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Not to mention the Rollback is chased down and stopped as it rolls away.

06.20.19 "The Old Motor" website feature image was taken by the Budd Manufacturing Company Photography Department which documented the production and manufacturing operations of the Dodge Brothers car and truck bodies in its Philadelphia, PA, plant. This photo was taken at the scene of an accident involving a Dodge four-door sedan to show just how well the Budd bodywork and structural members held up in an accident. A conventional metal covered wood-framed auto body probably would have suffered from broken rear door and quarter panel framework and more deformation than this all-steel coachwork sustained. Help us identify the tow truck in the enlargement (below) and share with us what you find of interest in the photos via reader Doug Walters a member of the Dodge Brothers Club. The Rest of The Story Enlargement (below) of the chain driven tow truck used to haul the Dodge from the scene of the accident. It appears this machine may be a circa 1908 to ’10 Fiat open fronted limousine or touring car converted into a wrecker. Note the dog on top of the cowl of the body. This entry was posted in Auto photos 1885 - 1920, Auto photos 1921 - 1942 and tagged All Steel Body, Budd Manufacturing Co., Dodge Brothers Cars, Dodge Brothers Club, Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia PA. RESOURCE LINK

Trapped beneath vehicle, man dies at Franklin auto and towing shop FRANKLIN — A 49-year-old man was fatally injured Wednesday in a workplace accident, police said. The Franklin Fire Department was called shortly after 4 p.m. to respond to Beauchine Auto and Towing at 392 N. Main St. for a report of a man trapped beneath a vehicle. Police said Donald Eastman of Franklin was an employee of the company. When first responders arrived, they found him pinned beneath a passenger car attached to a wrecker. As firefighters worked to free Eastman, Franklin Fire Chief Mike Foss said, they called for a Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team helicopter but canceled it after determining he was dead. The Tilton-Northfield Fire Department also responded to the scene. Franklin police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the mishap and notified the state Medical Examiner’s office, the Merrimack County Attorney and the New Hampshire State Police truck team. Police said the Occupational Health and Safety Administration has been notified of the accident. Foss said the incident reinforces the need to take all safety precautions when working around heavy equipment. City assessing records list the property owner as Robert F. Beauchine. RESOURCE LINK UPDATED: Police identify man killed while working at Franklin auto shop A man who was killed after being trapped under a vehicle at a Franklin auto shop Wednesday afternoon has been identified. Police say Donald Eastman, 49, of Franklin was working at Beauchine Auto and Towing at 392 N. Main St. when he became trapped under a passenger vehicle. An employee from the shop called 911 and fire crews responded around 4 p.m., Franklin Fire Chief Mike Foss said. Crews used a tow truck on scene to move the vehicle and called for a Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team helicopter, Foss said. They canceled the helicopter after determining that Eastman was dead. A spokesperson from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration said the organization is looking into the incident. Foss said the accident underscores the need take safety precautions when working around heavy equipment. The Franklin Police Department is investigating the incident with the assistance of state police and Merrimack County Attorney’s Office. The Franklin Fire Department was assisted Wednesday by local law enforcement and the Tilton Northfield Fire Department. The Franklin Police Department has set up a GoFundMe page to help Eastman’s family pay for funeral expenses. “Donald was a long time employee of Beauchines and was well liked by everyone,” the page reads. “In an effort to assist the family, this page was created, and any donation will be greatly appreciated.” RESOURCE LINK @beauchine towing

UPDATE: Driver is Fine, No Injuries & light Damage to the unit. More to follow.. There are no details at this time, only a video posted on FB.

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Tow truck plows into 12 cars in Windward Oahu after apparently losing brakes Four people were injured Wednesday, including one critically, when a large tow truck apparently lost its brakes on Kahekili Highway and plowed into 12 vehicles. June 12, 2019 at 5:35 PM HST - Updated June 12 at 5:35 PM RESOURCE LINK with video

A proposed change to Mobile’s wrecker service ordinance was tabled by the city council on Tuesday after the director of public safety said there is a criminal investigation into possible price gouging by wrecker companies. The council tabled the proposal for the time being, as the investigation presses on, according to James Barber, the city’s executive director of public safety. “It started by looking into allegations of price gouging, and has now turned into a criminal investigation into several companies within the wrecker industry,” Barber said. “It is a criminal investigation at this point. We’ll complete the criminal investigation and come back and prevent this activity from happening again.” Barber added, “We will come back with a solid ordinance that provides fair fees.” Barber said the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office is part of the investigation RESOURCE LINK

