Tow Truck Taken on Wild Ride

From Ann Arbor, MI - A British man took a MI tow truck driver's ride on a short, drunken tour through downtown Ann Arbor. The truck had been left unlocked with the keys inside while the driver was in a pizza place. Note for next time: Take keys, lock truck. Read the story here.

Towing Headlines

From Beckley, WV: Woman crashes after driving up rollback

From Georgetown, Ontario, Canada: Tow truck driver charged; Boy, 9, hit after leaving bus

From Los Angeles, CA: Tow truck hits Santa Ana Police Car; Officer injured

Tow Truck Driver Set On Fire In Robbery

The unnamed owner of a towing company in Baltimore was doused with a flammable liquid and set on fire with a lit cigarette after stopping to assist two men with a disabled vehicle on the Baltimore Beltway. The driver's clothing, hands and part of his face were burned. The two men are being sought by the police.

Anyone with information leading to the identities of the two men is urged to call state police at 410-686-3101.

Read the story here.

Today's Towing Headlines

From Florence, SC: Three people sentenced in Florence County insurance fraud case

From Gainesville, FL: Companies keep towing privileges

From Lafayette, IN: New system requires towing companies to inform WLPD

From Houston, TX: Judge approves Houston's Safe Clear the go-ahead

Argument Over Towing Bill Leads to Police Chase & Crash

File this under "What Not To Do."

A man in Nashville, TN refused to pay his tow bill, left the tow lot and led police on a six-block car chase that ended when he crashed his car. In addition to having a wrecked car, Michael Sadler was arrested on the charge of evading police. I imagine he'll be paying that tow bill, too. Read the full story here.

MI Tow Truck Driver: An Everyday Hero

A round of applause goes to Mike Thorpe, owner of Mike's Towing of Yale, MI. A man, who was upset about having his car towed, shot Capac (MI) Police Chief Raymond Hawks at least twice in the chest and shoulder. Thorpe had responded to the scene to tow the car for the police. Even with the gunman still on the loose, Thorpe put the chief on his flatbed truck with the help of a neighbor and drove him to the ambulance that was waiting two blocks away from the scene. In the story on www.detnews.com, Thorpe was matter-of-fact:"I wasn't going to leave without the chief," Thorpe said.
Read the whole story here.

Driver Sentenced for Tow Truck Driver's Death

Here's an excerpt from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (click here for the full story):

Christopher Cottrell, whose heavy-equipment truck struck and killed a wrecker operator in a hit-and-run incident in Des Peres last year, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison.

Cottrell, 40, of Fenton, pleaded guilty Thursday in St. Louis County Circuit Court of involuntary manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident, driving with a suspended license and marijuana possession. The sentence was imposed by Judge Colleen Dolan as part of a plea agreement.

Tow-truck driver Aaron Helfrich, 32, of Festus, was working at noon last April 30 on the shoulder of Interstate 270, just south of Manchester Road, when he was struck by a tractor-trailer and killed instantly. The driver who hit him did not stop.

The manslaughter charge alleged that Cottrell was criminally negligent in that he failed to maintain his vehicle in a single lane.

TX Tow Truck Driver Tows Car with Sleeping Boy

Here's the most fair and comprehensive story I've found on this. It's from The Dallas Morning News.

By STEVE THOMPSON / The Dallas Morning News
stevethompson@dallasnews.com / The Dallas Morning News
Tanya Eiserer contributed to this report.

Melissa Jio left her 7-year-old son in the car for just a minute as she ran upstairs to her apartment Monday night, she said. He was splayed across the back seat asleep.

As she descended the stairs, she realized her silver four-door Saturn was no longer there.

"My baby is gone! I've lost my baby!" she screamed, thinking a thief had stolen the car with her son in it.

But it wasn't stolen; it had been towed.

A few minutes later – as police were investigating what they thought could be a kidnapping and as Ms. Jio remained in hysterics – another strange thing happened. The tow truck driver returned to the parking lot with the car and the still-sleeping boy, unhooked his load in a hurry and sped away.

Police soon stopped the driver, 23-year-old Fidel Retana Jr., and arrested him on a charge of abandoning/endangering a child without the intent to return. He was booked into the Dallas County Jail on $100,000 bail.

