives that night,” he said.
He added that, that night, both men exemplified “the truest form of courage under fire.”
Kaufmann said the two roommates had been up north in Cheyenne for much of the previous day and returned home early in the morning Nov. 12. He said before bed, the two went outside to smoke a cigarette when they noticed something strange in the neighboring apartment.
“I looked up and noticed the orange glow,” he said.
“(Michael) looked at me and said ‘that apartment’s on fire,'” Campbell said.
When they realized what was happening, Kaufmann said they decided “we (have to) do something.”
He said the two quickly acted to help those in the apartment, calling 911 and running up to the second-floor to get people outside, even kicking in one of the doors to try and get the apartment’s occupant out as fast as possible.
He said they then went around to the other upstairs apartment and occupied first-floor apartment, alerting everyone to get outside.
Each of the awards, which LFRA Board Chair Jeff Swanty presented to Campbell and Kaufmann after referring to them as heroes, recognized the two for their “courageous and life-saving actions” that night. It added that their “selfless actions, performed under extreme conditions” prevented severe injury and/or the death of another person.
Everyone in the council chambers, from the council members themselves to the people packing the seats and lining some of the walls, stood and applauded.
Among those there to see the award be given to the two men was Hailey Campbell, Sean’s wife.
She said she was away at work when the fire happened, at first only receiving a Snapchat of the flames. And while she was initially scared at what she saw, she said she was ultimately proud of what they had done.
“It was very courageous of them to run into flames,” she said. “I am very proud of both of them.”
Both Campbell and Kaufmann said being honored by the department was an incredible feeling.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Kaufmann said.
Campbell said, since they are both tow-truck drivers, helping people out is just part of who they are.
“On a daily basis that is what we do, help people, and we help people a lot of times at the worst times of their day,” he said. “It is an honor to both be recognized and we appreciate it.”
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The Oregon Department of Justice (ODJ) Consumer Protection Section has filed a lawsuit against Retriever Towing, one of the largest towing operations in Oregon.
The lawsuit, filed at Multnomah Circuit Court, alleges the company illegally towed vehicles from parking facilities without signed authorization from the owner of the parking facility.
History
In 2017, the Oregon legislature passed towing reforms that prohibit towing vehicles from parking facilities (with limited exceptions like blocking an emergency vehicle) unless the towing company received signed authorization to tow the specific vehicle from the owner of the parking facility or the owner’s agent. Retriever Towing contracts with property owners and property management companies who manage parking facilities and charges fees to the owner of the towed vehicle or sells the vehicle at auction.
Oregon DOJ opened an investigation in 2018 into allegations that the company was not complying with Oregon law. At the time, the company promised to make reforms, but never did.
“The purpose of the 2017 towing reforms was to put an end to predatory towing practices that cost consumers hundreds of dollars just to recover their car,” Rosenblum said. “Retriever told us it was reforming its business practice, but it never did. We hope this lawsuit will send a message to all towing companies around the state that they’ll be held accountable for violating the law.”
Since the 2018 law went into effect, Oregon DOJ has received 261 complaints against Retriever Towing. Over the last 20 years, approximately one quarter of all consumer complaints received by Oregon DOJ related to towing concern Retriever Towing’s practices.
Oregon’s Towing Law
By requiring signed authorization for a private property tow, Oregon’s 2018 law prohibited the practice of towing cars for relatively minor parking violations (like back-in parking next to an apartment building) unless the property owner or its agent was willing to authorize the tow.
Details of the law
- Since Jan. 1, 2018, a tower needs to get signed authorization from the owner of the parking lot before towing the vehicle. The tower needs to keep a copy of the signed authorization for at least two years and provide a copy upon request at no additional charge.
- The tow truck operator must also take a picture of your vehicle to show how it was parked in violation of a prohibition posted on a sign at the lot.
- Unless the tow truck operator is towing your vehicle for a road service company, they may not attempt to solicit your business at the scene of an accident.
