MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. -- Some businesses claim a tow company offered them rewards in exchange for impounds.Businesses say they were offered gift cards for coffee, spa day, discount chains and gasoline all in exchange for a vehicle they could impound.
Apartment managers and towing competitors say not only is it wrong, they think it's down right predatory.
"It's unethical. It's wrong. It's not how I was raised," said Jennifer Bart on of Greenview Apartments.
Barton says a driver for Shannon Towing, Inc. drove by Greenview Apartments in Mountlake Terrace and left her with a flier.
The flier stated Barton could earn gift cards if she would call Shannon Towing with impounds. The more impounds she requested, the more she could make in gift cards, it said.
Three impounds would buy her a $50 gift card to her favorite coffee shop or nail salon. Nine impounds would earn her $250 in gift cards for anything, from gasoline to her favorite discount store, according to the flier.
"It just seemed unethical. Here -- you have this many cars towed, and we'll give you this as a present?" said Barton.
"You can't compete with that," said Tina Beck, who owns Mary's Towing in Everett.
Beck contacted KOMO News when she started losing clients to Shannon Towing in Lynnwood.
"We've definitely had to go in and talk with managers who are considering something like this and convince them our customer service speaks for itself," she said.
Beck said she found out about Shannon Towing's deal when two of her clients wrote her, skeptical of the offer.
"I don't think it's right," said Rolfe Johnson, former president of the state's Towing & Recovery Association.
The interest organization believes state laws prohibit monetary incentives and strongly discourages its members from offering such plans. At best, Johnson calls Shannon's practice an "unfair business practice."
At Shannon Towing, a representative denied having ever seen the flier, even though its name is clearly printed on the piece of paper.
"I've never seen one of these," said a Shannon Towing employee named "Brandt," who described himself as the "main guy" in the office. Brandt refused to provide his surname.
When asked how that was possible given that four different managers told KOMO News Shannon drivers had approached them with the fliers, Brandt said, "I have no idea."
Brandt said no one on his staff is responsible for the flier, and said a competitor may be behind the work.
One of the company's drivers seen hanging "Shannon-Towing-Away-Zone" signs in a local strip mall also swore he knows nothing.
"No, not off hand," he said. The driver added he'd never before seen the flier.
But another apartment manager said a driver for Shannon Towing on Wednesday offered her the same deal Barton was presented with.
In Johnson's eyes, something doesn't add up.
"We believe this is highly questionable. We think this should be directed to WSP (Washington State Patrol)." he said.
In a written statement, Towing & Recovery Association of Washington's Director Mike Walcker urged Washington State Patrol to fully investigate.
And state patrol agrees an inquiry is necessary.
"This doesn't smell right," said Capt. Jeff DeVere.
WSP, which oversees towing companies, has asked prosecutors to review the case and determine whether the reward program violates state law.
The agency, as well as KOMO News, will report on the findings of their work.
Anyone with concerns about a towed car can challenged the impound in court.
Friday, October 30, 2009
WA Tow Company Accused Of Offering Incentives For Impounds
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Everyday MA Tow Heroes: Statewide Towing Association
Way to go!
The Statewide Towing Association (STA) for several years has designated the Shriners as one of its charitable causes. For many years, the STA has held their Holiday membership meeting in the western region of the state, highlighted by the “Parade of Lights” procession of tow trucks to the hospital. All participants in the tow truck procession made free will donations to benefit the hospital.
The STA holds an annual trade show event to provide its members as well as towers throughout the Northeast, an opportunity to participate in valuable seminars, observe “real life” demonstrations, see the latest in towing equipments and accessories as well as network with their peers. The association is the second oldest in the nation, second only to California. Having learned of the financial status of the Melha Temple, the group decided to organize a fund raising effort during this years annual Tow Show in Chicopee (Oktowberfest) held on October 2-4, 2009. To participate in the procession, drivers were simply asked to make a donation. During the Saturday evening banquet, one of our members, Winn Street Sales & Service from Burlington, MA, presented a challenge to the group; he would match any donations up to $5000.00! Well that is all it took, towers reached deep into their pockets and by the end of the tow truck procession a total of $10,479.00 was raised to help the Temple.
STA Past President John Borowski explained that the hospital needs the Temple to be there to help keep the hospitals open. “This has been an outstanding show of generosity on behalf of the towers and I am proud to not only be a tower but also a Shriner”, Borowski said. STA President William E. Johnson said, “ The towers in this state work hard everyday to keep the roadways open and see many things that sometimes are very painful to families and children, this is definitely their way of giving back to people who are in need. I couldn’t be more proud of my industry and Statewide Towing Association.
STA President, William E Johnson and STA Past President, John Borowski made a formal presentation of the check to the Melha Temple on Longhill St. Springfield during a press conference on October 9, 2009.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Statewide Towing Association was formed in 1970 to educate and bring professionalism to the industry. STA started doing trade shows in 1972. This association has become one of the strongest in the nation. STA continually safeguards towers and the motoring public by working with the Commonwealth on regulated pricing and legislation.
Updated Story On The Lucky Aussie Tow Truck Driver
A TOW truck driver escaped with his life after his vehicle veered off the Princes Highway and down a steep embankment.
Police said the 26-year-old was driving at 95km/h on the Geelong-bound lanes when his brakes failed about 1.30pm, near Lara.
The truck was towing two 4WDs, one of which rolled off the back off the truck and landed on its side.
The driver, who did not want to be named, said a passerby helped him out of the truck.
The Clayton man said he was in shock after the accident but did not sustain any serious injuries.
"I was driving in the middle lane and then when I put the brakes on to slow down a little bit it's got out of control and crashed down," he said.
"It was scary because I couldn't do anything. The brakes just locked."
Skid marks could be seen on the Geelong-bound lanes with debris scattered across the median strip after the truck crashed through a barrier and came to rest between thick bushes.
A brand new Land Rover Discovery rolled off the truck with its tyre coming loose while the impact flipped the other 4WD, a Mitsubishi Pajero, on to its side.
Lara police Sergeant Steve Burgess said speed was not considered a factor in the accident and it was believed there was a mechanical failure with the brakes. He said a serious multi-vehicle smash was narrowly avoided with heavy traffic on both sides of the highway
"He is very lucky he didn't end up on the other side of the road," Sgt Burgess said.
Traffic slowed in Geelong an Melbourne-bound lanes as people took a closer look, some pulling their cars over to take a photo of the crash site.
