TowNews

VIDEO PENDING HARFORD TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A crash on the interstate in Susquehanna County sent three people to the hospital. It happened just after midnight on Interstate 81 southbound near Harford. State police say a tractor trailer hit a tow truck and a car on the side of the road just after Exit 217 (the Harford exit). Another car was also sideswiped by that semi while traveling alongside it. Three people were taken to the hospital for minor injuries. They are all expected to be okay. Interstate 81 was closed while crews cleaned up the wreck here in Susquehanna County. RESOURCE LINK with video Images shared by Dave Duchnik

Last ride planned for owner of towing service Coopersville-area residents are encouraged to line the city’s streets late Saturday morning when the family of Ken VanDoorn gives their loved one his last ride in a tow truck. The owner of John’s Towing Services died July 17 after a battle with cancer. He was 55. Lt. Jon Alkema of the Wright-Tallmadge Fire Department said emergency services vehicles from several area departments will join the family in a procession following the funeral at Coopersville High School. The funeral is at 10 a.m. The procession is expected to begin at about 11:30 a.m. It will start at Coopersville High School, go north on East Street, west on Cleveland, south on 68th Avenue, east on Randall, north on 64th Avenue, and then east on Main Street. Alkema said fire department personnel heard that other towing companies were joining in on the last ride and that firefighters and police decided to join, as well. “We’re just trying to do this so the family can see all of his support in the community,” Alkema said. The lieutenant spoke fondly of the late towing company owner. “We have worked with Ken as a fire department for a lot of years,” Alkema said. “Any extrication training we held, he would supply the cars and not take any payment. Not a gift card or anything. He would give you the shirt off his back. He would do anything for anybody.” Alkema said VanDoorn was always happy, always laughing and always making jokes – even when he was battling cancer. As of Thursday, Alkema said he has commitments from Coopersville-Polkton, Wright-Tallmadge, Chester (Conklin), Ravenna, Spring Lake and Allendale fire departments to be part of the procession. Some Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office deputies, a Life ambulance and possibly Shields of Hope are also expected. VanDoorn’s family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, any donations be made to Shields of Hope, 29 W. Main Ave., Zeeland, MI 49464; or Spectrum Health Hospice, 100 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49502. RESOURCE LINK

At least a dozen drivers stuck with flat tires after hitting metal debris from tow truck on I-45 HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- At least a dozen drivers were left stranded with flat tires and damaged cars after hitting a tow bar that fell off a tow truck onto I-45 before the North Loop. It happened just before midnight. Several people with their hazard lights on were parked on the side of the freeway with flat tires, waiting for help. ABC13 spoke to one man, Cody, who was changing his shredded tire at a nearby gas station. He was on his way to the airport when he had a blowout. Cody said he hopes he only has to pay around $200 for a new tire and that the damage isn't worse than he can see. Police helped several stranded people, including a family on the side of the road with a sleeping baby. No one was injured. RESOURCE LINK

Tow truck driver busted after trying to tow car with family inside of it: A Woodbridge, Virginia tow truck driver who was trying to repossess a vehicle faces charges after he tried to tow the vehicle with a family inside of it and struck the vehicle’s owner. Mohaned Zyoud, 23, of Woodbridge, who works for A&A Towing, is charged with attempted malicious wounding, assault and battery and misdemeanor hit-and-run. He’s being held on $20,000 bond and will be back in court Sept. 19. Prince William County police said it happened inthe 15600 block of Jefferson Davis Highway on July 18. Police said Zyoud had hooked his tow truck to the vehicle, while a woman, two children and a dog were inside. The vehicle’s 25-year-old owner, who was in a nearby business, saw what was happening and ran out and stood in front of the tow truck. Police say Zyoud struck the man with his truck. The owner then went around to the driver’s side door of the tow truck, and Zyoud punched him in the face, police said. Zyoud then unhooked the vehicle and drove away. Police said no one was seriously injured. Prince William County police located Zyoud a short time later and arrested him. RESOURCE LINK