- If you are present at the time of the tow and the hookup is not complete, the tower must release the vehicle at no charge. If the hookup is complete, they may charge a hookup fee, but not the price of a tow.
- If the towing company accepts cash, you will get exact change no later than the end of the next business day. (Not all towers carry sufficient change in their trucks.)
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Crash kills woman when two cars and truck collide on the Mornington Peninsula at Somerville
A woman was killed in a road tragedy in Melbourne’s southeast when a ute, a car and a tow truck collided on Monday afternoon.
The vehicles crashed just after 3.30pm on Frankston-Flinders Rd in Somerville on the Mornington Peninsula, with the force of the impact pushing the woman’s car into a tree.
The woman died at the scene and a man driving the truck involved in the crash was taken to hospital for observation.
He is assisting police with their inquiries.
No one else was injured in the crash and the exact cause is yet to be determined.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police.
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According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, there were 300 fatal work-zone crashes in 2020.
Jordan Toebben, the owner of Toebben's Towing -- a tow service based out of Jefferson City -- said distracted motorists create unsafe conditions for those who work on roadways.
"We're trying to work but also watch traffic," Toebben said. "People just don't move over."
According to Toebben and an employee at the business, much of the time they see people distracted on their cellphones wanting to take pictures of a scene being worked on.
"We all have done it, go on our phones," Toebeen's Towing employee Kyle Phelps said. "But people will get so distracted there's times where they won't even realize they're driving past us."
Phelps said drivers sometimes will get close enough that he can sometimes make eye contact with them.
"They'll make eye contact with you and they'll see you," Phelps said. "They've got plenty of room to move over and they don't. It's lack of perspective for the job."
With drivers, at times, coming inches from the road workers, the speeds a motorist might deem as perfectly normal can be deadly.
"We've become accustomed to going 70 miles an hour down the highway and you don't realize how fast that is until you're six inches from a vehicle doing 70 miles an hour," Phelps said. "Go stand on your curbside and stay there when a car is going by you at 35. See what that's like and imagine it being closer to you going down the highway."
According to both men, there have been times where they have had to jump onto the bed of their tow trucks to avoid being hit by cars. Along with that, there are times where a secondary crash happens where they have been standing moments before.
"I've pulled a car out of a ditch before and right as the car was out, another car has slid in," Toebben said. "If I was standing there a few minutes earlier, I would be killed."
Toebben said it takes months to train new employees. He claims he won't let new hires leave his sight for the first month of the job.
"They have to learn what to look for," Toebben said. "Certain sounds on the road like rumble strips can be good indicators something is about to happen. You always have to be looking over your shoulder."
According to both men, family is always in the back of their minds and they want to get home safe.
"That's our biggest fear is not going home one day," Toebben said. "It could happen today, could be tomorrow or never hopefully. But it could happen so we just try to get everyone to slow down at least and hug that center line."
Missouri's move-over law states:
"Upon approaching a stationary vehicle displaying lighted red or red and blue lights, or a stationary vehicle displaying lighted amber or amber and white lights, the driver of every motor vehicle shall:
- Proceed with caution and yield the right-of-way, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the stationary vehicle, if on a roadway having at least four lanes with not less than two lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle; or
- Proceed with due caution and reduce the speed of the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for road conditions, if changing lanes would be unsafe or impossible.”
The law is meant to keep road-workers safe.
The Missouri Department of Transportation wants motorists to understand violations of the Move Over Law can lead to serious injuries of roadway workers, and at best, can lead to fines or imprisonment.
More information about the move-over law can be found on MoDOT's website.
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FARGO, N.D. (NewsDakota.com/AAA) – AAA will be weighing in Thursday before the House Transportation Committee as legislators hear testimony regarding proposed legislation to expand North Dakota’s s Slow Down, Move Over law.
House Bill (HB) 1141 is sponsored by Representative Austen Schauer of West Fargo. The bill requires drivers approaching a disabled vehicle displaying hazard warning lights from the rear to make a lane change into an available lane not immediately adjacent to the vehicle, or to slow to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe for conditions.
