Two Arrested After Torching Tow Truck

Here's the story from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Charles Haralson has been repossessing cars for five years. He's had people unleash their dogs on him, threaten him with baseball bats and throw rocks at his tow truck.

But, earlier this month, he had his tow truck set on fire while he was inside.

"I've never had anything that severe," Haralson, 27, of Hampton said. "By far, this is the worst that's happened."

Haralson stopped the May 12 attack by firing two gunshots in the direction of the man whose vehicle he was trying to repossess in a southeast Atlanta neighborhood. No one was hit. Minutes later, Atlanta police showed up and arrested two people.

"I didn't want to hurt nobody," Haralson said. "I didn't want to go to jail for hurting nobody. I was just out there trying to do my job."

Haralson, owner of Get Hooked Towing for the past year, said the incident shook him up so much that a friend had to drive him home. He also took the next couple of days off work.

"I couldn't get behind the wheel," Haralson said. "I have a wife and kids at home."

Schollander Billingsley, 32, and a woman who lives with him, 29-year-old Erica Glover, were arrested on charges of aggravated assault and arson, according to an Atlanta police report.

Haralson said that another repo man tried to take Billingsley's red 2000 Ford Expedition from his home on Holly Drive the previous week, but Billingsley somehow drove the Ford off the tow truck.

When Haralson showed up, Billingsley, Glover and two teenage boys surrounded his tow truck and began shaking it, he said. They cursed at him and banged on his windows, Haralson said.

Billingsley grabbed a five-gallon can of diesel fuel, poured it over the back of the truck and set fire to it, according to the police report. Inside, Haralson called 911 over and over while he sat with a .22-caliber pistol in his lap.

When Billingsley grabbed another fuel can — this one filled with gasoline — Haralson jumped out of the car and opened fire.

"I sat there as long as I could," Haralson said. "I told them if anybody came near me or my truck again, that I'd shoot them.

NY Tow Truck Driver Pinned Between Trucks

Let's keep 36-year old Patrick Baker in our thoughts... He was pinned between his vehicle and a tractor-trailer he was attempting to tow last Friday morning. Baker apparently suffered a serious leg injury and was flown to a Syracuse hospital. He worked for Big Red Towing of Syracuse.

Read the full story here.

Here's a laugh for Hump Day!

Redneck Seafood Dinner

Tow Times Acquires Lotus Publications

T.T. Publications Inc., parent company of Tow Times magazine, has purchased Lotus Publications of Atlanta, Georgia.

Lotus, previously owned by Grace Hawkins and Earl Johnson, is well known throughout the towing and transportation industries for providing photography and marketing tools to towing and transportation companies.

Earl Johnson, known worldwide for his quality truck photography, will continue to provide quality photography services for Lotus and Tow Times. Grace Hawkins, a familiar face in the towing industry for many years, is retiring to pursue other interests.

FL Towing Company Owner Dies In Crash

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of Stephen Jones, Jr., who owned I Hook Towing. He died early Tuesday when he was thrown from his Chevrolet Silverado when it flipped. He leaves behind a wife and four children.

The FHP is asking anyone who might have witnessed the wreck to call toll-free 1-800-235-6019.

Read the full story here.

Tow Truck Crash Kills One in AZ

Here's the News 5 story:

A young man died early Monday after a tow truck crashed into his disabled car on the U.S. 60.The Department of Public Safety said the man's car was stalled in the high speed lane of the freeway around 3:30 a.m. when the tow truck hit it at more than 70 mph.The man, in his early 20s, died on the way to the hospital.The tow truck driver was not injured.

New Push for Move Over Law in MA to include Tow Truck Drivers

Here's an excerpt from a WBZTV.com story:

State Police say there are all too many crashes occurring on the side of the road where vehicles are pulled over.

As a result, there's a new push in Massachusetts for a Move Over law.

They come inches from tow truck driver Kevin Daly, who says he always keep an eye on the cars in the right lane as he hitches cars in the breakdown lanes.

"People still going by 80, 90 miles an hour like you're not even there," he said.

It's why there's a renewed push in Massachusetts for a Move Over law, requiring drivers to move to the left one lane when they see emergency workers on the side of the road.

Consider the breakdown lane is like an office for troopers, emergency workers, and tow truck drivers -- open the door and you're in the highway.

Forty-three states have passed a Move Over bill, but according to a recent study, more than 70 percent of Americans have never heard of the law.

Read the full story here.

FL Tow Truck Driver Killed in Hit and Run

Our deepest condolences to the family and acquaintances of Vincinte Torres, a driver for Black Eagle Towing of FL. Torres, 44, was hit by a purple Hyundai while helping a stranded motorist on the Don Shula Expressway at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Monday. The Hyundai's driver did not stop and police are still searching for that person. Torres died on the way to the hospital. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
Read the full story here.

