Can You Believe It?

Some folks have all the luck!

My cousin wins the $181 million West Virginia Lottery...

...and just two days later finds the love of his life!

Remember: Wall of the Fallen Needs Your Help

On Sept. 9, 2006, the “Wall of the Fallen” statue and memorial wall were unveiled at the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 2007, the names of 94 men and women who lost their lives in the line of service in the towing and recovery industry were placed on the wall. Another 61 bronze name plaques were added in 2008.
This year, the ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19. In order to gather a comprehensive list of towers who have died doing the job they loved, Ken Cruse, chairman of the Wall of the Fallen committee, has requested the help of the towing community.
Names of fallen towers should be submitted to the ITRHFM (International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame Museum), 3315 Broad Street, Chattanooga TN USA
37408. In order to ensure timely delivery of the bronze nameplates for the wall, please send in all names before July 1. Forms may be downloaded from the website www.wallofthefallen.com. There is no charge for this tribute.
For more information, please call 423-267-3132.

Sad News

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of this unnamed Canadian tow truck driver who died as a result of his injuries during a Tuesday crash.

Here's the CBC.ca story:

A 41-year-old tow truck driver involved in a three-vehicle crash near Oka
on Tuesday has died.
The accident in the small community west of Montreal
involved the tow truck, a small school bus and another vehicle.
According to
Quebec provincial police, one vehicle lost control, smashing into two other
vehicles around 2 p.m. Tuesday.
It is still not clear which vehicle caused
the accident.
The male driver of the tow truck died in hospital. Four people
other were treated for minor injuries.
There were no passengers in the school
bus at the time of the accident.
The accident forced the closure of Highway
344 through Oka for several hours.

Farewell, Friend

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of Spokane, WA's first woman tow truck driver, Betsy Merrill, who passed away in mid-February. Merrill, 60, was the owner of Rouse's Towing.

Here's the story on her memorial tribute fromt the Spokesman.com:

February 26, 2009
Memorial service honors Spokane’s first woman tow
truck driver
Meghann M. Cuniff /
The Spokesman-Review

Tags: betsy merrill elizabeth merrill Rouse’s Towing

Tow trucks form a funeral procession heading south on Hamilton Street in
honor of Elizabeth “Betsy” Merrill, February 26.
Thursday was not the
day to call for a tow truck in the Inland Northwest.
Drivers from across
Washington and North Idaho gathered in Spokane to honor an icon in their
industry, ending Elizabeth A. “Betsy” Merrill’s memorial service with a funeral
procession of nearly 70 tow trucks.
Merrill, who owned Rouse’s Towing and
Recovery with her husband, Robin, died last week, five days shy of her 61st
birthday.
She was the first woman tow truck driver in Spokane and was known
statewide for her dedication and knowledge of the business.
“When she
started, it was because guys told her she couldn’t do it,” said Robin Merrill.
“She had that spunk to her.”
More than 250 people, many wearing coats and
hats from tow businesses across the region, packed the Riplinger Funeral Home
for a service, then 67 tow trucks drove to Rouse’s tow yard on Boone Avenue for
a reception.
It was the first time Rouse’s had closed its 24-hour-a-day,
7-day-a-week operation.
The Merrills bought the tow business in 2003, 26
years after Betsy Merrill was hired as a tow truck driver.
Her love of the
business never seemed out of place for her family.
Her daughters, Melody
Goode and Gwen Druckrey, said being a tow truck driver just seemed fitting for
their strong-willed mother, who’d already worked as a sheriff’s deputy in Pend
Oreille County.
“We lost one of the great women in the industry, and there’s
so few to start with,” Goode said. “It’s still a good ol’ boys club.”
Born in
Chicago, Betsy Merrill moved to Hawaii as a toddler, dropped out of school in
the 8th grade, then moved to Washington with her daughters in 1974 to run a
grocery store in Dalkena.
Merrill’s ex-husband, Ray Bourquin, was a driver
for Rouse’s when the two married, and Betsy used to ride with him on tows.
“She just fell in love with it,” Bourquin said.
The couple left Rouse’s
in the early 1980s to own a long-haul truck, but Merrill returned in 1986, then
hired her ex-husband as a driver about a decade later.
Merrill’s love of
people and desire to help everyone made her a great fit for the job, friends
said. She didn’t hesitate to help stranded motorists find hotels or rent a car,
friends said.
And though she entered the business not knowing anything about
towing, friends said she left it as an expert who knew more about the tow yard
trucks than anyone.
“She was more than happy to help people understand the
business better,” said Cej Florence, a Rouse’s dispatcher. “If most companies
had questions, they’d call her.”
And it wasn’t just colleagues and customers
she helped.
Her employees were her family, and company gatherings her family
reunions.
“For people like her, it’s more than a business,” said Chuck
Brewster, general manager of Jim’s Northside Towing in Seattle. “The younger
towers, they don’t have that dedication.”
She took her job seriously and
operated her tow yard that way, too.
“I think Rouse’s is really the epitome
of the opposite of how tow truck drivers are portrayed,” said Sean Comfort, 22,
one of Merrill’s 11 grandchildren. “It’s that way because Grandma wanted it
that way.”

Towing In Saudi Arabia

Here's an interesting look at tow truck operators in Saudi Arabia from Arab News:

Tow truck drivers speak their mindsBadea Abu Al-Naja Arab
News

LIFE IS NOT EASY: Tow truck drivers toil to make both ends
meet, but there are always complaints they exploit people during emergencies.
(AN photo)

MAKKAH: Tow truck drivers do not live easy lives. On
call 24 hours a day, they often sleep on the streets. Frequently accused of
exploiting car owners who have damaged or disabled vehicles, tow truck drivers
say they only charge normal prices and never take advantage of people whose cars
may be unserviceable because of accidents.
Arab News visited the industrial
area of Aziziya in Makkah where tow truck drivers gather. The drivers sleep on
the streets and come with coolers, beds, fans and small pieces of furniture.
They say they bear the heat of the sun, the cold of the night and sometimes rain
just to make a living.
Muhammad Al-Otaibi, a 27-year-old Saudi tow truck
driver, said he bought his tow truck on installments. “I pay SR2,000 every month
in addition to other expenses. I am on call all the time and so sleep on the
street next to my truck in order to make as much money as possible,” he said.
“Earning SR2,500 a month is not easy. It is true that we take advantages of
crises such as floods to make money. However, this is just like other
businesses. Airlines increase their fares during holidays,” he added.
Saud
Al-Juaid, a 21-year-old Saudi, said it was unfair that people accused tow truck
drivers of charging exorbitant prices. “There are many trucks on the street and
tow truck drivers will not risk losing customers by increasing the price to an
unacceptable level unless it rains or the driver is in a remote area,” he
said.
Al-Juaid has been driving tow trucks since he was 14. He dropped out of
school to drive. “The income is not steady. I normally earn between SR2,000 and
SR3,000 a month. In peak season, it could reach SR5,000,” he said.
Al-Juaid
said that this line of business had its own risks and that one needed to be
sharp. He recalled how two years ago a well-dressed Saudi asked for help to open
his car as he had left his keys and wallet inside. “He then told me to tow the
car to a repair shop close by. He told me he was a municipal official with good
connections,” he said.
“I asked him if he could help me find a job at the
municipality and that I would tow his car for free. He agreed to help me find a
job and I towed his car to a repair shop and then broke its window to get his
wallet and keys out,” he said. “He then said he would go to a spare part shop to
buy some parts to repair the car. He disappeared and I haven’t seen him since.
The car was left at the repair shop. It turned out that he was a thief and that
he used me to commit a crime,” he said.
Basheer Ahmad, 55, transformed his
tow truck into a moving home. “People cannot object to the prices we charge;
we’re charging for the time we spend on the streets, the long hours in the sun
and the risks we take,” he said.
Ahmad said tow truck drivers often face
strange and humiliating situations. “I remember once receiving a call about a
broken car on the side of a road. The owner did not have the car’s papers with
him and told me they were at home and on that basis, I towed the car,” he
said.
“On the way, the police stopped us and when they asked for the papers,
the man told them he had left them at home. The police held me for five hours
until the man brought the papers,” he said.
“Once an old man and his wife
insisted on sitting inside the car while I was towing it. I tried to explain
that it was illegal but they did not want to listen saying they needed the
air-conditioning,” he said. “The police stopped us later and when questioned,
the man said I hadn’t told him it was illegal.”