ANTRIM — A Maryland man is in serious condition following a Tuesday afternoon crash on Route 202 in which he crossed the center line and collided with the bed of a flatbed tow truck, according to police. “We still don’t know why he did that,” said Antrim Police Chief Scott Lester. He said it is unclear if some sort of medical emergency might have contributed. Lester said the man was driving a two-door Jeep Wrangler from Hillsborough toward Antrim. Witnesses told police the Jeep was passing another car, Lester said. The tow truck driver took evasive action to get away from the Jeep, Lester said, but the Jeep crashed into the bed of the tow truck anyway. The tow truck, registered out of Epsom, was towing a Ford F-250 truck. The Jeep driver was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon via helicopter. The tow truck driver sustained a minor leg injury, and the two teen passengers in the Jeep, unrelated to the Jeep driver, also sustained minor injuries in the crash. Their names were not released Tuesday. Route 202 was closed for several hours that day as people were treated and the vehicles were cleared from the scene. The accident remains under investigation. RESOURCE LINK

Teenage cyclist fatally struck by tow truck on Staten Island street; 58-year-old biker killed hours later in Greenpoint NEW YORK — Two cyclists – including a teen – were fatally struck by vehicles in the city on Tuesday, bringing the number of bikers killed by vehicles on New York streets this year to 17. Alex Cordero, 17, was on his bike near Castleton Avenue and Clove Road when a tow truck collided with him just after noon, police said. Cordero suffered severe trauma and died at the hospital. The 38-year-old driver stayed at the scene of the Staten Island crash. Several hours later, a 58-year-old man was fatally struck by a box truck near McGuinness Boulevard and Norman Avenue in Greenpoint. His name has not yet been released. No arrests have been made. More cyclists have been fatally struck this year than in all of 2018. RESOURCE LINK

LYNDHURST, Ohio -- Disturbance: Wellington Road At 10:40 p.m. July 15, a woman reported that a physical altercation had taken place between her boyfriend and a tow truck driver. The boyfriend was upset because the driver was supposed to have delivered his vehicle to him earlier in the day, and because the car had a flat tire when delivered. At one point, the boyfriend stood in the way of the tow truck so it couldn’t leave the driveway. The truck bumped, but did not injure the boyfriend. The boyfriend punched the tow truck driver. Police spoke with both men and neither wished to pursue charges. RESOURCE LINK

A bicyclist was left clinging to life Tuesday after colliding with a tow truck in Staten Island, officials said. The 17-year-old bicyclist and the L&S Towing truck crashed into each other on Castleton Ave. and Clove Road in Port Richmond about 12:30 p.m., witnesses told police. The cyclist was launched through the air by the impact. The teen was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center in critical condition. The tow truck driver remained at the scene. No arrests or summonses were immediately filed. “The tow truck driver, his light was green so he started driving," a friend of the driver who showed up at the scene after the crash told the Daily News. "The bicyclist crossed the red light. The (MTA) bus was there too so they (cops) checked the bus camera. It looks like the bicyclist hit the rear tire.” “He’s worried about the guy in the hospital,” the friend said of the driver. “It’s sad news." The victim’s green bicycle remained at the scene as cops investigated, along with two bikes apparently belonging to pals he was biking with. The incident comes as the number of bicyclists killed in the city so far this year had more than doubled compared to the same period last year. As of Tuesday, 15 bicyclists had died on city streets compared to seven during the same period in 2018, officials said. RESOURCE LINK

A Springvale woman is facing multiple charges after she struck police cruiser while texting and driving under the influence Saturday on Route 202 in Lebanon, according to Maine State Police. Molly Foisy York County Jail Trooper Benjamin Handzel was parked behind a tow truck in the breakdown lane at the intersection of Route 202 and Blaisdell Corner Road with the cruiser’s emergency lights on around 9:30 p.m. Passing traffic had slowed to about 20 mph while the tow truck operator from Chandlers Towing and Recovery was securing a pick-up truck to the flatbed, police said. Police said 22-year-old Molly Foisy was driving a Nissan Sentra east on Route 202 at a “high rate of speed” and was passing cars when she struck Handzel’s cruiser and narrowly missed the tow truck. No one was injured in the crash, police said. After the crash, Trooper Conner Walton administered field sobriety tests and determined Foisy was operating under the influence. An intoxilyzer test administered at York County Jail indicated she was over the legal limit, but police did not release her blood alcohol content. Police say Foisy was also texting while driving. RESOURCE LINK

