MASSACHUSETTS -- A 40-year-old Eastham man died Wednesday night after he suffered a heart attack while towing cars from an accident scene.

John Fenochietti, of Shortys Way, was the owner of Whispering Pines Auto Body on Holmes Road.

At approximately 10:40 p.m. he was in the process of loading the second of two cars involved in an accident at Brackett Road and Route 6 onto his flatbed tow truck, when he collapsed on the road.

Police and a firefighter, who were on the scene directing traffic and cleaning up after the accident, started CPR. Rescue personnel from Orleans and Eastham arrived a few minutes later and were able to revive him.

Orleans rescue workers took Fenochietti to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, where he was pronounced dead.

The accident occurred at 9:54 p.m.

Police said a vehicle driven by Brad Withington of Eastham failed to stop for a red signal light and struck a vehicle driven by Jennifer D. Messier of North Truro.

Eastham rescue workers took Peter Christian, 26, of Eastham, a passenger in Messier's vehicle, to Cape Cod Hospital with minor injuries. Christian was treated at the hospital and released.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

The national average diesel price continues to rise this week by 3.7 cents to $1.37 per gallon as reported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Diesel prices have increased 6.7 cents in the last two weeks and at their highest price since last October.

Oil prices were also up this week, closing near $30 a barrel in New York trading. The spike is the highest price for a barrel of oil in 11 months and could be felt at the pump early this week.

According to international press reports, the price of oil rose dramatically because Kuwait said the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is not likely to increase oil production when it meets next month, a move oil analysts had expected.

California diesel prices are the highest at $155.6, followed closely by the West Coast at $148. The New England area of the East Coast showed the lowest prices at $132 per gallon.

Diesel prices are a big part of a towing fleets budget and therefore very important to daily business.

To check diesel prices in your specific area go to www.itow.org/fuel.htm.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

International Truck and Engine may cut more than 2,000 jobs at its Ohio and Indianapolis plants as part of a several-year overhaul of manufacturing operations, according to published reports.

In Springfield, Ohio, up to 800 jobs could be eliminated at its medium truck plant and 650 at its Springfield body plant, according to reports. A maximum of 600 jobs could be cut at an Indianapolis engine plant.

International Truck and Engine President Steve Keate said earlier this month that with new truck orders decreasing as the Oct. 1 low-emission engine deadline nears, the Warrensville, Ill.-based company may also have to lay off as many as 400 employees at the company’s heavy-truck plant in Chatham, Ontario.

Navistar reported its third straight quarterly loss last week, attributing it to low demand for medium-duty trucks because of the economy and decreased production at its Ontario heavy duty plant during a strike. The company has agreed to keep the Chatham plant open until June 1, 2003, and will decide by November if it will close the plant after that.

Navistar Chairman and Chief Executive officer John R. Horne said in that report that the company could post a fourth quarter loss.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

ALABAMA -- Owners of towed vehicles will now pay a set fee to area wrecker services when police call for removal of their wrecked or illegally parked cars and trucks in Orange Beach.

"We felt it was time to get some regulations on this," Police Chief Robert Vinson said. "We wanted to make sure everything is equal and fair to the wrecker companies, and to the person who has to pay for it," he said.

The Orange Beach City Council passed the ordinance during its regular session Tuesday.

The city has a rotating list of about four local wreckers, and when a vehicle is illegally parked or must be towed for other reasons, police call the towing company next on the list. The vehicle owner must then pay the company to get the vehicle back, explained the chief.

Vinson said there have been several complaints from residents and visitors of Orange Beach who say they were charged exorbitant fees to reclaim their towed vehicles, and he hopes this ordinance will eliminate overcharging.

"Recently, one truck was blocking a sidewalk, and the wrecker picked it up and had it for three hours ... and charged about $255. I think that's excessive, and so did the person that complained," Vinson said. Under the new ordinance, a towing service may charge up to $165 for that call, he added.

Owners of towing companies attended public working sessions to hash out details of the ordinance, with some complaining that it was unnecessary.

"If they don't like our ordinance, then they don't have to be on our rotation list," Vinson added.