Current state law applies to emergency vehicles, tow trucks, and highway maintenance vehicles. Passage of HB 1141 would expand the state’s current Move-Over law, to cover all vehicles displaying hazard lights.
“Being on the side of the road is dangerous for everyone and we have seen that even those who the law is already intended to protect are not exempt from the perils on the road,” said Gene LaDoucer, regional director of public affairs for AAA-The Auto Club Group.
Across the country, nearly 350 people are struck and killed every year while outside a disabled vehicle, according to LaDoucer. In North Dakota, an average of one vehicle is struck per month while sitting stationary along an interstate or multi-lane highway in the state, according to state data from 2017-2021.
Despite every state in the country having some form of Move Over law, motorists routinely indicate that they are either unaware of state laws that require them to slow down and/or move over for emergency vehicles or that they are uncertain which groups or types of vehicles apply.
A AAA poll of North Dakota drivers conducted last fall indicated a similar lack of understanding or awareness around the state’s Move Over law, with 36 percent of drivers polled indicating they were ‘unsure’ or thought there was ‘no’ Move Over law in the state. That same survey indicated 96 percent of North Dakota motorists would be “very” or “somewhat” concerned about other vehicles passing closely at high speeds if they were stopped on the side of the road.
HB 1141 simplifies the law, makes education efforts easier and increases the safety of all road users, including emergency and road maintenance workers both on and off duty, according to LaDoucer.
“AAA has been instrumental in the passage of Move Over laws across the country to protect first responders, law enforcement officers, tow truck operators and highway workers,” LaDoucer said. “We would also like to see those same protections extended to motorists with disabled vehicles to save lives on our roadways.”
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The car theft epidemic in Memphis has created yet another problem.
There’s no room at the inn at the city’s impound lot in Frayser. It is packed to capacity, and customers and tow truck operators say wait times and fees are agonizing.
Having your car stolen or getting into a car accident is hard enough. Losing a whole day at work to go get your car from the Memphis police impound lot requires a great deal of patience and money.
And that’s even if the staff at the impound lot can find your car.
Clifford Bynum and his brother Taylen spent all day at the MPD lot trying to recover his stolen car.
“These are the cars the bad guys want,” Clifford said, pointing to his ride. “And they didn’t even steal anything out of my car. I’ve been here five, six hours now and I’m missing work. I’m missing work. That’s money I’m supposed to be making right now.”
The lot is built to hold 2,000 cars.
But with the city’s explosion in car thefts, 4,000-plus vehicles are now crammed into part of what used to be the old International Harvester plant.
The city acquired the property in the 1980s and opened the impound lot in the early ‘90s.
A tow truck driver who declined to give his name spent 11 hours waiting to pick up a car and put it on his wrecker.
He told Action News 5, “The wait is so long. It’s very ill-managed up here. The cars are so packed together that they’re bumper to bumper, and sometimes they’re crushed against each other. The best way to put it: the forklift has a hard time getting around. I mean, there are potholes that would swallow a semi.”
More frustrated tow truck operators went before the Memphis City Council on Tuesday.
“There were 80 companies on rotation 10 years ago when I started my company,” said Evan Mealer with Blues City Towing. “Now it’s down to about 40. The reason is, it’s not economically viable. That’s part of the problem you’re having, with tow truck response times for police.”
“We can’t afford to keep tying up trucks at the low rate we’re receiving now,” Nathaniel Fripp of 901 Express Towing & Recovery told the council. “We need an increase.”
The City of Memphis currently pays $125 a tow, a price that has not changed in 16 years.
A company called Auto Return made a presentation to the council on streamlining the towing process using a new dispatch system.
Shelby County Government, they said, is among their newest clients.
But when tow truck operators were asked what they thought of the company’s pitch to the city, loud groans and a collective “no, absolutely not” could be heard from the audience.