TX Towers' Legislative Day on Mar. 26

Here's the press release from the SouthWest Tow Operators:
Mark your calendars for:
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Make arrangements to join your fellow Texas Tow Operators in Austin at the Capitol
and Spend the day learning how to make a difference! We will meet from 9:00AM to 12:00PM in the Capitol Extension Auditorium, you are on your own for lunch, and then we will spread out and visit our Senators and Representatives. We will give you step-by-step instructions on how to communicate effectively with your representatives. There will be a reception at 4:30pm at the Omni Hotel for those who can stay. It would be perfect to invite your representative to. We need you to bring as many people as you can. We will provide STO t-shirts, free to the first 200 who register, so we will have a flood of blue roaming the capitol! If you have never seen our beautiful capitol, you need to make sure and take the tour which is offered several times in the afternoon. Bring family, friends, and fellow towers for this information-packed day. IT WILL BE WORTH TAKING A DAY OFF OF WORK. Please find a way to participate, or send a representative. THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. We will use this time to let our legislators know we appreciate their service and how we feel on various issues. Always remember: Our elected officials serve the State of Texas at great personal sacrifice. Please address them and their staff courteously and professionally, even when you may disagree with them. As with all of us, that is always the most effective way to get your point across. We cannot serve food or drink in the auditorium, so please have your coffee and breakfast BEFORE YOU ARRIVE. (There is a café down the hall in the Capitol where you can get food and drinks.) Also, we cannot collect any money in the Capitol, so if you want to make a donation for the t-shirts, please send it to our office beforehand. We need to know how many to plan for and how many more shirts we will need. The 1st 200 who register will receive a free t-shirt. Please register ASAP. Registration forms can be printed off of website: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102485970883&e=0019oPaBHHz9mrHwh8qu_KHfIMAIWKBb3HquXtEHzgqs0jUlCwLCjJO3T7D4GTF2oBjBpSHnOJgz9XMGyahUOSzKQEIatFNVjqi3vbUygBiH4yc4fu8lF8ZcBO9-jFR0LZely6GKHN0dbv8qt5Bqqy5EauPBgx-wwrl. Tell your friends and fellow towers, give them a copy of the of the enclosed registration form and Fax to (972) 247-1605 ASAP.
Senator John Corona Sponsorship Thank you to SENATOR JOHN CARONA, Chairman of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, for sponsoring the auditorium for us

Guardsmen In Iraq Keep On Top Of Roadside Rescues

Here's the NewsTribune.com story:

MOSUL, Iraq – If a tank breaks down along the highway, a tractor-trailer snaps
an axle or a helicopter crashes in northern Iraq, Hitman is on the way.
You
might think of this platoon from the Washington National Guard’s 81st Brigade
Combat Team as AAA for Iraq’s exceptional needs along the highways.
The 50
soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment operate tow
trucks – flanked by armored vehicles – to recover damaged military vehicles as
they travel in convoys between bases.
“We’re there in case anything goes
wrong,” said platoon leader Lt. Jared Matheson, an Olympia resident and Tacoma
police officer. “It’s a bit of a different mission than the rest of our guys
have, and it’s definitely a different way to spend the deployment.”
About 75
percent of the 81st Brigade protects convoys of tractor-trailers that keep bases
throughout Iraq supplied. The soldiers of Hitman – also known as 1st Platoon,
Bravo Battery – deployed to Iraq believing they would do the same.
They
arrived in Mosul in October and were training to run convoys when they learned
in early December that their duties had changed.
Running a recovery service
presents a different set of challenges. Since the platoon’s missions are based
on need, its soldiers often find themselves sitting around without much to do,
followed by periods where they spend long stretches off base.
The unit
averaged about one mission every two weeks when it first arrived in Mosul,
Matheson said, but four calls have come in the past 10 days.
“The tempo is
totally inconsistent,” Matheson said, “and it’s nothing we can plan
around.”
Nor is the mission time. The soldiers can be sent anywhere
throughout northern Iraq, and the time outside the wire can vary from just a few
hours to almost an entire day.
Sgt. 1st Class Chris Bailey, a full-time Guard
soldier from Kalama, Cowlitz County, once embarked on a mission to a town near
the Turkish border that lasted 18 hours.
And the job sometimes changes when
the recovery soldiers arrive – either because of a miscommunication or because
the damage is more severe than originally thought.
On one mission, soldiers
set out believing a truck had broken down. When they arrived, they discovered
they also had to recover an Abrams tank.
The soldiers work shifts of 24
hours, followed by a day off. They respond to a fairly even mix of mechanical
breakdowns and vehicles hit by improvised bombs. Their customers are American
troops and contractor supply trucks – no Iraqi police, army or
civilians.
During down time, the soldiers work on their vehicles, watch
movies, play video games and talk online with family and friends.
And wait
for the next call, like a tow truck driver at the neighborhood service
station.
“It’s fun when you get to go out,” said Sgt. Brian Martin of
Longview, who works back home in a grocery warehouse. “Otherwise, it’s just
sitting around and waiting for the mission.”
Pfc. Johnny Phillips of
Vancouver admits that “time passes real slow” while waiting for a mission. Once
he went 25 days without a call.
But when Hitman is needed, it can be a
rush.
“When we get a call, it’s like, ‘Whoa, someone could be dying and we’re
going out there to save them,’” he said. “It’s like an emotional roller
coaster.”
blogs.thenewstribune.com/military

Farewell, Friend

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of Keith Calpito of El Paso, TX. The 35-year old died Mar. 8 after his motorcycle was struck by a possible drunk driver. Calpito was a tow truck driver for Best Wrecker.