06.11.19 - Middleton Fire Department posted on their FB Page: at approximately 1130 the RECC received calls for a car into the pool at 36 Village Road.Crews arrived to find an suv teetering on the edge of the pool. The two occupants had been helped out by bystanders and they were not injured. The vehicle ended up slipping all the way into the pool. Coadys’ wrecker was called to lift the vehicle out of the water. Crews stood by for the removal of the vehicle.The operators from Coadys’ did a great job and made the removal of the vehicle look easy . Luckily there were no injuries, but the pool will be closed for a while. RESOURCE LINK

Updated 06.12.19 - One of the two victims killed Monday night in a hit-and-run crash on Tucson's north side was an Amado truck driver. Richard "Rick" Struble, 57, worked for Luna's Towing for more than 20 years. Owner Jesse Luna said Struble managed the business when he was on vacation. Authorities are searching for a driver who police say fatally struck two men and then fled the scene on Tucson's north side Monday night. Shortly before 9:50 p.m., the driver was traveling along West Simmons Road when they lost control, crossed into Discount Tire and hit the two men in the parking lot at 3760 North Oracle Road, near Oracle and Prince roads, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a Tucson Police Department spokesman. One of the men was a tow truck driver helping the other man with his vehicle when the collision occurred, Dugan said. Dugan said one of the men was pronounced dead on scene. The other died shortly after arriving to a hospital. Detectives have not released the names of the men. Personnel from the Tucson police and Pima County Sheriff's departments are searching for the driver of the vehicle who fled on foot from the scene. RESOURCE LINK UPDATED: Tucson police ID alleged driver in fatal hit-and-run crash Tucson police say they have identified the driver accused of killing two men in a hit-and-run pedestrian collision on the city’s north side June 10. Officers are searching for Justin Lang, 32, who is wanted on suspicion of two counts of manslaughter in the crash that killed Ramon Murillo, 32, and Richard Struble, 57. Lang is accused of losing control of a 2001 BMW 740iL eastbound on West Simmons Road and crashing into the two men in the parking lot of Discount Tire at 3760 N. Oracle Road, near West Prince Road, a police news release said. Struble was a tow truck driver dropping off Murillo’s vehicle when the collision happened shortly before 10 p.m. RESOURCE LINK

COVINGTON, La. – A tow truck driver has been sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting three women who had called him to tow their cars. St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Warren Montgomery says 53-year-old Dale Boudreaux Jr. of Covington was sentenced Monday to six years each on three counts of sexual battery. The sentences are to be served simultaneously. Montgomery says Boudreaux denied all of the allegations, but was convicted at trial in May. Each woman testified that Boudreaux touched her sexually without permission between June and October 2014. One woman said he tried unsuccessfully to make her perform oral sex on him. RESOURCE LINK ‘I fear him no more,’ woman says of tow truck driver convicted of sex crimes A St. Tammany Parish tow truck driver was sentenced to six years in prison Monday (June 10) for committing sexual battery on three women he was called out to assist. “For four long years, I lived in fear that he would find me and do it again, or do something much worse,” one of the victims said in a written statement to the court. “After I reported the crime I moved eight hours away. I refused to visit my daughter, much out of fear I would run into him. What he caused in my life is awful.” State Judge William Knight sentenced Dale Boudreaux Jr., 53, of Covington, to six years on each of three counts of sexual battery, with the sentences to be served at the same time, North Shore District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s office said. Boudreaux will be required to register as a sex offender. Boudreaux was convicted after a one-day trial last month. Three women testified that on different occasions between June and October 2014, Boudreaux was called to assist them with towing a vehicle, but he took advantage of the vulnerable situation and touched them sexually without their permission. In one instance, he tried unsuccessfully to force the victim to perform oral sex on him, authorities said. Boudreaux testified in his own defense, denying all of the allegations. The woman who provided the written statement to the court said she had known Boudreaux for 25 years and didn’t hesitate to call him when her vehicle needed to be towed. After the incident, she said she developed panic attacks and anxiety in social situations where many men were present. She described those who were hurt by Boudreaux as survivors. “I said survivors and not victims,” she wrote. “I want him to know I fear him no more because fear equals control and I will not allow him to control the beautiful life I have with my husband, son, daughter, stepson, and all of my family, friends and loved ones.” Assistant district attorneys William Macke and Sharry Scott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Covington Police Department and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. RESOURCE LINK