“Our issue here in the city is not dispatch,” said towing operator Angela Inman. “Our issue in this city is at the impound lot.”
It’s an impound lot that is overflowing with cars and long wait times, and customers say the city needs to fix it and fix it fast.
“I mean it’s messed up,” said Clifford. “It’s messed up. It’s messed up that the car got stolen in the first place. It’s messed up bro.”
An MPD spokesperson would only say: “a review of the impound lot will be presented at the next city council meeting.”
The next meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 24.
”It’s ridiculous,” said the tow truck driver who’d been at the lot since 5 a.m. and was still there at 4 p.m. when Action News 5 arrived. “It’s time for a change!”
Building a new impound lot, staffing up and creating a workflow that actually works better for customers, and hiring Auto Return to help with the process are all options for the city council to consider.
Action News 5′s request to talk with someone at MPD about the problems at the impound lot was denied, and no additional information was provided by the police agency.
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — An effort to increase the price to get your car back following a tow was knocked down by the Public Safety Commission Tuesday evening, saying more evidence was needed before spiking up the price.
The current fee for a nonconsensual tow – resulting from a crash or impound – for a light-duty car is $185. The towing companies requested to the Austin Police Department that the price be raised to $340. A person who has their vehicle nonconsensually towed must pay this fee to get their car back following a crash or impound.
“I’m just really concerned about the staggering amount that this fee has gotten to,” said Nelly Paulina Ramirez, Vice Chair of the Public Safety Commission.
“I sympathize with the towing companies that are running their businesses and trying to keep up with inflation… but I’m really concerned, quite frankly, with this huge sort of spike in prices for people that are in accidents and are in situations that are sometimes problematic.”
To evaluate whether an increase was warranted, the Austin Police Department conducted a study looking at towing fees across Texas and the consumer price index (CPI), the average change of prices over time.
The last towing fee increase happened in 2019 when it raised from $150 to $180 for a light-duty car. Taking into account the consumer price index, APD said an increase from $180 to $215 may be warranted.
“We have had a tremendous amount of our strain on continuing to do business with inflation, fuel costs, labor costs (and) maintenance that goes along with the equipment to be able to do our job and do it well,” Jaime Rocha, owner of a towing company in Austin, said at the meeting. He said increases in rent, auto insurance and property taxes have gone up as well.
In addition to the price hike, they recommended an exceptional labor fee of $150 to transport electric vehicles. If an electric vehicle battery is damaged, it can self-ignite and stay lit for hours which may require additional labor and materials to maintain.
The majority of the commissioners voted to reject the recommendation, and one voted not to reject it. The consensus from the commissioners was that more of a justification was needed before a price hike.
The question to raise the fee will still go before City Council at the next meeting.
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No one was injured in the multi-vehicle crash on Highway 5
A Highway Thru Hell star was involved in a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 5, just outside of Avola, B.C., on Sunday (Jan. 8).
Prominent tow truck operator Jamie Davis was not injured in the crash, said Great Pacific Media, the publisher of the reality T.V. series, in a statement.
No major injuries have been reported, but emergency services were called to the scene of the collision. The highway has since re-opened.
The Highway Thru Hell production team said that they were not on site during the incident.
The Yellowhead highway is experiencing limited visibility, dense fog and freezing rain Monday, according to Drive B.C.
He grew up immersed in the towing industry and used to ride along in his dad’s truck as a child.
Davis said he would like to thank the emergency responders for their service and the series’ fans for their concern.
Black Press Media has reached out to Jamie Davis Motor Truck and Auto for comment.
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FHP busts Orange County towing business accused of illegally preying on crash victims
$82K in assets recovered from Ready For Action Collision
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol in December closed a monthlong investigation of a towing business in Orange County that troopers said would unlawfully solicit people at crash scenes and keep hold of towed vehicles behind threats, red tape and extortion, according to a news release shared Friday.
On Nov. 1, FHP was contacted by Enterprise Rental Car inquiring the location of a 2021 Toyota Rav 4 that had been towed from the scene of a crash.