Here's the story from the El Paso Times:
EL PASO -- A 35-year-old man died early Sunday when the motorcycle he was
riding was struck from behind by a car driven by a suspected drunken driver who
tried to leave the scene of the crash in Northeast El Paso, police said.
The
collision knocked Keith Calpito, of the 5600 block of Devon, off of his 2004
Harley-Davidson, and he died on U.S. 54 near Trans Mountain Road, police from
the Special Traffic Investigations Unit said.
Police do not believe Calpito
was wearing a helmet. He was traveling north on U.S. 54 when he was struck by a
2007 Scion driven by Brandon Bachtel, of the 4600 block of Loma Escondida.
Bachtel, 21, continued to drive north until his car quit running, police
said. He and Kenneth King, a 20-year-old passenger in the vehicle, fled on foot
but were tracked down by police.
Bachtel was charged with intoxicated
manslaughter and accident involving injury or death.
King, of the 5400 block
of Morningside, was not charged in the incident because he was not the driver
involved in the crash, El Paso police spokesman Officer Chris Mears said.
News about Calpito's death quickly spread Sunday morning among the tow truck
drivers who worked with Calpito at a Northeast El Paso wrecking service.
Calpito had been working only a few weeks at Best Wrecker, but had already
made many friends, said Christopher Cordova, a driver employed by another
wrecker service nearby.
"He was pretty cool to talk to and if someone needed
a hand, he was there for them," Cordova said.
Investigators believe speed
and alcohol were factors in the crash, which closed the roadway for several
hours.
This is at least the third motorcyclist killed on El Paso streets in
2009.
On Jan. 10, Edward Covarrubio, 42, was traveling on Alameda Avenue
when he collided with a truck and was thrown from his Harley-Davidson
motorcycle. Covarrubio was not wearing a helmet during the crash, and he died
from his injuries at Thomason Hospital.
Arturo Hernandez died Feb. 27 when
he rode his motorcycle at a high rate of speed into the back of a Jeep in the
11400 block of Montana Avenue. Hernandez was wearing a helmet.
Michael D.
Hernandez may be reached at mhernandez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6151.

More Greenville, SC Tow Truck Operators Fighting Plan To Cap Rates

From the Greenville News:

The number of tow-truck operators publicly fighting a proposed county law
that would cap their rates when they tow without a car owner’s permission has
grown to more than a dozen, with some claiming the change would unfairly
increase their cost of business.The proposed caps came after county officials
and truck drivers said some people are paying as much as $1,700 and traveling
out of state to retrieve trucks towed from lots that appeared to be legal for
overnight parking.
County Council members have also said they’re concerned
about the towing costs paid by someone who’s just been released from jail after
being pulled over and arrested.
The Sheriff’s Office had earlier requested to
be included in the ordinance so that tow companies called by law enforcement
would be capped as well, but the Sheriff has now asked to make his own policy,
said Councilman Joe Dill.
Law enforcement tows were removed from the measure
Tuesday night, though council members said they want to see the rates the
Sheriff comes up with. Meanwhile, Dana Williamson of Elgin Williamson
Enterprises said about 60 percent of cars picked up from private property are
never reclaimed by their owners because the incidents involve old vehicles that
break down on the road and are left for good.Many car owners don’t believe its
worthwhile to pay for removal, while many towing companies don’t want to
shoulder the cost of taking the abandoned vehicles and navigating the
bureaucratic tangle of finding the owners and legally disposing of the cars,
Williamson said. However, an assistant county attorney said the county proposal
doesn’t deal with abandoned cars, only vehicles illegally parked on private
property. Williamson said the line between the two can blur. Councilman Joe
Baldwin said if towing companies aren’t getting paid for abandoned vehicles
anyway, then a new county cap wouldn’t pose an additional problem. The measure
limits towing fees to $50 for the lightest vehicles -- those less than 10,000
pounds -- plus a $10 daily storage fee. For the largest vehicles -- trucks of
more than 30,000 pounds -- the fees would be capped at $300 for towing and $50 a
day for storage. The measure also prohibits towing from commercial parking
facilities unless prominent, weather-resistant signs of a certain size are
displayed at a certain height and include a phone number for locating a towed
vehicle. Williamson said it will take time to change the posted signs and towing
agreements lot owners having with towing companies, and that people parking in
private bank lots already pose a problem for workers who arrive to find their
spaces taken. More than a dozen towing operators lined two rows of seats in
Tuesday’s committee meeting, some of them in their reflective work gear and
others saying the council members had no idea what they were doing. Dill’s
Public Safety Committee passed the measure by a 4-1 vote Tuesday, with
Councilwoman Lottie Gibson dissenting because she said she thought the caps were
still too high. The matter now goes to the full council for a public hearing and
a vote.

More Information on Tow Truck Wreck in Rome, GA

In the story below about the motorist who crashed into the Boatfield's Wrecker rollback in Rome, GA this morning, there is (unbelievably) no mention of what happened to the driver of the rollback, Gene Boatfield.

I called and spoke with Boatfield's daughter, Betty Foster, who was at the hospital with her father. He was indeed injured in the crash, possibly with a fracture of the C2 vertabrae in his neck.

Please keep this family in your thoughts.

Not A Great Way To Start A Morning...

From the Rome News-Tribune:

A wrecker hit World Hi Fi's Home Store this morning after being involved in a crash with a pickup truck. According to Tony Yarbrough of the Rome Police Department: The driver of a 1984 Chevrolet pickup, Wanda Jean Couzzourt, was attempting to make a right turn onto Shorter from Burnett Ferry Road but turned too wide and entered the inside, left lane. Her vehicle struck a wrecker driven by Gene Boatfield of Boatfield's Wrecker Service. The driver side door of Couzzourt's truck opened, and she was ejected onto the roadway. The truck went into Magic Wand Car Wash, where it struck some equipment, causing damage. Meanwhile, Boatfield's wrecker continued east on Shorter, traveled approximately 365 feet -- crossing oncoming lanes -- and struck and broke a power pole. After another 175 feet or so, it hit World Hi Fi, with the cab coming to rest inside the store. Couzzourt was taken to the hospital with what did not appear to be life-threatening (contributed photo from Brian Pelfrey) injuries. She was found at fault in the wreck for an improper right turn. The wreck occurred before the store was open this morning, and no one was in the store. Employees said World Hi Fi is open for business today, and the hole is being covered.

As If The Chicago PD Needed This...

Here's the Southtown Star story:

Two Chicago cops have been disciplined, one for secretly boosting the number of his arrests and citations in the department’s database and a second for shoving a Lincoln Towing employee during a dispute over a towed car, according to documents.

Fifteen-year officer John Dellorto was fired for using other officers’ computer log-on information to increase the number of his arrests, citations and awards, according to the Chicago Police Board.

A commander found the discrepancy after reviewing district arrests and finding that Dellorto -- assigned to the lockup -- had an increase in arrests, according to transcripts from his hearing.

Tom Needham, Dellorto’s attorney, said no police cases were jeopardized, no member of the public was hurt, and the officer apologized after accepting he’d made a “terrible and foolish mistake,” according to the transcripts. Dellorto had 38 honorable mentions with the department.

In the second case, 10-year officer Linda Brumfield -- who has filed a non-related federal suit against the city over her treatment in the department -- was suspended for six months after she was found guilty of several charges, including shoving a Lincoln Towing employee in a July 2007 dispute over towing fees.

Brumfield, who has 20 honorable mentions, acknowledges she got into the dispute, but said towing employees taunted her, and the department retaliated against her because of the lawsuit.