A 21-year-old man was ejected from a vehicle and died after colliding with a tow truck in a crash Sunday night in Seminole County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Michael Freeman, 21, of Sanford, and Brandon Robbins, 27, of Orlando, were driving in a 1999 Subaru at 6:40 p.m. east on Ronald Reagan Boulevard and near the State Road 417 entrance intersection, said FHP spokesperson Lt. Kim Montes. It is unclear which of the men was driving, Montes said. The Subaru traveled through a red light at the intersection, while a tow truck proceeded through a green light from the S.R. 417 exit, Montes said. The Subaru hit the left side of the truck causing the Subaru to overturn and eject Freeman, Montes said. Freeman and Robbins were both transported to the Central Florida Regional Hospital with serious injuries, but Freeman was later pronounced dead, Montes said. The tow-truck driver, 54-year-old Jimmy Resto Ocasio, suffered minor injuries, Montes said. An investigation is ongoing. RESOURCE LINK

Man gets 5 years for blackmailing woman out of $18,000 ORANGEBURG, S.C. (AP) — A man who swindled $18,000 out of a woman by making her so scared of a character he invented that she didn’t want to talk about it in a room with windows has been ordered to serve five years in prison. Mike Phillips pleaded guilty to blackmail Tuesday in Orangeburg County. Phillips started blackmailing the woman after convincing her that she could get custody of her daughter during a divorce if she paid him to hire a private detective, prosecutors said. But authorities said that instead of hiring someone, Phillips created a character he named “Trell,” who sent threatening text messages and even pretended to hold a gun to her head, the Times and Democrat of Orangeburg reported. “I’ve never seen mind control to the extent that I’ve seen in this case,” said Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Rob Boyne. Boyne said the woman told him she didn’t want to be interviewed in a room with windows. “She wouldn’t take a breath without his permission,” Boyne said. Police started investigating after the woman told workers at a mental hospital what was happening to her. She was sent to the hospital after cutting her arms, authorities said. Phillips, 35, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but will only have to spend five years behind bars if he successfully completes five years of probation afterward, Circuit Judge Howard P. King ruled. He also ordered Phillips to pay back the $18,000. Phillips said he needed the money because his salary with the Orangeburg County Public Works Department wasn’t enough to buy a boat and other things he wanted. “I took advantage of her when I shouldn’t have,” said Phillips. He told the judge he had been working as a tow truck driver to try to pay the woman back. Phillips also called his actions a mistake. That was hard to accept since he kept blackmailing her for six months, the judge said. King described Phillips’ actions as “more akin to assault or personal attack.” RESOURCE LINK

LATEST VIDEO: MUST WATCH https://www.fox13news.com/news/419643257-video A 21-year-old man died early Sunday morning after he was hit by a pickup truck on the side of Interstate 75 in Hillsborough County. According to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol, Daniel Schaffer, 21, of Bradenton, was standing near a tow truck on the side of the highway at about 2:40 a.m. Sunday. Schaffer was accompanied by Marc Smith, a 29-year-old tow truck operator. The tow truck, operated by All American Transport and Towing of Tampa, was loaded with a 2006 Jeep Liberty, the release said. As Schaffer and Smith stood on the side of the road, 27-year-old Alexa Salvatore of Jacksonville drove northbound toward the scene in her 2019 Dodge pickup truck. Salvatore lost control of her car as it neared the off-ramp to the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, the release said. Her truck crashed into Schaffer and the tow truck, which then caused the tow truck to hit Smith. All three cars — Salvatore's, the tow truck and the Jeep — burst into flames, the release said. Schaffer died at the scene from injuries he sustained in the crash. Smith was taken to Tampa General Hospital with serious injuries. Salvatore was also taken to Tampa General Hospital. She suffered minor injuries, the release said. Charges in the incident are pending. RESOURCE LINK