Anyone who saw the crash is urged to phone Lara police on 5282 1241.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
TN Tow Truck Driver Killed
The family of the tow truck driver killed on Interstate-40 by an alleged drunk driver late Thursday night is preparing for his funeral tomorrow.
Hundreds of people have come from across the country to bid farewell to Eddy McCreery.
Tonight, the daughter who shared his last moments with him says she's outraged that her father's death could have easily been avoided.
Faith McCreery says, "A lot of pictures going through my head with everything. It's been really hard."
20 year old Faith McCreery can't stop thinking about her final moments with her father.
Eddy McCreary, a tow truck driver, was loading her broken down car onto his flatbed truck just before midnight Thursday when he was fatally struck by an alleged drunk driver.
Faith says, "The people that were right behind the girl that hit him-- they stopped immediately and started screaming for me because I was on the other side of the truck and.. I didn't know what to do and all I did was just run over to him and I just laid with him. I just laid there."
Police say Katrina Cornwell struck McCreary and drove off.
She was arrested about an hour and a half later.
She admitted to police that she was drinking.
Faith says, "That outrages me. It really does. And the fact that she's out right now, it really baffles me."
Cornwell paid 6,000 dollars-- ten percent of her bond-- and was released hours later.
But for the McCreery family, the tragedy of that night has changed their lives forever.
Eddy's wife Deena McCreery says, "To not be able to see him-- for him to come home at night and say, 'Baby, how was your day?' or 'I love you'... I don't get that chance anymore. And for her to be home with her family aggravates me very badly."
And perhaps one of the most frustrating things for the McCreery family is how easily this tragedy could have been avoided.
One bad decision took the man they say had the best personality, was a jokester and was known to help anyone.
Deena says, "Be responsible that you are not going to take the chance of taking someone's life like she took my husband."
Faith says, "Call a friend, have a responsible designated driver."
Eddy was a member of the Iron Order motorcycle club.
Hundreds of those riders, wrecker truck drivers, friends and family members will lead a procession beginning at 4:30 downtown Monday afternoon.
It will end at Phillip Robinson Funeral Home on Gallatin pike for his visitation and memorial service.
TRAA Honors FleetNet's Williams With Citizenship Award
The Towing and Recovery Association of America has honored James Williams, Sr., director of vendor relations for FleetNet America, with its National Citizenship Award. The award recognizes those who contribute to the towing and recovery industry through good citizenship, legislative action and commitment to enhancement of the profession.
Williams accepted the award during the association's annual meeting in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Sept. 18.
TRAA was founded in 1979 in Kansas City, Mo., and is now headquartered in Alexandria, Va. The group is the umbrella trade association and voice of the towing and recovery industry, which is estimated to include more than 35,000 towing businesses in the U.S.
FleetNet America, Cherryville, N.C., is a third-party vendor management company that coordinates emergency roadside services and maintenance management services for commercial equipment. FleetNet America provides maintenance management by managing vendors and the maintenance process through specific customer requirements in its Roadside and TMcare programs. Through the FleetNet Select Towing and Recovery Program, FleetNet's customers have nationwide access to preferential towing and recovery providers.
Lucky Aussie Tow Truck Driver
A 26-year-old man is lucky to be alive after his tow-truck veered off the Princes Highway, falling down a steep embankment north of Geelong.
Police said he was driving at 95km/h when his brakes failed about 1.30pm.
The truck was towing two 4WDs, one which has rolled off the back off the truck and landed on its side.
A passer-by helped the driver out of the truck.
The driver sustained no serious injuries.
WA Horse Rescued By Tow Truck After Hours In The Mud
Here's the story from the Nisqually Valley News:
By Megan Hansen
Rescuers weren’t horsing around Saturday when it came to helping Dare, a 7-year-old gelding who got stuck in mud up to his neck.
Nisqually Valley News
Crews from South Pierce Fire and Rescue, Gene’s Towing, Tacoma Equine Hospital and Pierce County Animal Control spent nearly five hours working together to save the horse.
Dare got stuck in a muddy ditch around noon Saturday on 341st Street East in Eatonville.
The more he struggled, the more he got stuck.
Deputy Chief Chris Grant was off duty at the time, but went to the incident after hearing a request for rescue equipment.
The only way to do it safely was to do a vertical lift, Grant said.
He’s worked with tow trucks in the past and knew they were capable of performing a vertical lift so he called dispatch to request a tow company.
Michael Myers, owner of Gene’s Towing arrived with a Class C tow truck to assist.
Before the horse could be removed, he had to be dug out at least to his stomach so harness straps could be fitted around him.
Veterinarian Meg deGravelles sedated Dare while firefighters gave him oxygen.
Once Dare was freed enough to attach a harness, rescuers used the tow truck to lift him out of the mud.
Crews checked for injuries and started Dare on an IV.
He was fine, Grant said.
The next day Dare’s owner told Grant he was doing just fine.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Singapore Tow Truck Driver Injured In Crash
SINGAPORE: An accident, involving three vehicles along Lornie Road, caused a slight traffic jam on Tuesday around 3.40pm.
A 51-year-old man was trapped in his vehicle after his tow truck collided with a lorry. Civil Defence officers took 15 minutes to extricate him.
He suffered cuts on his legs and was brought to Changi General Hospital. Other than the tow truck driver, no one else was hurt.
A taxi, however, was hit by the debris from the vehicles as a result of the collision.
Update on VA Tower Who Crashed Into House
NORFOLK--- The driver who lost control of his AAA tow truck and smashed into a Norfolk duplex Saturday night is out of the ICU.
36-year-old Mark Davis is out of ICU and is in good condition at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
Doctors are unsure why he apparently blacked out and lost control of the tow truck, said AAA spokeswoman Georjeane Blumling.
AAA is working with its insurance company to compensate the owner of the duplex, located at the corner of Elkhorn Avenue and W. 38th Street.
No one was home at the time of the crash.
Tow Truck Smashes Into VA House
Here's the story from the Virginian-Pilot:
NORFOLK
After attending a funeral on Saturday, James Fennell stopped at his house in Lamberts Point to change clothes.
He put the Shih Tzu he got a week ago into a crate, moved the dog from the den to another room and left, maybe around 7 p.m.
About an hour later, a flatbed tow truck smashed through the side wall of the house at 38th Street and Elkhorn Avenue, stopping in the middle of the den.