Two tow truck drivers, one of them a retired firefighter, say they were in the "right place at the right time" when they rescued a man trapped on top of his car in floodwaters early Saturday morning. Triad residents Danny Ward and Phillip Alston were driving back to their tow truck shop in the darkness of night when they suddenly encountered the emergency situation. Two men driving separate cars became trapped in floodwaters at the bottom of a hill on Riverdale Drive in Jamestown, according to Ian Good, shift commander with Pinecroft Sedgefield Fire Department. "We saw red lights in the distance," said Alston, one of the tow truck drivers. "We then saw the vehicle submerged underwater. A gentleman was down on all fours, just waving for help." The loud, rushing floodwaters made it difficult to hear the man yelling from the car roof, but the pair said it was clear he was in life-threatening danger. Alston and Ward jumped into action. Alston had previously worked as a firefighter in Brunswick County with swift water rescue certifications and other training. "Just being a firefighter 14 years, the adrenaline kicked in, 'What can I do to help,' we just got into it, jumped on it," said Alston. One reason they chose to make the risky rescue: The man in danger was closer to the two truck drivers than the first responders on the other side of the water, said Ward and Alston. "Something spoke to me, something said, 'Dude, we've got to go do this,' I felt like this was our calling, that's what we were put there to do was that," said Ward. The pair backed their tow truck as close to the water's edge as they safely could. Then, they prepared their winch cable as a method to pull the man to dry land. Ward next began to swim in the water toward the man stuck on his car roof. "I had to swim at least 30 feet," said Ward. "It was definitely deep.... it was extremely cold. It stunk, only thing I was worried about was trying to get that man to safety. Because the only think I could think of was that man has somebody at home." © WFMY News 2 Triad residents Danny Ward and Phillip Alston explain their daring rescue. Once Ward reached the man with the winch cable, they were reeled back out of the water. "It was dangerous, it really was. It was really risky, with no life jacket or anything, it was really risky, but I just wanted to help him, that's it," said Ward. "You risk a lot to save a lot," said Alston. One of the two victims was taken to the hospital by first responders, according to Good with the Pinecroft Sedgefield Fire Department. His condition was not known as of 4 p.m. Sunday. About 20 to 25 first responders were on scene for the rescue with life rafts and emergency gear, including Guilford County Dive Team, Guilford County EMS, Guilford County Sheriff's Office, High Point Fire Department, and High Point Dive Team, according to Good. A 911 call for help came in at 12:15 a.m. Saturday, Good said. While this Good Samaritan rescue turned out fine, Good warns that the public should not place themselves in danger to save other people. "They shouldn't have been going in the water. They didn't have proper training and were not wearing life jackets," said Good. "I understand wanting to be a hero, but we don't want to add them to the chaos." RESOURCE LINK

Tow Yard Owner Speaks Out About Body Found In Worcester Van The owner said the tow operator saw a large amount of flies coming from the vans vent and noticed a "unbearable odor." WORCESTER, MA — Jim Early, of Early's on Park Avenue tow yard, spoke out about the gruesome discovery made in a van that was brought to his tow yard on Wednesday. Police pulled a body from the van and the death has been deemed suspicious. Early took to Facebook to explain what happened that day. He said a blue Chevrolet Express Van was left in front of a property on Park Avenue for about two weeks and was called in by the property owner to Early's as abandoned. Early said the van was taken to the impound lot and when the tow truck operator walked around the van he noticed, "a large quantity of flies exiting a vent located in the right rear of the van followed by an unbearable odor." Management had a look inside the van and saw construction objects, gas cans, and two plastic containers, the post read. When Worcester police got there, they smashed the van window in and an officer found the body, the post read. The victim has not yet been identified by police and the incident is under investigation. RESOURCE LINK