City audit finds 20 Queens towing companies engaged in widespread fraud, licenses may be revoked. Tow truck operations are taking New Yorkers for a ride, according to the city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. The watchdog agency is currently in the process of notifying 20 tow truck company licensees in Queens that they are among 130 operations citywide that are suspected of widespread fraud in the industry. None of the companies have been identified publicly by the department. An in-depth investigation suggests that a quarter of all licensees in the five boroughs may have engaged in widespread insurance and workers’ compensation fraud and the agency expects to name the operations in the coming days. “The tow truck industry already has a reputation for predatory practices and our investigation has led up to believe that they are also putting both their customers and workers at risk with falsified insurance and workers’ compensation documentation,” Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Lorelei Salas said. The ongoing and lengthy legal investigation investigation into the tow truck industry suggests various acts of fraud including submitting fraudulent certificates of liability insurance, having less insurance than indicated on their license application and as required by law, falsely listing someone other than the true owner of the company as the owner of the tow truck company, submitting fraudulent insurance ID cards, and claiming to have insurance policies and/or workers’ compensation coverage that doesn’t exist. DCWP currently licenses 512 tow truck companies. A tow truck company license is required if a business moves or removes disabled, illegally parked, or abandoned motor vehicles or vehicles involved in collisions. As part of the application process, companies must have personal and property liability insurance for tow trucks and submit a copy of their insurance certificate. Licensees must notify DCWP within 10 days if their insurance policy is cancelled, expires, or is terminated for any reason. Companies must also provide proof of workers’ compensation insurance or a certificate of exemption if they are not required to maintain it. “These companies not only potentially committed fraud but endangered to public and their workers,” Salas said. “We will do everything in our power to shut them down.” The notices will inform the companies of their right to meet with the DCWP to defend the charges in the notice before the agency renders its final decisions. Following the meetings, DCWP will consider the evidence and arguments presented and make their final determination about revocation. Companies who do not respond to the notice will have their licenses revoked. RESOURCE LINK

Massachusetts State Police said they're investigating after someone caught a photo of a dog chained to the flatbed of a tow truck. WALTHAM, MA — Massachusetts State Police are investigating after local police sent them a photo showing a dog sitting on the back of a Waltham-based tow truck as it drove down Interstate 95 near Totten Pond Road. The photo was shared hundreds of times on social media. "I am so sick to my stomach over this," wrote Stephanie Isaac, who was one of many who posted the image to her account talking about the dog, which appeared chained to the back of a Ramsay's Tow truck. Shortly after, Ramsay's Towing posted a response on social media. "We have just been made aware of the photo that is circulating on Facebook," " reads the post. "We do not support the drivers actions and he was terminated immediately." But state police said they're working with the Animal Rescue League of Boston on the investigation and aren't yet sure who the dog belongs to. Investigators received mixed reports about whether the dog belonged to the tow truck driver or the person having a van towed. Having an animal improperly secured does come with a fine, according to State Police spokesperson Dave Procopio. But the bigger potential question is whether this was animal cruelty, he said. Investigators are looking into whether the animal was put in danger in such a way that meets the criteria for animal cruelty, said Procopio. "It's immoral, it's not right to the animal," he said. "And quite likely illegal, too. And the Animal League and our investigation will determine whether anyone should be cited." Mike DeFina, a spokesperson for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, confirmed the rescue league was helping with the investigation. "But because the investigation is in the very early stages, ARL cannot comment at this time or speculate on what charges may or may not result from the investigation," he said. Overall, animals being improperly secured in a vehicle is something typically handled by local law enforcement during traffic stops, so it's not a circumstance that the Animal Rescue League is directly involved with often, he said. "However this is something that seems appalling and extreme and ARL Law Enforcement along with Massachusetts State Police will be vigilant in discovering the circumstances surrounding this photo and whether punishment beyond a citation is warranted," DeFina told Patch in an email. RESOURCE LINK