Frantic family members wondered if Fennell was inside. He rushed back when his aunt called him to tell him a truck was sitting in the house he rents. He was so nervous he got sick.
“Right where that truck is is where I sleep at,” Fennell said Saturday night as he stared at the wreckage . “I’m just speechless.”
The truck driver was headed south on Elkhorn, went up a curb and into a yard, then went through the intersection, into Fennell’s yard, and into his house.
Firefighters loaded the driver into an ambulance to take him to a hospital. His name and condition were not available.
They got the dog out OK.
Police are investigating what caused the driver to crash. They did not immediately release any information.
Fennell does not have renter’s insurance. He planned to stay with family while he figured out what would happen to the house.
Fennell has lived there for about four years. With the truck planted smack inside the den, it was easy to consider how it could have been much worse.
“I had left like 30 or 40 minutes ago,” he said. “I had just left.”
Updated Story on Death of CA Tow Truck Driver
Here's an update to the Morgan Hill Observer story of Tony Librers, who died on Sunday, Oct. 18.
As more details come out about the shooting death of Anthony William Librers last weekend, family and friends of the lifelong Morgan Hill resident respond in shock.
According to Sgt. A.J. Ford with the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a cabin in a remote area near the town of Jupiter at 2:47am on Oct. 17, where Librers and his friends were celebrating a bachelor party over the weekend.
“There was several witnesses there that were tending to Mr. Librers when we got there,” Ford said. “He was laying, bleeding from the head area. He was still alive, in a sense. He was breathing.”
Librers was transported to Sonora Regional Medical Center where he was put on life support before being flown to the Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Modesto. He died on Sunday.
Ryan Groshong, who played in a band with Librers and says he was his best friend, was one of four witnesses on the scene when the incident occurred. He said they grew up in East Morgan Hill together, and had been friends since they were both 12 years old.
“It was my bachelor party,” Groshong said, his voice breaking. “Basically, most everybody had gone to sleep, and me and Tony were out there with our friend Justin who plays drums in our band, and our other friend… I was standing right there. I heard the gun go off next to my head, and I looked back, and Tony’s on the ground.”
Sgt. Ford said that all of the 10 people on the scene were interviewed extensively during the police investigation, and that it was determined that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.
“Based on the investigation that was done, the position of the handgun that was there, how the wound looked, witnesses interviewed, and the scene. Based on all of that, I can tell you that in no way shape or form is their foul play suspected in this case,” Ford said.
Groshong said he and Librers had formed a punk band with two other friends last year. The band was scheduled to play the Mission Ale House in downtown San Jose on Nov. 13, according to their Myspace profile. Anthony Librers’ personal Myspace profile, titled “The Most Interesting Man In The World” (a nod to a beer ad campaign), still lists his mood as “Intense.”
Groshong said that Librers had had a history of depression, but that he had seemed to be doing better lately. He said everybody at his bachelor’s party had been celebrating and drinking that night.
“I knew he had issues with depression in the past, a long time ago. But lately, especially since we started the band together for real, his sprits seemed to be getting constantly better and better,” said Groshong. “I mean, I thought he was at a really happy point in his life, and I was really proud of him for pulling out of his depression. That’s why this is just so bizarre and shocking to everybody. I would have never thought that anything like this would have happened right now.”
Ford said that one of the witnesses had told the police during their interview that Librers had been put under a 72-hour psychiatric hold approximately a year ago, after he had made statements that he was suffering from depression and indicated that he might be a danger to himself.
The shooting came as a shock to everyone on the scene, Ford said. Groshong said that the Librers family has been devastated since the news of Anthony’s death.
“I spent a lot of time with them the other day, and I suppose they’re taking it well considering the circumstances. It’s not easy for anybody, especially his parents and his family. I mean, the man had three daughters,” he said.
As of now, the Sheriffs Department does not know if Librers shooting was accidental or intentional, Ford said.
“As far as when he was up here, they were very surprised, and said that he would have never done anything on purpose, not in this state of mind and at the bachelor party,” Ford said. “There was no notes or messages found later anywhere that would indicate he was suicidal.”
Ford said it’s possibile that the gun fired even though the clip had been removed.
“It is possible, especially for that type of gun, a Beretta 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun, for the clip to be out of it and there still be one round in the chamber, and if fired, for it to go off,” Ford said. “Other guns, if you drop the clip out, regardless of whether there is a round in the chamber or not, it wont fire. But, this particular gun will.”
Ford was unable to confirm whether the gun was found on the scene with a clip removed or not.
Groshong said that he too was unsure whether Librers’ death was an accident or not.
“I don’t think anybody will know for sure, if this was an accident or if this was…,” Groshong said, his voice breaking off again. “I mean, obviously, this was self-inflicted, but I don’t know his intentions. I don’t know if he was joking around and he didn’t know that there was a bullet in the gun, or if he had been planning this.”
Groshong says that his Halloween-themed wedding is still scheduled for Oct. 31. “I don’t know how we’re going to go through with it, but we are going to go through with it,” he said. “He was my best friend, and I’m completely devastated right now.”
“I just know that he had a huge heart and was a very sensitive person. I know he loved his friends, and he loved his family, and most of all, he loved his daughters so much.”
A funeral for Librers is scheduled to take place at Johnson Funeral Home in Morgan Hill at 5pm on Oct. 25, with a Rosary at 7pm. St. Catherine Parish will hold a funeral mass on Oct. 26, with an interment to follow at Mt. Hope Memorial Park in Morgan Hill.
Farewell, Friend
Here's the story from the Morgan Hill Observer:
Anthony William Librers of Morgan Hill, a tow truck driver, was shot early Saturday morning and was on life support on Saturday, according to a family member. Known as Tony, he is the son of Joseph Librers and Elizabeth Westphal and the brother of Joseph A. Librers.
“We are devastated by this,” said Morgan Hill councilmember Marilyn Librers, who was Tony’s stepmother when he was young. She said he passed away Sunday morning.
Librers suffered a gun wound in the Central Valley early Saturday morning, according to stepbrother Tim Hennessey. Librers, who was 31 years old, has worked for Ponzini's Towing in Morgan Hill for about a decade and wanted to become a California Highway Patrol officer.
“He was always trying ot help other people. He was fearless,” Hennessey said. “He didn’t have a mean bone in his body.”