What A Recovery! Raised Dump Truck Hits Overhead Sign

Definitely something you don't see every day! Click here to check out the picture and story of this dump truck that hit an overhead interstate sign in CT. The recovery was facilitated by Tolland Automotive Enterprises Inc. of East Hartford.

Farewell, Friend

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of James R. Charles, who passed away on Friday, Mar. 6. The 42-year old owned and operated Charles Garage and Towing in Greens Fork, Indiana.
Click here to read the full obituary.

TRAA Opens Legal Action Account

In his President's Message in the Jan/Feb edition of the Towing and Recovery Association of America newsletter, President Sam Brewer announced the opening of a Legal Action bank account.

The Board voted to open the account during the Fall meeting in Chattanooga. The fund is to be used for the support of issues that arise and threaten the best interests of the towing and recovery industry. It was opened with $10,000 and member contributions will be added.

Brewer wrote: "With this growing fund we will have the revenue needed to move forward with issues that our Legislative Committee and counsel recommend we pursue, and we can do so without having to consider special assessments or other means to raise the necessary money."

The Legal Action fund is separate from the existing Political Action Fund, which is used to support political entities that support the towing industry.

Support the WTRAA Scholarship Fund

Show your support for the industry while contributing to the Women of the Towing & Recovery Association of America's Scholarship Fund by purchasing a safety green magnetic ribbon from AWDirect. The ribbon has the message "I Support the Towing Community" and $1 from the sale of each ribbon goes to the Scholarship Fund. Visit the AWDirect site at http://www.awdirect.com/.

2008 WTRAA Tow Woman of the Year

Congrats to Mary Weber, the Women of the Towing and Recovery Association of America's 2008 Woman of the Year! Weber was honored during the American Towman's Exposition Captains of the Industry Dinner in Baltimore on Nov. 20.

The award is given annually to a WTRAA member who makes a difference in her community, in her family, her business and for the betterment of the towing industry through her state and national associations.

Chimp Killed After Mauling Woman in CT

Sometimes, searching the term "tow truck" brings up some bizarre news. Here's some from the Connecticut Post:

STAMFORD -- A 200-pound pet chimpanzee known for TV commercials and riding around Stamford in a tow truck mauled a 55-year-old city woman Monday in a Rock Rimmon Road driveway.

Injuries to the woman, Charla Nash, are "life-changing, if not life-threatening," Mayor Dannel Malloy said. The chimp brutally attacked her face and hands in particular, police said.

Sandra Herold, 70, owner of the chimpanzee, took a butcher knife from the house when she saw her pet attacking her friend, and stabbed the animal several times.

The 14-year-old chimp, Travis, backed off but returned when police arrived. Officers took cover in their cruiser but, when the chimp tried to open the door, an officer shot him. The chimp retreated to the house and died there.

The chimp attacked Nash near her car, though police said it's not known why. Nash went to Herold's home to help her coax the chimp back into the house, police said.

"It was a very serious attack. She suffered a tremendous loss of blood, terrible facial injuries, body injuries and hand injuries," Capt. Richard Conklin said.

Herold was treated for unknown injuries. A police officer was treated for "shock and trauma," Conklin said.

Travis was known in Stamford for years because he rode around in trucks belonging to Herold's towing company, Desire Me Motors in Stamford.

"This animal was raised as a family member," Malloy said at a news conference Monday night at police headquarters, attended by dozens of reporters. "The owner, if she was here, would be speaking of the chimpanzee as her child."

The attack occurred in the driveway outside Herold's home on Rock Rimmon Road. Police said the chimp became agitated sometime before the attack and the owner gave him tea with Xanax, a prescription drug used to treat panic and anxiety disorders, to calm him.

Instead, Travis grabbed Herold's keys, let himself out of the house and began banging on cars in the driveway, police said.

Herold called Nash, who was attacked when she got out of her car.

"The chimpanzee exited the house and for some reason, we don't know what triggered it, and attacked the visitor," Conklin said. "It was a very extreme attack, a very brutal attack."

Herold saw what was happening, called 911 at 3:44 p.m., and grabbed a butcher knife. She stabbed the chimp a number of times, Conklin said.

After he was stabbed, Travis wandered around the yard, police said.

When police arrived to protect emergency medical workers, Travis reappeared and officers retreated to their vehicles, Conklin said.

Travis, known for liking police officers, tried to open the passenger door of a cruiser, smashing the side-view mirror. When he couldn't get it open, the chimp went around to the driver's-side door and opened it, Conklin said. The officer in the cruiser shot the animal.

"He had no choice but to pull his pistol and fire several rounds," Conklin said.

Conklin said the chimp was shot in the upper torso, then fled. Officers followed a trail of blood into the house to Travis' living quarters, a room filled with ropes and a "zoo-like cage," Conklin said. The chimp was dead there, he said.

Herold's friend, Don Mecca, of Port Chester, N.Y., said he was wary of the chimp.

"They're pretty calm ... but they will get you one way or the other" if they are angered, Mecca said.

Many Stamford residents know Travis for an incident in October 2003, when the chimp jumped out of an SUV in which he was riding with Herold and her late husband, Jerome.

The incident occurred after a young man threw something at the SUV that went through a half-open window and struck Travis while they were stopped at a traffic light. Startled, Travis unbuckled his seat belt, opened the SUV door and went after the man, but did not catch him.

Travis then played at the busy Tresser Boulevard intersection for about two hours. Each time they lured him into the SUV, he got back out by opening the door before they could lock it. The same thing happened when they tried to get Travis into the back of a police cruiser. At one point the chimp chased officers around a police car parked on Tresser Boulevard. Police finally forced him back into the SUV.

It is not illegal to own an exotic pet in Connecticut, but a law requires new owners to have permits. The law was not retroactive and so did not apply to the Herolds.

As The Advocate of Stamford has reported, the chimp was toilet trained, dressed himself, took his own bath, ate at the table and drank wine from a stemmed glass. He brushed his teeth using a Water Pik, logged onto a computer to look at pictures, and watched television using a remote control.

The Herolds got Travis when he was 3 days old.

When he was younger, Travis appeared on TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola, made an appearance on the "Maury Povich Show" and took part in a television pilot.

Through the Herolds' towing business, the chimp got to know several police officers. During the incident at the downtown intersection, Travis thought the officers who tried to contain him were playing, the owner said at the time.

The brutal mauling garnered national attention, drawing dozens of television crews to the Stamford Police Department for a press conference Monday evening. Conklin is slated to appear on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday morning.

Conklin said police will investigate the shooting and possible violation of animal laws.

"We truly hope there's is no violation of laws to compound this tragedy," Chief Brent Larabbee said.