Man found passed out in Wendy’s parking lot with suspected fentanyl: Brockville police An Oshawa man is facing an impaired driving charge after Brockville police say he was found slumped over his steering wheel in a Wendy’s parking lot. The 52-year-old tow truck driver was arrested at the fast-food restaurant on Parkdale Avenue in Brockville on Monday evening. Police say that when officers confronted him, the man did not know where he was. They also say officers found a small amount of what they suspect to be fentanyl on his person. The man was charged with impaired driving by drugs. His licence was also suspended for 90 days, and his car was impounded for seven days. RESOURCE LINK

There are few details are this time, other than the driver either swerved to miss an object it the road or struck the object. If someone has the details and the status of the driver. Please advise.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A tow truck driver is in critical condition after he crashed into a tree at Weaver and West Holmes in southeast Memphis Monday evening, Memphis Police said. Officers are still on the scene. The driver was taken to Regional One Hospital. This is an ongoing investigation. RESOURCE LINK

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 4:59AM PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An out-of-control SUV slammed into four cars, Monday afternoon, including a Philadelphia police vehicle and a Philadelphia Parking Authority tow truck. It happened along the 4400 block of Paul Street, in the city's Frankford section. Police say the driver first hit the tow truck, then side-swiped the officer's vehicle, before hitting two parked cars. That driver was taken to the hospital. Nobody else was hurt. The crash is still under investigation. RESOURCE LINK with video

Found on Broadview Heights Fire Department Facebook page: posted 07.12.19 Great work by B-shift and Broadview Heights Police Department on a roll over MVA this morning on I-77NB at Lacey Ln. The victim was quickly extricated and taken to a local trauma center. Another report stated the driver is OK. That is unconfirmed at this time.

Mike Skreke with Birger Eklov's Red 1960's International Tow Truck So you slid off the icy road and into a deep ravine; you’ve really done it this time! You are OK but shook up; you and perhaps the officer who arrived on the scene, both agreed you really were in need of towing and recovery assistance. A quick SOS to one of the area places that just does that might have been a call to Sleepy Hollow, 1225 N. Main St., Viroqua. Quite possibly you might have had longtime Westby resident and Sleepy Hollow employee, Mike Skrede, who showed up with his tow truck, as he was (and still is) on 24/7/365 call with Sleepy Hollow. He would have brought years of experience and expertise to your situation and it is then that you most certainly would have had a “thank God for this guy and his truck showing up so soon” moment. Sleepy Hollow Owner, Spanky Felton and Mike Skrede. Skrede started being that very help in the mid-l970s, going on tow calls and working for Walt Mahlum, using Walt’s own truck. Then Mike was hired by Westby’s Birger Eklov Garage and Service Station in Westby, where he stayed for about 30 years, adding to his skill set be it rescuing vehicles in dire and not-so-dire situations, to hauling big and especially long loads for people, as well as working in the Eklov Garage. Following the various ownerships of the Eklov business, Skrede stayed on, doing the towing and recovery for those following owners. Since 2000, Mike has been and continues to be Sleepy Hollow’s “go to” guy. In his “spare” time, he has faithfully volunteered as one of Westby-Christiana’s Fire Department crew, retiring in 2018 after many years of service with them. If you have purchased a piece of big, heavy equipment at a Tomah-area farm auction and you need it hauled, Skrede is your man. If you bought an antique windmill on line in and now need it brought home from Minnesota, get hold of Mike. If you just spent $60,000 on that red Mustang of your dreams and want to bring it back to your own garage, Mike can do that for you as well. He has actually done that and more for customers, be it Corvettes or junker cars, being most happy to get your item from point A to point B. Claiming he can haul almost anything anywhere when not running accident situations, Skrede was asked by the History Alive Project interviewers if he had ever faced a situation where he knew his truck couldn’t do the job in front of him. He slowly replied, “Noooooo, not really; what you do then is, well, you just get another truck. We can call on the guys at the LaFarge WI Truck Service to help with the really big challenges, like hauling semi trailers and their cabs (sometimes with full loads themselves) out of those especially messy situations.” Skrede was asked to cite his most harrowing experience to date while on the job; he sheepishly grinned and replied, “Well, it is probably the next call I am going to go on, to be honest. I did get a call in February of just this year, to head out to an accident on County B near Rising Sun; the temperature was a minus 50 degrees F. that time; it was tough to be out in that cold and try to hook things up correctly.” He drives Sleepy Hollow’s 2016 Peterbilt cab, hooked to a 21-foot roll back slide bed trailer rig when the situation warrants it; they also have a 2017 rig he can take. When asked what special skills one has to have to be good at his job, Mike said, “quick thinking, team work (especially when fire department and law enforcement personnel are also on accident scenes), as well as just learning on the job as each call is a different situation.” He has nothing but immense praise for the local fire and police professionals and those volunteers with whom he has and continues to work with over the years. For Skrede’s wife, Dawn, her husband’s on-call status has meant many a delayed, warmed up again meal, coming late to and or missing special events or celebrations, but she says that everyone just deals with it. “Spanky Felton, Sleepy Hollow owner,” Dawn added, “has treated us very well over the years; our two grown children, Matt and Jenna, also have learned to ‘roll with it’ as that is just what their dad does as part of his profession.” RESOURCE LINK