Librers has three girls, the oldest of whom is 12. “He just enjoyed doing his thing: driving a tow truck, playing with his kids and trying to become a law enforcement officer,” Hennessey said.
A spokesman for the Modesto Police Department, even after checking with county law enforcement officials, had no information about the shooting, which reportedly occurred near the city limits.
Updated October 18, 11:32pm.
ADDENDUM
October 20, 2009
The Gilroy Dispatch reported on Tuesday that Librers’ death occured as a result of his “accidentally shooting himself with a handgun during a camping trip.”
The newspaper quoted the victim’s father, Joseph Librers, as saying the shooting occured in Tuolumne County, east of Stockton.
"They were having a party around a campfire. Tony had a handgun and it went off accidentally. He had the clip out of it but he didn't clear the chamber," Librers told the Dispatch.
Houston Tow Truck Driver Saves Motorist From Burning Vehicle
HOUSTON –A wrecker driver saved one man’s life after he pulled the man from a burning car in northeast Harris County on Saturday.It happened on Mount Houston at Sheridan.
Police said around 3 a.m., one driver was stopped at a stop sign on Mount Houston. After he attempted to continue, police said another car T-boned him, sending both cars into a ditch.
The driver of the first car hit an electrical wooden pole and burst into flames.
Police said a tow truck driver on the scene sprang into action and rescued the man from the burning car.
Both drivers were transported to the hospital in stable condition.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Are you a fan of Footnotes on Facebook yet?
Footnotes On Facebook. Face it, folks, Facebook is a fact! Become a fan and friend of Footnotes. Simply log on to Facebook (www.facebook.com) or your existing Facebook page and type “Towing & Recovery Footnotes” into the “Search” box. Then make us a “Favorite” on your computer and come back often! You can do a lot on Facebook: post photos of your trucks and recoveries, sell or buy a truck, send letters to the editor, suggest story ideas, offer opinions on industry issues, and more. See you there!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Interesting Profile of A Mom-n-Son Tow Biz in CA
Charlene Gowers is a lot of things, daughter of an English stage actress, former spouse of Emmy Award-winning "American Idol" director Bruce Gowers, Westside soccer mom, provider of housing for the poor and - of late - tow truck driver.
Naturally, with a wonderfully detailed arm-covering angel tattoo and one of those khaki shirts highlighted with reflecting tape and a nicely embroidered "Charlene" over a breast pocket.
Which is why I didn't notice her when we met for lunch in Hermosa Beach a few weeks ago. Not that I was surprised, because Charlene is absolutely unique, a regular surprise package.
She's also warm, funny, big-hearted and one of those rare individuals who came into this world lacking that horrible little voice, you know, the one that's always telling us what we SHOULD be doing.
Which has made it so this single mother of a now-grown son could always go exactly where life leads her.
When I met Charlene 15 years ago, she had just left commercial real estate. But she was still, with the business suits and flowing blond locks, the very picture of the Westside mommy down to playing on a softball team and coaching Little League.
And here she was buying up crack houses in South Central, abandoned 1950s-era motels badly in need of a good bulldozing.
Only Charlene saw something far different.
Buying and selling properties in that neighborhood had put her in direct contact with the people who live
there, with the working families living in cars and the kids who spend nights in boxes and in terror.Probably because she didn't know that people like her didn't help people that actually couldn't be helped, she set out to do just that. She quickly bought five of these pathetic wrecks - rehabbing, fencing and bringing in solid managers - and making it so several dozen needy families could have a decent and safe place to live for $200 a month.
Later she'd sell these places to like-
minded managers and buy the massive and massively rundown, 300-room Ford Hotel, a downtown L.A. flophouse that she likewise converted to a nonprofit second chance for the working poor.
This she ran for five years, dealing daily with the often messy lives of her tenants until she was more or less forced out by a city that had different plans for the old structure.
I met her down there once, the tall blonde with the big smile who can be absolutely hilarious one second and all business the next, even facing down the LAPD at one point when she thought that a women in her care was getting a raw deal.
Through all this she remained the devoted single mother watching as her son's promising Santa Monica High School baseball career ended in injury then taking him seriously when, at age 18 in 2002, he asked her to help him buy - of all things - a tow truck.
"The only reason I wanted to go to college was to play baseball. When that dream ended and I found out that my girlfriend was expecting, I got a job in a mechanic's shop, where I saw them getting $80 to tow a car. And I was doing the towing!" said now 25-year-old Sean, who has, with the help of his mother, been raising 6-year-old Sean Jr. at their El Segundo home.
Where many parents might insist on college, Charlene went along with the tow truck idea, telling her 6-foot-4-inch son, "I'll give you this opportunity and if you fail, you fail."
Only Sean didn't fail. What he did was hustle his old wreck of a truck all over town. He hit up garage owners, repo outfits and auto dealerships for work, regularly charging a local Audi franchise $700 for killer 18-hour, round-trip delivery trips to the Bay Area. Once enduring an eight-hour traffic jam to get a ridiculously expensive car to Barry Bonds, his boyhood hero, who opened the door with a truly Bondian, "What took you so damn long?"
As business grew, Charlene started coming in to do the books. Soon they were plowing money back into a thriving firm that Sean built with a one-line philosophy: "Never say no to a job and always be on time."
Their SouthSide Tow Service now has 13 bright new trucks (including flatbeds and big rigs used to tow other big rigs) and eight full-time drivers, with Charlene driving - actually preferring to drive - when things get hectic.
At their Culver City location (they have a second shop near downtown) on Thursday the phones never stopped ringing, a happy situation propelled along by calls from the California Highway Patrol, from a host of body shops and from inclusion in car manufacturer roadside service plans.
This as Sean's friends pay back student loans and (as he put it) wait for something to happen in their lives.
"I really feel like I'm doing exactly what I should be doing," he said, as his cell phone explodes in his shirt pocket. "There is no better feeling than getting a call and being on my way knowing that a freeway is shut down or somebody is trapped until I get there. Plus, I know that I am good at what I do and that I learned everything I know on my own and with the help of my mom."
Charlene, meanwhile, is pleased and a little bit surprised that her $10,000 investment has became a thriving business.
"Listen to the phones," she said, as the things blasted away. "There is always something happening. And it's exciting to know that the movement of an entire city sometimes depends on our being there. Plus, I'm proud of Sean for what he has accomplished."
There is, of course, a downside to running a company that runs around-the-
clock, seven days per week with mother and son juggling the child-rearing and school drop-offs.