A woman who had been renting the Toyota told troopers that the car was towed by a company called In & Out Collision, troopers said. She had assumed the company was sent by FHP, though troopers said that was not the case.
Enterprise began seeing excessive charges from In & Out Collision believed to be related to the towing, according to FHP.
In the investigation report, troopers said the collision center refused to release the Toyota without payment. An affidavit shows Enterprise had never been provided with documentation advising that the Toyota was at In & Out Collision, and Enterprise was puzzled by how a collision center was attempting to seek payment for towing services.
Troopers said they called In & Out Collision on Nov. 18, though troopers were told the Toyota was no longer there and that the company didn’t tow vehicles at all.
The investigation report shows that Enterprise also called In & Out Collision around this time, though the collision center told Enterprise that the Toyota had never once been at the center. Given how the Toyota’s location was now unknown, it was then reported stolen, FHP said.
The investigation officially began Dec. 1, troopers said, when the woman involved in the crash confirmed with FHP that neither she nor anyone she knew had called In & Out Collision to pick up the Toyota. Upon responding in person to In & Out Collision, another rented, crashed Toyota was found there — one that Enterprise had been told was at a different shop.
Consulting with the person who had rented this Toyota, troopers were told they were approached at the scene of their respective crash by Ready For Action Collision Inc. — another business on the same lot as In & Out Collision — and unlawfully solicited for towing services. Due to the possibility that the car was illegally towed, troopers took it with them and returned it to Enterprise.
Further investigation into Ready For Action Collision revealed such examples as a 2019 Dodge Charger that ended up at the collision center in November and stayed there as the business owner — identified as William Gonzalez, 37 — refused to release it to anyone besides its registered owner, whom Gonzalez knew was dead at the time. Another case looked at a 2018 Jeep Cherokee that crashed in November, registered to a woman in her 60s who was lied to by Ready For Action Collision that State Farm had contacted the business to pick it up, FHP said.
Monday, a search warrant was executed at Ready For Action Collision that resulted in the recovery of a stolen vehicle and the impounding of the business’ primary tow truck, troopers said. According to FHP, over $82,000 in assets were recovered for victims.
An arrest warrant was issued tor Gonzalez, who turned himself in Wednesday at the Orange County jail, troopers said.
Gonzalez faces charges of grand theft $20K-$100K, obtaining property by fraud $20K-$50K, dealing in stolen property, extortion and unlawful solicitation of towing services at a crash scene, according to FHP.
Records show Gonzalez bonded out of jail the same day he arrived.
Troopers reminded the public to notify FHP if they find themselves being solicited for unrequited towing services at the scene of a crash.
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CHICAGO — Two men in a tow truck were reportedly shot in a drive-by shooting in the Irving Park neighborhood early Friday morning.
Police said the two men, both 45 years of age, were sitting in a tow truck parked on the 3600 block of North Avondale Avenue around 2 a.m., when they were shot at by an individual traveling in a dark-colored SUV.
According to police, one of them was shot in the stomach and transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital in fair condition and the other sustained a graze wound to the head and was transported to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in fair condition.
There is currently no one in custody and police are investigating the incident.
Tower Struck - 01.29.23 (OR) "Updated 02.19.23"
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Tow truck driver hit on the Banfield, taken to hospital with broken arm and leg
PORTLAND, Ore. — At 6:47 a.m. Sunday, emergency responders were dispatched to I-84 near the Northeast 43rd Avenue exit and the overpass of Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard.
When police arrived, they found the driver of a tow truck laying on the pavement, injured, in front of his truck. Officers say they learned that the driver had just finished loading a vehicle when he was struck by a passing vehicle, believed to be another tow truck that continued driving and has not been located.
The injured driver, a 27-year-old man, was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, including a broken arm and a broken leg.
The suspect’s vehicle is also believed to be a tow truck. It is described as a Ford tow truck with a wheel lift device on the back, but the color isn’t known.
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