But Tuesday, police officials said they expected to drop the charge.

"It appeared that he did not intend to take the child," Dallas police Sgt. Brenda Nichols said.

The episode began after Ms. Jio and the boy's father, Sergio Zuniga, had been at the hospital with Sergio Jr. on Monday evening to get a deep splinter removed from his finger, they said.

About 11 p.m., as it became clear it would be a long wait, they drove to the apartment at 4599 W. Davis St. to drop off Mr. Zuniga. Mother and son planned to return to the hospital.

Mr. Zuniga said they parked in the fire lane, and Ms. Jio came upstairs for a moment to unlock the door. That's when the car disappeared.

"I'm thinking, 'They've killed my son,' " he said.

They called 911 about 11:17 p.m. and ran toward the apartment complex's gated exit, where someone told them they saw a tow truck leaving with a car. A police officer arrived to find Ms. Jio on her hands and knees, crying and vomiting.

Then, at 11:22 p.m., as the parents and a police officer gathered just inside the complex's gate, Mr. Retana returned and stopped outside the gate.

They watched as he quickly unhooked the car, "abandoning the vehicle in the middle of the parking lot without regards for the safety" of the boy, a police report says.

When an officer got to the car, he found the boy inside – still asleep.

Officers pulled over Mr. Retana nearby on Chalk Hill Road.

Mr. Zuniga blamed Mr. Retana on Tuesday for leaving with the car so quickly, without checking it out well enough to know a boy was inside.

"I hate the way towing people run the business," he said.

Mr. Retana declined an interview request from the jail, but his attorney said he was only doing what tow truck drivers always do to look out for their own safety.

"It's a dangerous occupation," attorney David Traylor said. "Every interest of the tow truck driver is to get out of there quickly so you don't get shot or beaten up."

His client noticed the boy only when he stopped around the corner to ensure that he'd hooked up everything properly, Mr. Traylor said. Then he immediately dropped the car back off. He left again in a hurry because he knew the parents were there and were probably angry, the attorney said.

"He tried to do everything he could to get the kid back quickly," Mr. Traylor said. "I think it was possibly a bad decision to arrest him for a charge that didn't fit."

Killed CA Tow Truck Driver Identified

From the Sacramento Bee:

A Bakersfield man who was killed Friday in Newcastle when a big rig drifted onto the shoulder of eastbound Interstate 80 and crashed into him and his parked tow truck has been identified as Miguel Angel Ramos, 42, the California Highway Patrol reported Monday.

CHP Officer Kelly Baraga said Ramos had stopped on the shoulder shortly before 3 p.m. because his truck, which was not towing a vehicle, developed engine trouble.

Ramos was inspecting the engine when the big rig, carrying a load of prunes, struck him, Baraga said.

HI Non-consent Towing Fees May Increase

HI tow truck companies who tow illegally-parked vehicles are urging lawmakers to reinstate two fees that were taken away with a 2007 law.

One is a $50 release-on-location fee and the other is a $15 "overtime" fee when tows are done between 6p.m. and 6 a.m., and on weekends and holidays.

The 2007 legislation increased towing fees to $75 from $65 and increased the mileage rates from $6.50 to $7.50 per mile.

The State Office of Consumer Protection is against the move. Read the full story here.

Body of Missing OR Tow Truck Operator Found

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of Dario Rolon-Centeno. The 61-year old North Portland, OR tow truck operator went missing on March 27 after leaving for a routine call. His body was found by a hiker on Saturday afternoon in a park and identified on Sunday. An autopsy ruled out homicidal violence, but the cause of death is still unknown. Rolon-Centeno did have a serious heart condition and his medication was found in his truck. Read the full story here.

CA Tow Truck Driver Killed

Sad news out of CA... Here's an excerpt from The Sacramento Bee. Read the rest here.

The tow truck, which was not towing a vehicle, had pulled to the shoulder between the Newcastle exit and the turnoff for Highway 193 about 3 p.m., said CHP Officer Kelly Baraga.

The driver, a 42-year-old Bakersfield man whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives, was outside his vehicle when the big rig drifted onto the shoulder, striking him and his truck, she said. Milca Aguilera, 23, of Sylmar, who was standing with him, was taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center as a precaution, Baraga said.