"I've had guns pulled on me on impounds and that's scary. It's also part of the job," Sean said. "But the other side of the coin is when I pull up next to somebody who has broken down in the dead of night. The look on their faces, like I have come to the rescue, is such a thrill. It's worth absolutely everything."
I want to hear your comments. Connect with me at john.bogert@dailybreeze.com.
Driving Defensively In CA
By about 1 p.m. Tuesday, Mike Sanders was driving out to his sixth tow call in five hours.
Sanders, a tow truck operator for Foresthill Towing in Auburn, was on Interstate 80 with his wrecker to pull out Sue Smead’s Ford F-250 pickup, which had spun out on an onramp and was facing oncoming traffic.
“It’s a little bit higher,” Sanders said of the volume of calls he’s received Tuesday.
Sanders and Smead were not alone in their roadway troubles.
A storm that brought heavy wind and rain caused multiple roadway accidents and spinouts that kept emergency responders and road crews busy all day.
“I think people need to realize that you can’t necessarily drive the speed limit when it’s pouring down rain like this,” said Officer David Martinez, CHP spokesman. “This is by far one of the worst days of the year.”
Martinez said oil that’s been layering on the roadways during the dry months is now making roads extra slick with the heavy downpour.
Martinez said officers responded to multiple calls of vehicles spinouts and fender benders.
Smead’s accident was one of several spinouts that littered roadway shoulders.
The Christian Valley resident said she was driving “very slowly and very carefully” down the Interstate 80 onramp from Elm Avenue when the back end of her truck started to fishtail.
“I made the curve very slowly and it totally spun out,” Smead said. “I was shocked. It was surreal.”
Despite spinning around several times and hitting a concrete wall, Smead escaped without any injuries. Her truck, however, needed to be towed.
As Sanders connected Smead’s truck to his wrecker, big rigs roared by and cars and trucks whizzed past. Sanders said he always keeps an eye on the road when he’s working.
“Really the main thing in a situation like this is to watch your back, especially on the freeway,” Sanders said. “You never take your back away from the traffic.”
Roadway collisions, creek crashes
Emergency responders were inundated with accident calls and reports of downed power lines and trees.
At about 2:30 p.m. five cars collided on Interstate 80 near Horseshoe Bar Road in Loomis. One patient was transported via ambulance for minor injures while others were driven to a nearby park and ride to clear from the scene, Martinez said. Cars were immediately moved to the side of the road following the accident.
At about 3 p.m. on Highway 49 and Lonestar Road, a group of people escaped their sinking car after it ran off the road and landed in a creek. No injuries were reported, Martinez said.
Watch out on Wednesday
Martinez reminded residents to take their time Wednesday when driving on local roadways. While the storm is expected to diminish in strength, road conditions will still be problematic.
Drivers should put more space between themselves and the car in front of them, Martinez added.
“You’ve got to drive defensibly in these types of weather conditions,” Martinez said. “Don’t be in a rush (Wednesday). Just take your time.”
Jenifer Gee can be reached at jeniferg@goldcountrymedia.com.
Fleet Sales West Appoints Meyers
Fleet Sales West has announced the appointment of Douglas Meyers as Sales Representative for Oregon and Southern Washington. Meyers brings a successful 30+ year track record of sales of new, used and trade-in appraisal experience in truck trailers and towing equipment sales which is uniquely tempered with an in-depth operations management background.
Canadian Tow-Truck Driver Killed At Job Site
Here's the Winnipeg Sun story:
WINNIPEG -- A tow-truck driver was killed Friday night in northern Manitoba after he was apparently pinned between his flatbed truck and the vehicle he was unloading.
The incident occurred at the towing company's yard in The Pas, Man. RCMP were contacted shortly before 7 p.m. after family members found the 49-year-old dead at the site.
The man was owner/operator of the tow truck, police said. RCMP said an investigation is in its early stages.
Foul play is not suspected. An autopsy has been ordered.
Have you become a fan of Footnotes on Facebook yet?
Face it, folks, Facebook is a fact! Become a fan and friend of Footnotes. Simply log on to Facebook (www.facebook.com) or your existing Facebook page and type “Towing & Recovery Footnotes” into the “Search” box. Then make us a “Favorite” on your computer and come back often! You can do a lot on Facebook: post photos of your trucks and recoveries, sell or buy a truck, send letters to the editor, suggest story ideas, offer opinions on industry issues, and more. See you there!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Everyday ME Tow Hero Recognized
YORK — On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the York Police Department held a luncheon for Jack Lowe, owner of Jack's Towing in York, and presented him with a plaque of appreciation for his dedication to the police department and Town of York over the years.
Lowe has always been there when others are in need. Serving on the York Volunteer Fire Department, he is many times first on the scene of accidents and tragedies in the western end of York, letting responding agencies know what is needed. Aside from his duties involved in his towing company, he will help out officers at the scene by directing traffic and also helps the department's accident re-constructionists with equipment and measurements. Lowe helped pick up the 80-kilowatt generator that was donated last year by the York County Sheriff's Department.
He also stepped to the plate years ago when York badly needed a voter antenna to help emergency service providers communicate in the Route 91 area. The town was able to locate one of the town's four voter antennae sites at no cost. Again, when the department needed help building portable firearm target stands, Lowe was the go-to guy and was instrumental in helping to fabricate them.
Many of the department's officers attended the luncheon to say thanks. Lowe is simply a guy who just keeps on giving and never asks anything in return.
Future of TX's "Safe-Clear" Program Still Uncertain
HOUSTON—A move to extend the city’s Safe-Clear program has hit a snag. On Wednesday, Houston City Council members decided to delay voting on a possible contract extension for the service for at least a week.
Council Member Jarvis Johnson raised a couple of concerns about a possible 5-year extension. He wants to make sure minority and women-owned businesses are fairly represented in the service.
Johnson said he’s also concerned about whether wrecker companies are playing nice with each other.
Some wreckers have complained that other tow truck drivers are infringing on their territory and stealing their business. Johnson said the new contract doesn’t even address the issue.
Johnson said Safe-Clear is a good program, but these issues need to be worked out before moving forward.
Safe-Clear gives certain towing companies the exclusive rights to clear disabled vehicles off the freeways during rush hour. Mayor Bill White has already touted the program’s success for reducing accidents and commute times.
The city’s current contract runs through next June. (Watch the news video here.)