Farewell, Friend

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of Richard Kreager, founder of Kreager Towing, Inc. of Michigan, who died Wednesday of respiratory failure at age 65.

Read his obituary here.

Call for a tow leads to DWI arrest for tow truck driver

What NOT to do:

From LoHud.com:

White Plains police call for a tow, charge tow truck driver with DWI

Richard Liebson
The Journal News

WHITE PLAINS - A tow truck driver was arrested on a drunken-driving charge last night when cops said he hit a police car and injured a sergeant after he was called to tow a recovered stolen sport-utility vehicle.

The bizarre incident occurred at 11:35 p.m., after a 2003 GMC Suburban that had been reported stolen from Greenburgh was found abandoned in a yard on Hunt Place.

Cops called the New York Collision Center, 25 Irving Place, White Plains, for a tow truck to impound the the vehicle and the truck arrived a short time later.

The driver, Sean O'Brien, 40, of 1200 Midland Ave., Bronxville, had no trouble hooking up the car, police said, but sideswiped a police car parked on the street as he was driving away. According to the police report, the sergeant sitting inside, whose name was not released, suffered back and shoulder injuries.

O'Brien got out of the tow truck and was standing on the street when another officer at the scene approached him and smelled alcohol on his breath.

Asked to take a sobriety test, O'Brien replied, "I'm not taking any damn tests,'' the police report said, noting that he slurred his words as he spoke.

He was then taken to police headquarters, where he was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. The tow truck was picked up by another driver.

Magnetic Towing Game for the kiddies

Here's a happy little game for the towing tykes...

Kids will develop their dexterity improve hand-eye coordination visual perception and fine motor skills while ‘towing’ magnetic vehicle puzzle pieces. This Magnetic Towing Game includes a magnetic tow truck for towing a variety of vehicle puzzle pieces. The 9′x12′ board has 10 removable pieces. Ages: 3 years +

$10 on BabyEarth.com. Here's the link: http://www.babyearth.com/melissa-doug-magnetic-towing-game.html

OH Tow Truck Driver's Death Rekindles Legislation

From The Columbus Dispatch:

By SARAH PULLIAM

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Tow -truck drivers expect to clean up accidents — not become part of one.

But the death of a driver in Pickaway County earlier this week has renewed interest in tow -truck safety legislation that has been buried for more than a year.

Matthew Shilling, 35, of Orient, was struck and killed by a hit-skip driver Sunday while picking up a car that had hit a deer on I-71 just south of the Franklin-Pickaway county line The State Highway Patrol has not yet found the driver who fled the scene.

Shilling’s death brought tow-truck driver safety to the legislature’s attention. House Bill 21 would add tow -truck drivers to Ohio’s “Move Over, Slow Down” law. Under the current law, drivers must change to the lane away from a parked public safety vehicle with flashing lights. Violators can be fined up to $150. Twenty-six states include tow-truck drivers in similar laws, according the American Automobile Association.

“I know people have to move over for police officers, but I'm still at a loss as to how towers got left out of that bill,” said Shilling’s employer, Stacy Wills, owner of Eitels Towing Inc.

Shilling’s fiancée, Lisa Rapp, said she hopes the bill will move forward quickly because she was always frightened when he would respond to calls.

“It scared me to death, but it was something that he loved to do,” said Rapp.

The Towing and Recovery Association of America estimates that about 55 tow truck drivers are killed each year in the United States.

Driver Paul Cowan, of Troy, knows the next time he is struck by a vehicle whizzing past his tow truck might be the last. He already has been hit four times, and Shilling’s death has been a reminder about the job’s dangers.

“It’s always sits in the back of your mind. When I get in my truck, am I going to come back home?” Cowan said.

Cowan backs a bill introduced in February 2007 by Rep. Diana M. Fessler, a Dayton-area Republican.

Fessler sent a memo to fellow House members on Tuesday, asking them to reconsider the legislation in light of Shilling’s death.

Committee Chairman Rep. Steven Reinhard, a Bucyrus Republican, acknowledged that Fessler’s bill is not a priority. “With everything else that has been going on in Columbus, it hasn't been at the top of the list,” he said.

Also, there is some concern that adding tow-truck drivers to the “Move Over, Slow Down” law will open the debate about whether mechanics, utilities workers and others who work along roads should be included.

Reinhard said he does not believe the bill will be brought up again before the end of the legislative session, but conceded that Shilling’s death as renewed interest in the concept.

A hearing scheduled for April 16 in the House Infrastructure, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs Committee, was canceled because Fessler was sick that day.

“I was very discouraged that in my absence that the bill was pulled,” she said. “Nonetheless, the bill could and should have been put back on the agenda and brought for a vote.”

spulliam@dispatch.com

And The Towing News Just Gets Better...