Good to read!

John Bryan, a FL business owner, is recovering well after a February incident when he was hit by a passing motorist while he was providing towing service at a crash scene. Read his story here.

Attention VA Towing & Recovery Operators

If you missed the April issue of Footnotes, you probably also missed the inserted contact card from the Board of Towing and Recovery Operators. Here's what it looked like:

It is not a license application or a registration card. The information will be used to notify you of "requirements necessary for compliance with licensure requirements" that will go into effect on January 1, 2009.

Also, here's a little note of warning: "Failure to receive notification from the Board does not exempt businesses from licensure requirements. Towing and Recovery Operators not properly licensed on January 1, 2009 will be subject to disciplinary action by the Commonwealth of Virginia."

If you need contact cards, or if you have questions or concerns, contact the Board's Executive Director Benjamin Foster by phone at 804-367-0714 or by email to BTRO@btro.virginia.gov.

Kudos to WI Senator Bob Jauch

In a letter to The Daily Telegram, Jauch notes that he has sponsored a new bill to incorporate Move Over Law education in accredited driving programs. The excerpt is below. Read the whole letter here.

As of December 2001, a new law in Wisconsin requires motorists to shift lanes, where possible, to give stopped emergency vehicles or tow trucks a safe zone in which to work. Another component of this law is that drivers are required to slow down and use caution when approaching the stopped vehicle if there is only one lane of traffic in which to travel. The penalties for violating this law include a suspended driver’s license and fines up to $300.

To increase driver understanding of the law, a bill that I co-sponsored this session adds a requirement to all accredited driver’s education programs. Driver’s education programs must now include instruction relating to passing stopped emergency vehicles, tow trucks and highway machinery equipment. This legislation passed both houses and became law this winter. It is our responsibility as driving citizens to watch out for the safety of those providing services close to highway traffic.

11-year old S. African Boy Killed by Tow Truck

From a News24.com report from Green Point, South Africa:

Johannesburg - An 11-year-old boy was killed when he fell off the back of a heavy-duty tow truck in Muldersdrift on Wednesday, paramedics said.

Netcare 911 spokesperson Mark Stokoe said the boy fell under the wheels and was killed instantly.

"The truck was travelling on a sand road which was in fairly good condition. It is not known exactly how or why the boy fell."

The tow truck driver was the boy's father, said Stokoe.

IL County Establishes Illegally-Parked Towing Regulations

As of September 1, companies that tow illegally-parked vehicles in McHenry County will face stricter regulations.

The new regulations cap the rates that towing companies may charge residents to reclaim an illegally parked car. Charges are set at $170 to move cars less than 10,000 pounds; $520 to move trucks between 10,000 and 40,000 pounds; and $700 to relocate vehicles that weigh more than 40,000 pounds.

The oversight also controls how far a company may relocate a car, how much may be charged in storage fees, and how firms license their drivers, dispatchers and support staff.

Information sessions for towing companies in the area, law enforcement and residents are set for May.

If you go

Who: Members of the McHenry County Board, Illinois Commerce Commission police, relocation towing companies, local police and residents.

What: An informational session on new ICC oversight for relocation towing.

When: 1 to 3 p.m. May 6 and 7.

Where: McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

Read the full story here.

April is "Move Over" Month in IN

Extra state police patrols are on-duty to get the word (and tickets) out. Read the story here.

NC Tow Truck Driver Robbed of $2500 at Gunpoint

A 31-year old tow truck driver in NC was robbed of $2,500 by a gunman on Wednesday night. According to the story, the driver and co-workers stopped to ask 18-year old Matthew Edward Monroe where a customer's car was located. Monroe pulled a revolver, put it to the driver's head and demanded money. The driver had $2,500 in his wallet. Monroe was later charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and booked into Gaston County Jail on $30,000 bond.
Read the whole story here.

Gotta love 'em...

Thanks to Bev for sending this on!

When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me
that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to
take care of first, the truck, the car, fishing, playing golf -always
something more important to me.

Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When I arrived
home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away
with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time
and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came
out again I handed her a toothbrush.

I said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the
driveway."
The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.