Crazy Wreck and Recovery

From the Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction, CO:

Wrecked van pulled from Red Canyon

Christopher Tomlinson

A 260-ton crane from Girardi's Towing set up on Rim Rock Drive in Colorado National Monument pulls a van out of Red Canyon on Thursday. The van went off the road Jan. 21 and landed on a rock ledge 120 feet below the roadway and 180 feet above the canyon floor. Traffic between the east entrance to the monument and the turnoff to DS Road was stopped for about an hour while the crane was en route to the removal site. SLIDE SHOW, VIDEO

Back On The Road Winner To Be Announced At MATS on March 20

Here's part of the press release:

Arrow Truck Sales to Announce Winner of Back On The Road™ 2009 at Mid America Truck Show
Aaron Tippin will hold autograph signing at Arrow booth
KANSAS CITY, MO. – A truck, a job and a new beginning await the winner of Arrow’s Back On The Road^TM 2009 campaign, presented by Volvo Trucks North America. The winner’s journey begins on March 20, at the Mid America Truck Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky. Arrow Truck Sales will host the winner announcement ceremony at 11:00 a.m. in South Wing Lobby C, booth 45500, of the Kentucky Expo Center.

Country music star Aaron Tippin, radio personality Bill Mack from Sirius XM Radio, Back On The Road™ 2008 winner Don Turkelson and others will join Arrow for the event, which is open to the public.

“Our winner announcement ceremony is the culmination of a long process to find one deserving person in need of a truck and a job,” said Carl Heikel, CEO of Arrow Truck Sales. “It is the beginning of a year-long journey for our winner and we are proud to provide this great opportunity.”

During the ceremony, the winner will receive a 2006 Volvo VNL 670, courtesy of Volvo Trucks North America, a one-year work agreement with Heartland Express and other great products and services.

Tippin, who joined Back On The Road this year after hearing about the campaign, will sign autographs and meet with fans on March 21 at Arrow’s booth (#32320) from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Aaron’s new album, In Overdrive, which is dedicated to truckers, was released in February 2009.

“Participating in Back On The Road has been a very rewarding experience,” said Tippin. “I’ve met some wonderful folks as part of the selection committee and I look forward to meeting more great people at MATS.”

Now in its second year, Arrow’s Back On The Road™ is an initiative designed to benefit a deserving trucker in need of a truck and a job. People were encouraged to submit stories about deserving friends, family members, associates and even themselves for this opportunity of a lifetime.

In addition to the truck and work agreement, the winner of Back On The Road^TM receives:

• TriPac auxiliary power unit courtesy of Thermo King
• X One^® tires courtesy of Michelin
• Business consulting tools courtesy of ATBS
• Insurance provided by the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA)
• A 3-year / 300K mile warranty from National Truck Protection, Inc.
• Monthly $500 fuel cards courtesy of Pilot Travel Centers
• One year’s worth of filter products courtesy of Genuine Volvo Parts
• Truck accessories and fenders courtesy of Minimizer products
• One year’s worth of oil changes courtesy of Chevron

For more information on Back On The Road^TM 2009, please visit www.backontheroad2009.com.

Couldn't Resist A Little Winter Humor...

Hundreds attend global warming protest

Compiled Logic Announces General Availability of LTRS Owner Notification Service

Here's the press release from Business Wire:

New Service outsources electronic approach for towing operators to meet state guidelines for registered owner and lien holder notification

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Compiled Logic (C:LOGIC), the leading provider of Towing Lifecycle Management solutions, today announced the general availability of LTRS, the first end-to-end, electronic approach for towing operators to meet state guidelines for registered owner and lien holder notification.

“Integration of LTRS into our systems and processes has allowed us to outsource all owner notification,” states S. Page Porter, CEO, A Tow, Inc. “The end result is a huge savings in time, money and I was able to refocus two full-time employees away from pushing stacks of paper around and back to the issues of my core business.”

Replacing manual processes, paper letters, faxes and stamps, LTRS is a fully outsourced, turnkey approach for owner notification. LTRS covers the entire notification process, including electronic retrieval of registered owner and lien holder information from state repositories (DMV/DOR). This information is then automatically merged into customized notification letters, mailed, electronically tracked through the USPS and available in a searchable online database. LTRS eliminates cumbersome paper storage and lowers the potential for legal challenges that result in lost storage revenue, exorbitant fines and license suspensions.

LTRS consists of two services that can be purchased together or independently.

• LTRS Electronic Owner Retrieval Service – Provides electronic retrieval of owner and lien holder information from state Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV)/Department of Revenue sources. LTRS will provide online access to up to 22 state DMV/DOR repositories.
• LTRS Automated Mailing Service – merges, prints and mails customized owner notification letters through the United States Postal System. Delivery information is tracked electronically and archived in a searchable, online database to meet state document retention requirements.

“LTRS is the result of our efforts to enact state laws like Georgia House Bill 945,” states Lawrence Estes, CEO of Compiled Logic. “The towing industry and general public have a right to simple, timely method of notification and LTRS delivers for 10% of the cost of today’s process.”

LTRS is available directly from Compiled Logic or through a network of nationwide resellers, including state towing & storage associations, and directly through leading storage lot management software packages.

About Compiled Logic

C:LOGIC provides Vehicle Information-Sharing and Notification Services to people impacted by towing issues, including law enforcement agencies, state and local municipalities, the towing and storage, automotive, and insurance industries, and private citizens. As the leader in Towing Lifecycle Management solutions, C:LOGIC’s multi-jurisdictional solutions are used by major US metropolitan areas such as Houston, Atlanta, and Bernalillo County to provide the least disruptive, lowest risk answer to lowering towing management costs, providing effective industry compliance oversight and helping citizens locate missing or stolen vehicles. For more information, please contact us at 888-876-VINS (8476) or visit www.compiledlogic.com

Contacts

Compiled Logic Corporation
Ron Smith, 281-451-0766
rsmith@compiledlogic.com

Congrats to CA's Doc's Towing on 50th Anniversary

Here's the Sierra Star story:

The men at Doc's have towed a boatload of vehicles over the 50 years the company has been in business. It started in 1959 when Leon Ginn, who had a Texaco station in Salinas, bought out the original Doc's.

"He had a truck with a blown engine and a vision," said Clifton Ginn, the second generation to run the company, which also has offices in Salinas and Los Banos. It was Clifton who brought Doc's Towing and Transport to the Mountain Area about three years ago.

He said, with tongue in cheek, "being the great outdoorsman that I am, I came to Bass Lake to do some camping and fell in love with the area."

Through "a friend of a friend of a friend," he found out that a local company was for sale, so he bought it, AAA contract and all.

The Oakhurst operation is huge, the third largest AAA territory in the state: it runs from Highway 41 at Road 200 to Yosemite to Highway 49 at the county line to Mammoth Pools and down in to Raymond.

So when AAA members call for emergency service in that territory, Doc's responds.

The local headquarters is on Highway 41 just before the Houndstooth Inn sign and is known for its waterfall out front. Out back, the trucks (with their rabbit logo and snazzy flame-decorated paint jobs) are ready and waiting. "We can tow everything from the smallest car to the largest truck," Ginn said, "there's nothing we can't do."

Doc's even does mobile battery testing and replacement.

The Oakhurst has eight full-time and one part-time driver, all of them certified by a company called WreckMaster that does training for the profession. In turn, Doc's is certified to do training for other companies, law enforcement and fire agencies on the best way to right propane trucks.

When a call comes in, Clifton said, he makes a judgment on sending out the appropriate truck and driver whether it's a jump start or a car over a cliff. He also goes out on calls.

When asked why the company has lasted so long, he said the reason is customer service and great employees. He has employees who have been with him for 20 years -- unusual in the business that takes its toll on families because of the 24/7 nature of the job.