Arrow's "Back On The Road" 2010 Campaign
Arrow Truck Sales has announced the launch of Arrow’s Back On The RoadTM 2010 campaign, presented by Volvo Trucks North America. Now in its third year, Back On The RoadTM is an initiative designed to benefit a deserving trucker in need of a truck and a job. The 2010 campaign will also consider nominations from truckers who, consistently and unselfishly, help others in need or otherwise support the trucking industry. Country music star, Aaron Tippin, plans to return as celebrity spokesman for the 2010 campaign. A former truck driver himself, Tippin will, once again, play an active role throughout Back On The RoadTM, including participation on the winner selection committee. Tippin’s latest album, In Overdrive, is dedicated to classic trucker songs. “I’m honored to continue working in support of the American trucker,” said Tippin. “The Back On The Road program goes to the heart of the trucking world to provide assistance in this most personal way.” Arrow is currently soliciting stories from truckers across the nation who may have lost their truck - and their livelihood - through unfortunate circumstances beyond their control. Arrow is also accepting nominations, based upon stories of truckers who put others before themselves. The trucker whose story is selected will receive a 2007 Volvo VNL670, courtesy of Volvo Trucks North America, a one-year work agreement with Heartland Express, and other great products and services.
Learn more at http://www.backontheroad2010.com/
Farewell, Friend
Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of 42-year-old FL tow truck driver Ronnie Sites who passed away on Oct. 4 at his home in Yulee. Here's a story from www.firstcoastnews.com:
YULEE, FL -- A funeral Wednesday shows the effect one person can have on the lives of others.
Ronnie Sites was laid to rest, but his family is not alone.
According to friend Tyson Lee, "He was just one of those people that had a heart of gold. He would just stop and help people."
Sites drove a tow truck, and friends are quick to say he was anywhere someone was in need.
"If he seen somebody he even thought needed help, he was there for them," says his brother Brian Males, who added, 'Every man dies, but not every man lives. Ronnie lived."
Many people turned out for the funeral, and all said similar things about their friend.
Sites' family asks that in lieu of flowers, they would prefer a donation to the Ronald Sites Educational Fund. Donations will be accepted at any First Coast Community
Bank branch.
And his obituary:
Ronnie Sites, 42, beloved husband of Monica and devoted father of Dillon, passed away at his residence on October 4, 2009. He was born in St. Petersburg, FL and moved to Yulee in 1990 from Callahan. Ronnie was a member of the 1986 graduating class of West Nassau High School. He was a junior varsity and varsity player for the Warriors. He was a member of the Nassau River Hunting Club and has been involved with all aspects of The Yulee Little League for the past nine years. He is a loving husband and devoted father, and an outstanding loyal friend. His generosity knew no bounds. Ronnie was a life-long devoted Gator Fan and a NASCAR fan. He was a prankster and could always make his wife, Monica, laugh. He was greatly loved by an infinite number of friends. He was predeceased by his mother, Janice Sites, his father, John Males and sister, Brenda Sites. Survivors include his wife, Monica Sites, of Yulee, FL; a son, Dillon Sites, also of Yulee; his mother, Lorraine Males; mother in law, Wanda Nixon; three brothers, Brian Males (Donna), Richard James and George James; two sisters, Barbara Terrell (David) and Lori King (Brian); and numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, October 8, at The River of Praise Worship Center, 83410 St. Mark Dr. in Yulee. Interment will follow in Jones Cemetery in Callahan. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at Green Pine Funeral Home. Condolence messages may be left at www.greenpinefuneral.com . In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial donations be made the Ronald Sites Educational Fund for Ronnie's son at any First Coast Community Bank branch. Arrangements by Green Pine Funeral Home.
MA Tow Truck Crashes, Driver Killed
Here's a story from The Patriot Ledger:
WAREHAM —A tow truck driver was killed Thursday night when his loaded truck struck another vehicle in the breakdown lane of Interstate 495 and rolled over several times before striking a bridge abutment.
The accident happened about 10:15 p.m. on I-495 south at Route 25 in Wareham, State Police said.
The truck driver, 52-year-old Joseph Gaultier of Easton, was thrown from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the stopped vehicle, 55-year-old Stephanie Boosahda of Yarmouth, was taken to Tobey Hospital in Wareham with minor injuries.
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Here's the www.thebostonchannel.com story:
BOSTON -- Police said a flatbed tow truck has crashed into a stalled vehicle on a highway in southeastern Massachusetts, killing one person.State police said the tow truck was carrying a vehicle Thursday night on Route 495 in Wareham when it struck another vehicle stopped in the southbound breakdown lane, rolled over several times and slammed into a bridge support.They said the tow truck driver was ejected and died at the scene. The driver of the stopped vehicle has been taken to a hospital as a precaution. Part of the highway was closed while investigators searched for clues to the cause of the crash.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Former TX Firefighter Back In Custody
HOUSTON - A former Houston firefighter who shot and killed a wrecker driver has been arrested again -- this time for allegedly violating his probation.
Barry Crawford was convicted of shooting and killing Steven Hardin back in 1998.
Hardin was in the process of towing Crawford's truck in Humble when the firefighter came out of his home and shot the wrecker driver once in the chest.
Crawford was found guilty of murder but his sentence was a disappointment to the victim's family: 10-years probation.
He was supposed to perform community service and pay restitution to the victim's family as conditions of that probation.Hardin's family said they had been receiving checks for token amounts ($1.24, in one case) but even that has stopped.
"He has paid no restitution since January of this year," the victim's mother, Carolyn Hardin, told FOX 26. "He's basically got away with murder. And laughed the whole time he's done it."
Andy Kahan, the Mayors Crime Victims Director, said Crawford also has not logged any community service hours since 2007.
"You would have thought that he would have done everything humanly possible to make sure that he was in compliance (with the terms of his probation)," said Kahan. "But he consistently throughout the years just said, 'I'm not doing it and you're not gonna do anything to me.' So he reaped what he sowed."
Crawford is jailed without bond. At an upcoming hearing, the judge could order him imprisoned for ten years.
Had the former firefighter been able to stay out of trouble for another 9 months, he would have been released from court supervision.
Farewell, Friend
Here's his obituary from the Pocono Record:
Henry "Hank" Bowman, 74, of East Stroudsburg, died Thursday evening, Sept. 24, at the VNA Hospice House in East Stroudsburg. He was the husband of the late Joanne R. Kieffer) Bowman, with whom he shared 43 years of marriage at the time of her death on Dec. 14, 2000.