‘It was horrible;’ Worcester tow truck driver who moved van with body inside recalls disturbing discovery When Jay Senior pulled his tow truck back into the yard at Early’s on Park Avenue to unload an abandoned blue Chevy van he was moving from a few blocks down the road, he got out to see something unusual. “I got out and about 300 flies came out” of the van, Senior recalled, explaining there was a hand-sized vent on the roof of the van. “The amount of flies in the van was unbelievable. The front windshield was covered.” As the flies cleared the van, Senior smelled something rancid. “It was horrible,” he said. “It’s hard to describe, it was so bad.” Senior called Worcester police, who made a disturbing discovery. There was a body inside the van. Sources say the body was male and was stuffed inside a plastic container. When the first officer got to the scene, he could tell there was something wrong, Senior said. “The police officer smashed out the window on the passenger side,” Senior recalled. “And then they made the discovery.” There were two plastic containers inside the van, according to Senior. One was sealed and the other contained tools, he said, adding that there were other items, including gas cans, in the vehicle. Worcester police have described the death as suspicious. An autopsy was slated for Thursday. Marlborough police confirmed Thursday morning that the van was reported stolen in that city on May 7. The owners of the van let a friend borrow the vehicle more than a month ago, according to Boston 25 News. The couple who owns the van told the television station they lent the van to a friend who then “disappeared.” Irene Barry, who told Boston 25 she owns the van with her partner, Jim, haven’t seen the van in six weeks. Barry told the news station someone besides her friend was using the van. “I just hope it’s not him," she said. RESOURCE LINK

TIVERTON — Fire Captain Craig Committo, who is also president of the local firefighter’s union, has been suspended with pay for an alleged physical altercation with an 18-year-old tow truck company worker at the scene of a motorcycle accident over the weekend. Town Administrator Jan Reitsma said Committo was suspended Sunday, a day after the incident, and will be on paid leave “pending an investigation and resolution of the matter.” He had no other comment other than to say it needs to be handled “in accordance with personnel regulations.” According to a police report of the incident, Committo was making comments to the worker at the scene of the accident at Narragansett and Summit avenues Saturday evening about how he should back the tow truck up closer to the damaged motorcycle “and continued to joke (with him) about how he was handling the towing of the motorcycle.” When the worker said to him: “If you think you can do a better job, go ahead fat...,” Committo was visibly irritated, according to the report, walked over to the chain-link fence that was on the ground from the accident “and proceeded to grab (him) by the throat,” police reported, and squeezed for a few seconds. Police and the tow truck driver, who is the father of the worker, stepped in to break it up. As officers were separating both parties, Committo told the worker he would “finish it” when he got off duty, according to the report. The driver and his wife went to the station Saturday to file a complaint, telling police that “Committo’s actions were unacceptable,” according to the report, but they did not want to press charges. Police Chief Patrick Jones decided to charge Committo with disorderly conduct and he was issued a summons to District Court. A call to Committo Tuesday afternoon for comment was not returned. RESOURCE LINK

One man was injured when his pickup truck was T-boned by a loaded tow truck on Nieman Road at 49th Street on Tuesday afternoon. The tow truck was hauling two vehicles damaged in an earlier crash when it was involved in this crash. Shawnee Police, Fire and Johnson County Med-Act were called to the crash at 2:25 p.m. The fire department reported significant damage to the pickup truck and that the driver was trapped inside. Johnson County Med-Act transported a man in his early 70s to the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. His condition was described as “stable.” The crash blocked all lanes of Nieman Road. The northbound lanes reopened just before 3 p.m. The southbound lanes remained closed until tow trucks could remove the damaged vehicles from the road. The Shawnee Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit is investigating the crash. RESOURCE LINK

Family distraught after tow truck driver is fatally struck https://abc7.com/castaic-hit-run-family-distraught-after-tow-truck-driver-is-fatally-struck/5330342/

Jason Stotlemyer, 27, is paralyzed after being shot by another tow truck driver while he was attempting to tow a car on Washington Boulevard in Pittsburgh.