Ginn said customer-appreciation events are in the planning stages to celebrate 50 years in business.

Doc's Towing and Transport, Oakhurst, (559) 683-7676 or (800) 449 DOCS.

CA Tow Case Defendant Asks For Continuance

Here's the story from the Morgan Hill Times:

A San Jose judge continued a case involving scores of criminal charges stemming from a tow truck scam so that one of the defendants can have an attorney present when the judge rules on his most recent motion for co-counsel.

Vincent Cardinalli Sr., 65, scrapped his defense attorney months ago to take up the effort himself. However, he submitted a motion to the court requesting advisory counsel, then changed him mind and requested co-counsel. At a Wednesday morning hearing, he then asked the presiding judge to grant a continuance so that one of his previous attorneys could be present in case the motion was granted. Though Superior Court Judge Vincent Chiarello gave a tentative ruling that would deny Cardinalli's request for co-counsel, advisory counsel or standby counsel, he postponed the case for six weeks until 11 a.m. March 25 in Department 43 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose, Deputy District Attorney Dale Lohman said.

"We just lost another six weeks," Lohman said, "only to have Mr. Cardinalli's attorney be told he's not going to be in the case."

If Chiarello does, in fact, deny the motion for co-counsel, Cardinalli will either represent himself as he initially chose or he will be assigned an attorney by the courts.

At a second hearing Wednesday afternoon, Cardinalli filed a request for a copy of a court file in excess of 1,000 pages, Lohman said. Since he gave her no notice, she did not know what the file contained or its relevance to the case.

A judge will rule on that request and another motion filed by Cardinalli petitioning for access to discovery items from another one of his former lawyers, 1:30 p.m. March 4 in Department 23 at the Hall of Justice.

A third hearing will be held 2 p.m. March 11 in Department 23 to set a date for the case's preliminary hearing. However, until the other issues are resolved, Lohman didn't think it likely that a date could be set.

"I'm still hoping we'll be assigned one judge," Lohman said. "We have all sorts of dates in front of all sorts of judges. When one of them is confronted with this ever-mounting pile of court dates and information, they throw up their hands and continue it."

Cardinalli, his son Paul Greer, 31 - formerly Vincent Cardinalli, Jr. - Greer's sister, Rosemary Ball, and her husband, Michael Ball, face 169 counts of conspiracy, perjury, forgery, attempted grand theft and other felony charges stemming from hundreds of lawsu its filed by Cardinalli and Greer in hopes of collecting towing and storage fees for their now defunct towing businesses.

The family is accused of knowingly suing motorists who previously had sold or donated cars years before they were towed, and in some cases they sued people who had never owned the vehicle at all, court documents allege.

Sheriff's Patrol Car & Tow Truck Collide in NY

Here's the News 10 NOW story:

MATTYDALE, N.Y. -- Multiple people are taken to the hospital after a sheriff's patrol car and tow-truck collide in Mattydale. Onondaga County 911 said it happened just before midnight at the intersection of Route 11 and Elbow Road.

Investigators are looking into how the crash happened.

The injuries suffered are only believed to be minor.

Seven of Nine Columbus, OH City Tow Truck Drivers Laid Off

Here's the NBC4i story:

By Denise Yost
Managing Editor, nbc4i.com
Published: February 13, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio—City budget cuts continued Friday with another round of layoffs.

Seven of nine tow truck drivers with Columbus police have been laid off. Could their pink slips impact public safety?

The tow truck drivers are trained police drivers who are key to keeping evidence secure.

Columbus police tow truck drivers are trained to treat vehicles involved or around a crime scene as evidence. Now that seven of nine drivers will be cut, private tow truck drivers will have to be escorted by police officers to and from impound lots because of the vehicle evidence value.

The absence of the drivers also ties up officers who should be patrolling the streets, not escorting an empty vehicle.

In fact, according to Fraternal Order of Police President Jim Gilbert, there are five to ten vehicles a day involved in serious crimes that need police tow truck drivers.

In addition to the cuts, Sgt. Rich Weiner with Columbus police said city money will be lost because when a police cruiser breaks down, the division will have to pay a private tow truck company to pick them up.

Accused Shooter's Fate in GA Jury's Hands

Here's the story from the Gwinnett Daily Post:

LAWRENCEVILLE - Despite several hours of deliberation Friday afternoon, a jury couldn't decide whether Joe Lee Farris was the triggerman in a tow-truck driver's death two years ago in Norcross.

Superior Court Judge Ronnie Bachelor dismissed jurors for the weekend at

5 p.m. Friday. Deliberations are expected to resume Tuesday morning, following Presidents Day.

Farris, 43, of Carrollton, is accused of fatally shooting Olugbenga "Ken" Ikuesan, 47, in the driver's seat of his wrecker on May 9, 2007, near Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.

In closing statements Friday, lead prosecutor John Warr, Assistant District Attorney, told jurors Farris' alibi is "ridiculous" and shouldn't be taken seriously. Farris has claimed he knew the victim only in passing and wasn't in the area the night of the slaying.

Expert witnesses have testified that a bullet found lodged in Ikuesan's skull matched that of a 9mm found under Farris' porch in Carrollton. Following the shooting, Farris suddenly moved to the Carroll County city after 18 years in metro Atlanta, Warr said.

"I don't know what happened out there that night," Warr said. "We may never know ... only the defendant knows now."

Farris testified this week that Ikuesan wished to die - and was contracting his own killer - because he had terminal cancer. The victim's family called that preposterous, in that Ikuesan was never diagnosed with the disease, as an autopsy later proved.

Farris said the victim approached him about the paid killing but claimed he backed out.

Ikuesan, a Nigerian immigrant, had booked an itinerary for a trip home that was to start two days after his death, Warr said. Police found Nigerian currency in Farris' possession, which defense attorneys claim may have belonged to Farris' wife, who is also of Nigerian descent.

The motive for the killing, prosecutors say, was robbery.

Here's another story on this case.

Farewell, Friend.

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of Lou Fava who passed away on Friday, February 13. Here's the news release from the Garden State Towman's Association:

Towing & Recovery Legend Lou Fava passed away this morning. Lou was in the Towing & Recovery Industry for more than 55 years; he’s was known as the “Dean of Tow Men”, a cornerstone in the industry. Please join the GSTA Executive Board in extending your condolences to his family and friends. We’ll keep you updated with information as it comes into us; below is a copy of the obituary listing dates, times and locations of the service.