A tow truck driver convicted of three felonies in the aftermath of a multi-vehicle accident resulting in the death of a Brown County man and his fiancee last year was sentenced to 13 years in prison and two years of probation to be served with Community Corrections after his prison sentence. Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin sentenced Ruel Pedigo III, 50, of 1085 Jonesville Road, on Friday to four years in prison for felony reckless homicide resulting in death and nine years in prison for causing a death while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance, to be served consecutively. He received two years in prison for causing serious injury while under the influence of a controlled substance, but that was suspended, to be served as probation with Bartholomew County Community Corrections when he is released from the Indiana Department of Corrections. Pedigo was convicted by a jury of being under the influence of methamphetamine and possibly marijuana on the night of Jan. 27, 2018 when a chain-reaction accident occurred on Jonathan Moore Pike. Pedigo’s tow truck smashed into the back of a Mazda 3 car driven by former Columbus resident Patrick N. Bowman, 35, of Brown County, who was killed, and causing serious injuries to his fiancee Sarah Fliehman. Bowman graduated from Columbus North High School in 2001. Six eastbound vehicles were stopped at a red light when the tow truck hit Bowman’s car from behind, leading to a chain-reaction accident on Jonathan Moore Pike near the light at Circle K and Starbucks. RESOURCE LINK

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - An accident involving a train and a tow truck may change your morning commute. CMPD is on scene after an Amtrack train hit a tow truck as it was towing a vehicle on the tracks at McLean Road at Old Concord Road. Officials say no one was injured in the incident. The road is shutdown as crews work to clear the accident from the tracks. You’re asked to use WT Harris Boulevard, University City Boulevard or Back Creek Church Road as alternate routes. RESOURCE LINK with video CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A busy road in Charlotte was closed early Friday after an Amtrak train collided with a tow truck, WSOC reports. The collision happened before 4 a.m. at the intersection of Old Concord Road and McLean Road in the area of University City. Police told WSOC the train hit the truck as it was towing a car off the tracks. No one was hurt. It is still unclear how many people were on the train. McLean Road was closed, and officials have not said when they expect the area to reopen. RESOURCE LINK

Something that is mandatory on every Tow Truck is a Fire Extinguisher. Yet the majority of Tow Trucks either do not have a Fire Extinguisher or it is a non working Fire Extinguisher. When was the last time your trucks were checked? Now, this was an assumption the Tow Truck in this story did not have a working Fire Extinguisher. SEVEN HILLS, Ohio -- Tow truck fire, Rockside Road: On June 22, police were dispatched to Rockside Road regarding a tow truck that had a tire on fire. An arriving officer located the vehicle, which by that time had its rear end fully engaged in flames. Soon the black Hyundai Santa Fe, which was being towed, was also on fire. The Cleveland driver said she was on the highway when she heard a noise. The driver eventually pulled over. By that time the tire area was smoking. The Seven Hills Fire Department successfully put out the fire. The owner of the tow truck company had to call another towing company to move the vehicles. RESOURCE LINK