Born Feb. 25, 1935, in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Frank and Marion Bowman and had lived in Monroe County since 1971.
He was a parts manager at Gray Chevrolet in Stroudsburg and then was a tow truck operator for K&L Motors and Schliers Towing.
Hank was a member of the Cherry Valley United Methodist Church. He was also a member of the former Pocono Mountain Jaycees and was a J.C.I. Senator.
Surviving are five children, Christine Carroll of Canton, Conn., Cynthia Copeland and her husband, Greg, of Warrenville, Ill., Robert Bowman of East Stroudsburg, Cheryl Steimer and her husband, Roy, of East Stroudsburg, and Barbara Ascencio and her husband, Benito, of Marion, Iowa; six grandchildren, Drew Bowman, Andrew Copeland, Scott Copeland, Sara Steimer, Steven Steimer and Elena Ascencio; two special friends, Edward Zindle and Miranda Keiper, both of Gouldsboro; his grand-dog, Maddy; and a former daughter-in-law, Christina Bowman of Morrisdale. He was predeceased by a son, Franklin Bowman, on May 21, 1983.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Cherry Valley United Methodist Church, Hamilton Township, with the Rev. Fred Landis officiating. Cremation will took place at the H.G. Smith Crematory, Stroudsburg.
The family requests that memorial remembrances be made to VNA Hospice of Monroe County, 502 Independence Road, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301.
OK Wreckers May Get Rate Hike
Wrecker operators across the state have gone to lawmakers asking them to consider a 25 percent across-the-board rate hike when they’re called to the scene of a crash or other incident by law enforcement.
Local lawmakers have no problem with giving the rate hike a look, and wrecker service owners in Cherokee County think it’s time for the legislature to act on the request. The increase would be for the hourly rate and mileage.
“It’s been discussed over the years,” said State Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah. “It’s something we probably need to look at.”
The rates haven’t gone up since 2004, according to the Associated Press.
“Fuel prices and insurance costs have gone up in the last five years,” said Mac Martin, owner of Tahlequah Towing. “Fuel prices have fallen some, but our salaries didn’t go up during that time.”
Martin said wreckers occasionally need repairs too. He said he used to operate two wreckers and had another driver, but now it’s just him and one wrecker.
Devin Gordon, owner of Cherokee County Wrecker Service, echoed Martin’s sentiments.
“It’s hard to say what they [legislature] might do,” he said. “I sure hope they look favorably at it. It would be nice to have some more money kind of like a pay raise.”
Gordon, whose service is on West 720 Road, said his workload depends on how active law enforcement is with stopping vehicles and working crashes. He said local wrecker services are called on a rotation basis when called by law enforcement. There are times when a driver will be asked whether he has a wrecker preference.
Sen. Don Barrington, D-Lawton, called a hearing on the issue recently, the AP said, and says the bill could be heard on the Senate floor next year.
State Rep. Mike Brown, D-Tahlequah, said he’s ready to consider the issue if and when it makes it to the House chamber.
“It’s worth a review to kind of see where we’re at,” he said. “Diesel costs have come back down, but we’ve had a lot of jobs where people are going through tough times.”
One Tulsa area wrecker service operator said his costs have jumped more than 35 percent since the last increase. Larger wreckers can cost $500,000, he said.
Martin, whose service is located along the Illinois River, said he’s hopeful the legislature will approve a rate increase for him and other wrecker operators, but knows it may be a tough sell.
“This is probably not the best of times to ask for an increase,” he said. “We may have been more successful asking a couple of years ago.”
Martin said he sometimes considers the distance of the tow because of the costs associated with operating a wrecker. He charges $3 a mile for vehicles weighing 8,000 pounds or less on top of the $65 hookup.
“I can make a lot more going to Chicken Creek and getting one than I can if it’s right out here in front of the shop,” he explained.
Operators in nearby Arkansas can charge $150 for the same service, but in New Mexico a light-duty hookup costs $55.
Wrecker operators set their fees for service calls requested by motorists when vehicles break down or have a flat tire, fees for calls ordered by law enforcement are controlled by the Legislature.
The agencies routinely call wrecker services to haul away vehicles involved in collisions or cases in which the driver is arrested for driving under the influence or some other offense.
Wilson said he may ask to look at storage fees if the rate increase is considered. He doesn’t want the storage fees to be devastating. Martin said he doesn’t think the storage fees are unreasonable considering wrecker services are responsible for a vehicle if it’s damaged on their property.
Shriners Hospital Tow Truck Fundraiser in MA
Here's the story from www.wwlp.com:
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - It was an unusual site on several main roadways in Springfield Sunday afternoon.
One after the other a steady stream of tow trucks headed to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield.
About one hundred of the trucks made the trip to raise money for the hospital. It is a special cause for many of the drivers.
"As towers we see so much carnage on the roadway and we really feel this is a way to give back." said William Johnson of the Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts.
Organizers of the fundraiser expected to raise about $10,000 thanks in part to a member of the towing association who agreed to match all donations.
Double The Pinch For Auto Wreckers
When Albert Romero opened Valley Auto Wreckers in 1971 with his late brother Paul they were literally starting from scratch.
Neither knew the first thing about auto wrecking or towing. Romero had just gotten out of the Air Force and his brother was an engineer. No bank would give them a loan since they were such novices. So they asked their mother for the seed money to start their business.
"Neither of us knew anything about dismantling," said Albert Romero, sitting in his office.
Merced Sun-Star photo by Marci Stenberg - SUN-STAR PHOTO BY MARCI STENBERG Al Ramirez, left, owner of Valley Auto Wreckers at 1330 N. Lander Ave. with employees Ramiro Bravo, middle, and Jose Guevara, right, as they remove the motor and transmission from a vehicle, Friday October 2, 2009 afternoon.
They started with one old tow truck and bought their first wrecking yard in Stevinson on a payment plan. Now the company has locations across the Valley and brings in about $1 million a year, said Romero.
Like any businessman, Romero laments the continually rising cost of doing business. Licenses, fees, insurance and taxes were a pittance in 1971 when compared to today's cost, Romero said.
Aside from the cost of doing business in the 21st century, Romero's wrecking company has to account for every car they buy and tear apart for scrap metal and parts. Twice a week he sends reports accounting for all the cars that come into his possession to the California Department of Motor Vehicles in Sacramento, a death certificate of sorts for demolished cars. The thick files weigh down one of his office cabinets.