Fava, Louis G. Sr., of Ridge, formerly of North Bellmore, passed away on February 13, 2009 at the age of 83. Beloved husband of Amelia. Loving father of Teresa (William) Rouse, Philip (Rosemarie) and Louis, Jr. (Ellen). Cherished grandfather of Philip, Brianna, Joseph, Louis. Dear brother of Anna Urizzo and Mary Ferrigno and the late Elizabeth Forte and Charles Fava. Louis was a successful leader in the towing & recovery industry since 1954. He has gained worldwide recognition for his expertise with towing and equipment sales. Lou was often referred to as “Dean of Tow Men.” He has conducted towing clinics throughout the nation, traveling more than a million air miles. He was inducted into the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame in 1989. His admiration and respect for his industry and peers spoke in volumes to the type of man he was, with a helping hand and a smile, Lou was a cornerstone in his industry. Friends may call at the Bryant Funeral Home, Inc. 411 Old Town Rd. Setauket, LI. Visiting hours Sunday and Monday, 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Funeral mass Tuesday, 11 AM at St. Mark R.C. Church, Shoreham. Interment to follow at Calverton National Cemetery. Memorial donations, to Good Shepherd Hospice, 245 Old Country Rd., Melville, NY 11747, would be appreciated. www.bryantfh.com

Remember: Wall of the Fallen Needs Your Help

On Sept. 9, 2006, the “Wall of the Fallen” statue and memorial wall were unveiled at the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 2007, the names of 94 men and women who lost their lives in the line of service in the towing and recovery industry were placed on the wall. Another 61 bronze name plaques were added in 2008.

This year, the ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19. In order to gather a comprehensive list of towers who have died doing the job they loved, Ken Cruse, chairman of the Wall of the Fallen committee, has requested the help of the towing community.

Names of fallen towers should be submitted to the ITRHFM (International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame Museum), 3315 Broad Street, Chattanooga TN USA

37408. In order to ensure timely delivery of the bronze nameplates for the wall, please send in all names before July 1. Forms may be downloaded from the website http://www.wallofthefallen.com/. There is no charge for this tribute.

For more information, please call 423-267-3132.

One Month to Extrication Fest 2008

What: Extrication Fest Presented By The Emergency Services Training Institute of the Texas Engineering Extension Services (a member of the Texas A&M University System) and Midsouth Rescue Technologies.

When: March 14-16, 2008

Where: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX

Fee: Courses Range from $125 to $150 (see website for details)

Offerings:

* Three levels of Auto Extrication Training
* Big Rig Rescue
* Patient Care
* Scene Management
* Supplemental Restraint System Technology
* Hybrid Vehicle Anatomy and Extrication
* Expo includes live demos, training exhibits, and free classes


For more information and registration, visit www.midsouthrescue.org.

Dick's Gets Hip To Rt. 66

From IL's Herald News:

JOLIET -- Dick's wants kicks, too.

Dick Bartel, owner of Dick's Towing at 900 N. Broadway, saw the city commemorating the historic Route 66 with a special park across the street. And the adjacent Dairy Delite has Blues Brothers statues on its roof.

» Click to enlarge image

Owner Dick Bartel cleans the bumper of a 1949 Pontiac Chieftan as he and employees of Dick's Towing Service Inc. get ready to hoist the car to the top of a building at 911 N. Broadway St., Joliet, on Tuesday afternoon.
(Liz Wilkinson Allen/Staff Photographer)

PHOTO GALLERY

• Hitting new heights

RELATED STORIES

• Photos: Hitting new heights
• Online: Joliet Kicks on 66

So Bartel decided to get into the act. He pulled two vintage vehicles from storage and had them hoisted to the top of a block building he owns on the southeastern edge of his property on the 900 block of Broadway, which was part of Route 66.

A 1949 Pontiac Chieftan and a 1941 International pickup truck are now perched on the roof with their tires hanging over the edge. Both vehicles were repainted, and the pickup was tricked out to look like a tow truck that is pulling the Chieftan.

"It really looks kind of cool," Bartel said.

The vehicles were lifted Tuesday by a rotator truck Bartel owns that can lift 50 tons. The Chieftan and the pickup were tied down Wednesday morning so there will be no mishaps on windy days.

Bartel, 68, is a lifelong resident of Joliet, and he grew up in and around the Route 66 corridor. He went to school at St. Mary's, ate snacks at the Donut Hut and bought Lionel trains at Emil and Ed's Hobby Shop. He said he loves the old history of the route and is happy to add to the hoopla.

Bartel said city officials, who are pushing a new tourism theme this year, were ecstatic when he told them about his plan.

This summer, Bartel said he will add to the building vintage signs and photos that his son, Dick K. Bartel, has collected through the years.

But the roadside attraction won't be complete until Bartel can locate some mannequins to drive the rooftop vehicles and a stuffed dog to hang its head out of the car window.

"We still have quite a bit we're going to do," Bartel said.

UT Tow Truck Operators Incensed Over Mandatory Notification

Here's the story from Standard.NET:

SALT LAKE CITY -- A room full of angry tow truck drivers hoped they put the boot on a bill that would require them to inform insurance companies when they have a vehicle on their lot.

There are two kinds of tows in the state. Public tows include vehicles from accidents or other police calls. Private tows include vehicles illegally parked at apartments or abandoned in parking lots.

House Bill 112, discussed Thursday in the House Transportation Committee, would require the companies to enter the vehicle information from a private tow into an existing state database already used when vehicles are publicly towed.

The problem is that, while towing companies are required to tell the title-owner they have the car, often an insurance company takes ownership of a vehicle during that time.

The insurance company then never gets notified and the vehicle stays on the tow lot for an extended period of time. The holding fees can get so high that they then are more than the value of vehicle.

"We're just saying, allow us the opportunity to find our cars," said Chris Purcell with State Farm Insurance. "If we don't find it, it's our problem for not looking on the database."

But tow truck owners took issue with not being brought in on the bill before it was presented.

"This has kind of blindsided us," said Steve Russell of Salt Lake Valley Towing.

Even if it takes just 5-10 minutes to enter, a few of those a day will start adding up. Towing representatives suggested perhaps being allowed to charge a fee to cover the cost of their time and members of the House Transportation Committee tended to agree.

"There ought to be some kind of adequate compensation for it," said Rep. Brent Wallis, R-Ogden.

The committee declined to take action on the bill, effectively allowing all sides to take a swing at a compromise.

Two Too Many Close Calls While Towing

Thankfully, these two tow truck drivers survived their incidents.
Here's the first from MN's Fergus Falls Daily Journal:

Until this past Saturday, Mitch Bock of A1 Anytime Towing and Recovery had never been involved in an accident in his 22 years as an emergency road service operator. His luck changed about 7 p.m. on Jan. 31.

“I’m fortunate that I wasn’t killed,” said Bock while recalling his AT truck being hit by the driver of a Mitsubishi Lancer along Interstate 94, north of WalMart. He’s been driving for A1 Anytime Towing for close to a year.

The driver struck Bock’s tow truck after just missing a state patrol vehicle that was stopped, with flashing lights, between WalMart and the railway overpass along the interstate and near the ethanol plant northwest of Fergus Falls.

Bock had been dispatched to the scene after a vehicle, experiencing icy roads, slid off the road and entered the median. The experienced Bock has often assisted in cases of breakdowns or collisions.

The driver of the Mitsubishi Lancer, an 18-year-old student of Minnesota State University, Moorhead, and native of Two Harbors, was cited by the State Highway Patrol with reckless driving. That driver, as with Bock, escaped injury.

Both the Lancer and tow truck were totaled. Visually, the Lancer took a real hit. Most of the damage to the tow truck took place to the underside of the emergency road service vehicle.

When Bock arrived at the scene, another vehicle had just been pulled from the ditch by Wayne’s Towing. The driver that struck Bock’s tow truck was eastbound, traveling from Moorhead toward Fergus Falls, along Interstate 94.