Tow Truck Driver Fatally Struck by Big Rig in Hit-and-Run on the 5 Freeway Near Castaic A big rig driver fled the scene after striking and killing a tow truck driver who was working alongside the 5 Freeway near Castaic on Friday evening, officials said. The crash took place about 8:15 p.m. on the southbound side of the freeway, north of Templin Highway, according to California Highway Patrol logs. The tow truck driver was in the process of towing a broken down vehicle when his truck was struck by the big rig, logs show. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene, CHP Officer Stephan Brandt said. The involved big rig was initially described by witnesses as red and black, hauling a double trailer filled with some sort of rocks, possibly fitted with Arizona license plates, officials said. The CHP issued a Sig Alert for the two right-hand lanes of the freeway as the investigation continued. Anyone with information can reach the CHP’s Newhall-area office at 661-294-5540. RESOURCE LINK

The Oconee Planning Commission has sided with 946 petitioners trying to block a proposed vehicle impoundment lot across from the Farmington Depot. In a unanimous vote, the commission recommended denial of a special use permit for 1010 Salem Road, the intersection of Macon Highway and Salem Road. The Board of Commissioners will vote on the matter at its June 4 meeting at 6 p.m. The property owners, Mike Thornton and Tommy Saxon, are seeking the permit on behalf of HPC Auto Services owner Ben Hanley. His towing and wrecker business is based out of Madison County. Hanley said that at present, Oconee County has only one towing company. “I think it would be a good idea to have more than one option,” he said. “I’m not wanting to cause any harm or grief to the county.” For more on this story, see the May 30 edition of The Oconee Enterprise, on sale now at convenience stores and grocery stores and newspaper boxes throughout Oconee County. To subscribe, call (706) 769-5175 or visit the tab on our website. RESOURCE LINK

UPDATED: Ware man found guilty of rape in Granby in 2018 NORTHAMPTON — A Hampshire Superior Court jury on Thursday found former Ware tow-truck driver Arthur E. Salsbury Jr. guilty of raping a woman in Granby in February 2018. Salsbury, 42, was acquitted of a charge of kidnapping the woman and of another charge of aggravated rape. His bail was revoked and sentencing was set for June 13. A number of people sat on Salsbury’s side of the courtroom for the verdict, and after it was announced his mother could be seen crying. His accuser testified that he took her to Dufresene Park in Granby, where he raped her after she got into a car with him in Holyoke thinking he was someone else she’d been chatting with online. After the rape, according to the woman’s testimony, she fled from Salsbury and hid in a freezing swamp nearby. On one count of aggravated rape, Salsbury was found guilty of the lesser-included charge of rape. RESOURCE LINK

A 33-year-old man who allegedly carjacked a tow truck at gunpoint before leading Pueblo police officers on a chase through the East Side was arrested Thursday afternoon. According to Capt. Joe Garcia, the suspect – who police have not yet identified – is wanted on additional charges of vehicle theft in unrelated cases and is facing numerous charges in relation to Thursday’s incident, including armed robbery and automobile theft. The suspect’s evasion of police was brought to an end when officers deployed stop sticks, which caused the tow truck’s tires to deflate. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and is being held at the Pueblo County jail. RESOURCE LINK

Prosecutors will not pursue criminal charges against a tow truck driver who shot and paralyzed a rival during a fight over territory earlier this year in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park. Fred Rabner, attorney for Jerald Robinson, said the District Attorney’s Office has indicated there will be no criminal charges filed against his client, Jerald Robinson. Robinson and another tow truck driver, Jason Stotlemeyer, responded to a crash on Washington Boulevard about 3:40 p.m. Feb. 2, police said at the time. The two began to argue, and Stotlemeyer retrieved a baseball bat from his truck. Robinson shot him, according to police. Mike Manko, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office, said prosecutors examined the evidence and determined the shooting was justifiable self-defense. Rabner said he and his client believed from the beginning that this would be the outcome. “We all felt from the beginning that (the shooting) was appropriate,” Rabner. “That bat is a deadly weapon in the eyes of the law, and naturally you have the right to defend yourself from the use of deadly force. (Robinson) has been very calm because he’s felt like he’s had the truth on his side.” Casey White, attorney for Stotlemeyer, could not immediately be reached for comment. RESOURCE LINK Related Story on TowForce

DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit hookah lounge owner is stuck with thousands of dollars worth of damage after a tow truck crashed into his business. Surveillance video captured the collision which happened early Saturday morning. The store owner told a 7 Action News photojournalist a tow truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the Paradise Hookah at 9000 Michigan Avenue near I-94. Police are still investigating the incident. RESOURCE LINK With Video