But as of March of this year, Romero has been sending virtually the same reports to the federal government. And to do that he had to buy reporting software and pay a fee to the company that acts as the government's go-between. He also has to pay that company 35 cents for every car report they receive.
This redundant system, which auto wreckers must pay for, is the result of a federal law passed in 1992 to keep track of cars and to prevent the theft and resale of cars that go to wrecking yards, among other places. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, or NMVTIS, is administered by the Department of Justice.
But until this year, the DOJ had yet to set up the system. A 2008 lawsuit changed that. Headed by Public Action and other groups, the federal lawsuit finally forced the DOJ into implementing NMVTIS. In the process, auto wreckers have been caught in the middle. Now the feds are making them follow the law and in the bargain pay to report to the system through three companies that act as middlemen for the government -- middlemen who collect information already at the DMV. "We had to comply," said Romero. "They want us to go through an intermediary."
Martha Cowell, the executive director of the 185-member State of California Auto Dismantlers Association, says the feds and the state are working on joining their systems so people like Romero don't have to do the same thing twice. But how long that will take is anybody's guess, she said.
Until then, auto wreckers will just have to fork over the extra dough and send in their reports twice. "They now have an additional reporting requirement which means in most cases an additional cost to the business."
So much for small government.
Reporter Jonah Owen Lamb can be reached at (209) 385-2484 or jlamb@mercedsun-star.com.
Robbers Hold CA Tow Company Employees At Gunpoint
SANTA ANA – Two men, wearing bandanas over their faces, robbed a towing company early this morning after holding three employees at gunpoint, authorities said.
The three men made off with an undisclosed amount of cash they took from a manager's office, said Cmdr. Steve Colon of the Santa Ana police.
The robbery took place just after midnight at Pepe's Towing, 1640 S. Grand Ave., Colon said. Three employees were inside when two men entered the business.
One of the men was seen holding a firearm as the two demanded that the employees hand over their cash through a cashier's window, Colon said.
The two robbers were described men in their mid 20s, wearing dark hooded sweatshirts and bandanas over their faces.
One of the robbers kicked down a manager's office door and took two envelopes with hundreds of dollars cash, Colon said.
No one was injured in the robbery.
OH Tow Truck Driver Injured After Responding To Crash
MONROE TWP., Ohio -- A man who works as a tow truck driver is recovering after he was injured in an accident in Monroe Township Monday afternoon.
Officials say the man responded to a crash that left a firetruck stuck in a ditch off of Laurel Nicholsville Road around 4:45 p.m. While the man was setting up cables to remove the fire truck a piece of equipment struck him in the head.
A medical helicopter flew the man to an area hospital. His name and condition have not been released.
There were no other injuries reported.
The incident remains under investigation by The Ohio State Highway Patrol.
TN Tow Truck Driver Beaten Over Boot
Two suspects were charged with beating a wrecker driver who booted a car early Sunday at Raiders Ridge Apartments, Murfreesboro Police reported.
Victim Jacob Haynes, 23,of Camo Towing was treated for multiple injuries at Middle Tennessee Medical Center, Officer Bryan Anderson reported.
Suspects Robert Anthony Umstead, 20, and Nicole Wooley, 20, both of Vintage Park Apartments on Barfield-Crescent Road were charged with aggravated assault by Officer Brandon Benge.
Anderson reported Haynes booted a vehicle at the complex on Wenlon Drive when suspects later identified as Umstead and Wooley confronted him.
Haynes accused Umstead of punching him in the left side of his face while he sat in his tow truck doing paperwork, the officer reported. Also, Haynes accused Wooley of punching him in the face. Haynes called 911.
Witnesses told police where the suspects were located. They were identified by Haynes and charged with aggravated assault.
The suspects were booked into Rutherford County Adult Detention Center where a hearing was set Nov. 12 in General Sessions Court.
Umstead is unemployed. Wooley is a nurse at the York VA Medical Center.
Canadian Tow Truck Driver Charged in Fatal Hit & Run
MONTREAL – A 22-year-old man was charged Monday in a Valleyfield courtroom with one count of leaving the scene of an accident, which caused the death of an 18-year-old CEGEP student.
James Castonguay, a tow-truck driver, was arrested hours after the body of Catherine Blanchemanche was discovered about 3 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of a grocery store in St. Lazare.
Blanchemanche, a student at CEGEP Ahuntsic, is believed to have been run over shortly after leaving the Chez Maurice bar, which is next to the grocery store.
Investigators arrested Castonguay on Saturday evening after listening to witness accounts of what happened in the parking lot, Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Ronald McInnis said.
Castonguay’s truck has been seized as evidence in the investigation of what appears to have been a hit and run.
When he was arrested, Castonguay said he wasn’t aware he had run over a person in the parking lot, McInnis said.
Blanchemanche’s cellphone was in her hand when her body was discovered.
Canadian Tow Truck Driver Recovering After Being Pinned
A tow truck driver pinned between two vehicles on Saskatchewan Drive in Regina is out of surgery. Police say his pelvis was broken and he had some internal bleeding.
A 34 year-old driver from Club Towing was working to put a pair of vehicles - involved in a crash- onto the deck of his truck. Police tell the Leader Post that's when a dollie slipped and one of the cars started rolling backward.
The driver jumped down and tried to stop it by pushing against it but was pinned.
According to Club Towing this morning the driver is expected to remain in hospital for awhile.
The intersection of Saskatchewan Drive and Albert Street was blocked off for a few hours yesterday as police reconstructed the accident. Occupational Health and Safety is also investigating.
Click here to read the Leader-Post story.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Suspected DWI Crashes Into CA Tow Truck
A 23-year-old Danville man was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after he hit a tow truck early this morning, injuring himself and the truck operator, the California Highway Patrol said.
A tow truck operator was tending to a vehicle parked on the shoulder of southbound Interstate 680 north of Diablo Road about 1 a.m. when a Toyota 4Runner crashed into the back of his truck, said Officer Tom Maguire.
The driver, identified as Kevin Dubrall, suffered a cut to his head and an abrasion to his arm, and the tow truck operator suffered a back injury, Maguire said. The operator was outside his truck when the crash occurred, but it was not clear how he was injured.
Both men were taken to local hospitals. Dubrall was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI before being released to the hospital, Maguire said.