After the collision, a subsequent crash took place — with one car rear-ending another. The interstate was closed by the state highway patrol for two hours, with vehicles forced to take detours.

“People simply drive too fast and don’t slow down enough when they see flashing lights,” said Bock. Jon Opatz, who with his wife, Debra, owns A1 Anytime Towing and Recovery, agrees.

“Mitch is to be commended for the way he handled this incident, and we’re so very thankful that he wasn’t injured,” Opatz said. Opatz drives tow trucks along with Bock and a part-time employee, John Hanson.

Bock said he feels no ill will toward the driver of the Lancer, but feels the entire incident should be a wake-up call for Minnesota drivers. He commends the State Highway Patrol and other organizations who deliver safety presentations on a regular basis across the state.

Both Opatz and Bock feel that stiffer fines, and getting the word out about these new fines, might make drivers think twice about slowing down when they approach flashing lights along roadways.

Opatz said he’s appreciative of Beyer Towing, a competitor, coming to the assistance of Bock and the A1 Anytime Towing business following the accident along Interstate 94. Support from other towing businesses came to Opatz, in addition to Beyer Towing.

“Safety for everyone can and should be number one,” Bock said.

Tom Hintgen/Daily Journal

And the other from SC's WSOC TV:

LANCASTER, S.C. -- On the ground, dazed, his head spinning, Chris Davidson could only think about his 2-year-old son."That's the only thought that was in my mind, what if something happened to me? What would that mean for him?" Davidson said.Davidson is a tow truck driver in Lancaster County. Thursday night, he was trying to tow a broken-down phone company truck on Doc Garris Road south of Lancaster.The Comporium Communications truck had stalled in the road. Two employees had placed orange warning cones nearby and were waving flags to alert passing drivers.As Davidson was under the stalled truck trying to attach his tow cable, he heard a frightening sound."Within a matter of second, I heard a bunch of screaming," he said.Then there was an impact."I felt something hit me on top of the head and just got slammed to the ground. At that point, it became just survival, just trying to get out from that truck as fast as I could," he said.Troopers said 76-year-old John Curry never hit the brakes but drove his pickup truck into the back of a trailer that was attached to the broken-down truck. He was thrown from his pickup and killed.Investigators don't believe Curry had a medical emergency. It's not clear why he never saw the truck in the road in front of him or the cones or the flagmen. The deputy coroner said it's possible the bright late afternoon sun was in his eyes, but officials just aren't sure."He was a loving father. He would do anything to help anyone," said Darrell Curry, John's son.He said his father drove those same back roads his whole life and would've seen the truck and the people in the road ahead of him. He can't understand how this happened."If you've got cones sitting out there, you've got a man with a flag, anybody could see that," Curry said.Moments after the crash, Davidson crawled from beneath the stalled truck. He suffered only a mild concussion.Now he's grateful to be alive but also hurts for Curry’s family."I think that's something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life," he said. "It takes a toll on you."

Tow Truck Industry Rep Being Sought in Eastern MT

Here's the Great Falls Tribune story:

The state Department of Justice is seeking a representative of the tow truck industry from eastern Montana to serve on the Tow Truck Complaint Resolution Committee.

The Tow Truck Complaint Resolution Committee is made up of six representatives: two members from the tow truck industry, one member from the commercial motor carrier industry, one member from the insurance industry, one member from the public and one member from the Montana Highway Patrol.

The Committee reviews and resolves complaints involving tow truck issues. The term of membership on the committee will be three years.

Interested applicants should send their letters of application to: Montana Highway Patrol, Attn: Tow Truck Complaint Resolution Committee, 3615 Wynne Ave., Butte, MT 59701.

Letters of application should include the applicant's name, address and any qualifications the applicant believes are relevant to his or her ability to serve as a committee member. The deadline for applications is Feb. 6. Once the deadline for application has passed, Attorney General Steve Bullock will review the applications and make a final decision on committee membership.

For more information, call Montana Highway Patrol Captain Gary Becker at 406-533-6620 or assistant attorney general Kelley Hubbard at 406-444-2026.

Proposed OR Bill Would Ban "Patrol Towing" Statewide

Here's the AP news story from KVAL.com:

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — State Rep. Chuck Riley, D-Hillsboro, says he will introduce a bill this legislative session banning "patrol towing" contracts, which let towing companies cruise privately owned parking lots and tow vehicles they judge to be improperly parked.

It also would eliminate commissions for drivers based on how many cars they tow in favor of salary or hourly wages and require drivers to contact a property owner or manager before towing a vehicle from private property.

In Oregon towing companies can sign contracts with property owners for the exclusive right to patrol private lots and haul off improperly parked vehicles. Most drivers are paid on commission.

In Portland alone, tow-truck drivers seized 10,864 vehicles from private property last year and collected a minimum of $161 each time, not including storage fees.

A federal appeals court recently upheld the right of state and local governments in nine Western states to regulate towing. The ruling frees Washington state to enforce a ban that had been on the books but under a legal cloud since 1985.

Last month, the city of Fairview, north of Gresham, became the first jurisdiction in Oregon to outlaw patrol towing.

"To me, having drivers work on commission creates a conflict of interest," said Fairview Mayor Mike Weatherby. "The person who decides whether to make a tow stands to gain financially if they do it or miss out financially if they don't. I don't see how you can get a good impartial decision that way."

Fairview Police Chief Ken Johnson supported the ban, noting that patrol towing sometimes produced dangerous confrontations, including one in which a car owner threatened a tow-truck driver with a shotgun.

Fairview now operates on a complaint-driven system.

Riley says he has heard so many patrol-towing horror stories that he wants a statewide solution.

"If there is a car they want to tow, they wouldn't just be able to hook up and go," said Riley, vice chairman of the House Consumer Protection Committee. "There may be reasons a car is in a place for a few minutes. If the management knows about it, OK."

The bill is being drafted by legislative counsel.

The last session passed bills letting local governments enact ordinances controlling towing practices and designating the attorney general's office to take complaints.

Gary Coe, who owns Portland-based Retriever Towing, said banning commissions for drivers would reduce efficiency.

"What right does the government have to tell me how I pay my people, whether hourly, salary or commission?" asked Coe, whose company has been in business for 33 years. "I pay my salespeople on commission. I pay my managers on commission. And I pay my drivers on commission. It creates an incentive-based system to perform."

Larry McFarland, manager of a company that manages 119 rental units on four properties, agreed.

"We're not a big company," said McFarland. "If we didn't have automatic service, we'd have to patrol the parking lots ourselves -- and that would be a lot of work."

Towing fees are rarely challenged.

But in the past year virtually all of the 75 that were in Portland alone were resolved in favor of the car owner, said Marian Gaylord, the city's tow coordinator. Those who win challenges say their cases illustrate how a bounty system can lead to abuse.

Last April Mike Meier, a paraplegic who uses a wheelchair, parked in a handicapped-only spot outside a defunct restaurant, his parking permit hanging in the window.

He was towed anyway, by a company with an expired contract.

His story appeared in The Oregonian in September 2008 and was distributed across the Internet, generating multistate rage.

"I got my money back -- $194," said Meier, 43. "But more than that, what it's all about for me is those people who have had their cars incorrectly towed."