No towing heroes in today's news it seems. Here's an excerpt from the Houston Chronicle story titled "Traffic Accident Leads to a Tragic Family Reunion":

Carolyn Sue Harrell found her brother, but it wasn't the way she hoped to see him. Bobby Neil Jones, 51, was clinging to life at a Houston hospital after he was injured in a traffic accident on the afternoon of May 12 in southwest Houston. Harrell said hospital officials told her he may not survive. "This is just awful," Harrell said Wednesday. "I never expected to find him like this." Police said Jones was on foot near the intersection of Fountainview and U.S. 59 when he was hurt. Witnesses have told police a tow truck driver traveling north on Fountainview appeared to run a red light while making a left turn and slammed into a black Mercedes that was traveling westbound on the freeway access road, investigators said.

Read the whole story here.

More Bad Towing Behavior

It's not just in the U.S.A. Seems that some South African tow truck drivers had a knock-down, drag out at an accident scene. Read the a la Jerry Springer story here.

FL Towing Company Owner's Son Charged In Assault

What's that old adage about one bad apple? Here's an excerpt from the story at TheLedger.com:

A four-month battle to get her son's vehicle back from a towing company led to Bartow resident Ada Jackson's being threatened with a gun and called racial slurs at Larry's Amoco & Wrecking Services, according to the Winter Haven Police Department.
Police officials say they have received complaints about racial slurs and other problems involving the Winter Haven business' owners, prompting the Police Department to drop the company from the city's towing list.

Read the whole story here.

Dallas Wins Lawsuit Against Towing Company

Here's a little blurb from KRLD newsradio:

If your car is towed in Dallas without your permission the rate is 95-dollars and it's going to stay that way for now.
A Nevada Company has lost out in its effort to raise the towing rate up to 135-dollars. The company called VRC towing has been fighting the city's 95-dollar cap since it began business here in 2003. Now an appeals court has dismissed VRC's lawsuit. Dallas first assistant city attorney Chris Bowers says it's a victory for those already stuck with a towing fee.
The main reason the complaint was dismissed...soverign immunity...which says the city cannot be sued for such matters.

towPartners Launches Statistics Tow Tracking Tool

towPartners has launched a motor club statistics tracking tool that is updated constantly from member feedback. This tool allows towing companies to see average rates, payment times and general ratings of clubs as reported by other companies in their area. The tool can be accessed from a graphic on the towPartners website home page or reached directly at http://www.towpartners.com/motorclubsresults.php.

The purpose of this web page is to report motor club statistics from across the country. There is no intention to bash any club and we hope everyone will take the time to read and understand the results. These are real results reported by our towing company and road service members across the country. We are asking all of our members to enter their data by updating their member profile. This will help to ensure data accuracy and make sure each club gets a fair reporting on our tool.

A Recovery That Could've Been A Blast for the Towing Company

A semi loaded with 8,500 pounds of dynamite and 26,000 pounds of blasting agent failed to negotiate a ramp in Terre Haute, IN and almost rolled over. Luckily, a one-foot diameter sycamore tree kept it mostly upright.
According to the story in the Terre Haute News:

“It made us all a little nervous,” said Brian Langer of Peffley and Hinshaw Wrecker Service of Terre Haute, which pulled the semi, with the explosives still on board, out of the trick grove of trees where it crashed at the entrance of the rest area. “All in all, [the drivers were] lucky,” he said.

The truck, which is owned by an international explosives company, was en route to Montreal factory from Missouri.

Read the full story here.

250 Tow Trucks for NHTA W World Record Attempt

The NH Towing Association's Trade & Tow Show garnered 250 tow trucks for its parade and Guiness World Book of Records attempt.

From the Seacoastonline.com story:

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest tow truck parade was in Wenatchee, Wash., in 2004, with a total of 83 trucks.

NHTA President Rene Fortin said his group unofficially broke the record in 2005 with 235 trucks, but because that parade didn't fit the Guinness Book's requirements for a tow truck parade, the record wasn't accepted.

Fortin said this year he's paying close attention to the rules and hopes to hear from Guinness within the next couple of months. He hopes that this time, NHTA can break the record, but his biggest goal is to shed new light on the tow truck industry.

"People don't often like towers, so this is our chance to show our good side," said Fortin.

OH Tow Truck Driver Killed In Hit and Run

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of 35-year old Matt Schilling who was killed early Sunday morning while preparing to tow a vehicle from the side of the highway. Schilling, who worked for Eitel's Towing, was struck by a passing vehicle. The driver of the car did not stop. Schilling was transported to a hospital where he later died. He leaves behind a fiance and a child.

Read the WBNS10TV story here. Read The Columbus Dispatch story here.