Ron West, owner of West Service Center in Gulf Shores, said that many people in Orange Beach complained not because of the fees but because they didn't understand why they were towed.

"A lot of people get mad because there wasn't a sign saying they couldn't park there. I would like to see that addressed. ... There's no communication down there to let people know what they can and can't do. I don't have that problem in Gulf Shores or Foley," West said. And, he added, sometimes he doesn't agree with having to tow a vehicle, but he must do what the police department asks.

"At the last mullet toss, we probably towed 20 to 30 vehicles in one afternoon. ... Some of the cars we towed, I didn't see why we had to tow them; they weren't posing any traffic hazards," West said. "They didn't understand why their car got towed and the car right behind them, which was only about 2 inches different, didn't get towed," he added.

Parking there was also confusing, he recalled, because there were no signs and two sets of white lines -- one for the bike path -- on the side of Alabama 182. Some people who had the edges of their tires on the outer white line were ordered to be towed, he added.

West said he had been accused of charging excessive fees: "They said I charged someone almost $230, and I went back and looked, and it was only $175." After working with city officials and the police chief to come to an agreement on the fee schedule and requirements, West said he was satisfied.

"I think it's unnecessary that we have to go that route ... but hopefully things will start running smoother now," he said. "I think we came to a fair agreement between the city and the towing companies," he said, adding that he was glad Vinson asked for their input and facilitated negotiations during the working sessions.

Councilwoman Iris Ethridge said she thought towing companies should be compensated if they are called to tow a vehicle, if that vehicle is moved before they arrive.

"If you call someone in the middle of the night and that person gets up, gets dressed and goes to the trouble to come out, they should be compensated," she said at a recent working session.

West added that he had six canceled calls in July.

But Vinson said that the flat $90 fee includes that hardship. "That's just a chance they take by being on our rotation list; they don't have to be on it," Vinson added. He said that the police department in Mobile sets the base fee at $75, for the same reason.

Bill Benjamin, who owns Orange Beach Towing and Emergency Road Service, said he does not think it is fair that a company must have a permit and a business license in Orange Beach, even if it is not on the rotation list.

"If someone calls a wrecker out of Foley or Gulf Shores, that company doesn't have to have a permit," he added.

Vinson said this was true, but that city officials want to make sure that those who operate within the city have the proper insurance and operate under guidelines set by the Alabama Department of Transportation. (Christmas McGaughey - Mobile Register)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

CANADA -- Edmonton's Blue Star Towing manager Peter Mills never thought he'd have to put his first aid skills to use.

But late Friday he found himself applying CPR to a woman thrown from her overturned truck near 42nd Street and 76th Avenue, when the sound of crashing metal grabbed his attention.

"We heard a truck going by, heard the brakes lock up and then a lot of crashing," Mills said. He and two other men ran over and found a blue half-ton truck lying on its side, its white canopy torn off and various household items scattered about. A woman's body lay six meters to the east. The woman had no pulse and was not breathing, Mills said.

He said one woman at the scene was already calling 911 when he and one of his drivers, Jeff Hooper, arrived. Hooper and another woman who had driven by in a van began performing CPR on the woman, Mills said. "I did the counting, Jeff did the breathing and the lady did the compression."

The three worked on the woman for at least five minutes until ambulance and fire personnel showed up and took over. Mills said the woman was still not breathing on her own when rescue workers started attending to her.

Police confirmed the woman died shortly after 9:30 p.m.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

OHIO -- Ohio state officials plan to hire additional staff for the Freeway Incident Response Team, which assists motorists in a variety of ways, said Michelle May, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. The personnel would be used to add patrols in areas such as Toledo, Akron and Dayton.

FIRST, whose motto is “You don’t call us, we find you,” recently celebrated its first year in the Columbus area. Similar programs already exist in Cleveland, where it is called Road Crewzers, and in Cincinnati, although ODOT outsourced that program. FIRST has helped more than 9,000 motorists since July 2001, May said.

During its inaugural year, FIRST crews responded to 1,500 incidents per month. Four trucks and eight drivers cover 110 miles. By comparison, Virginia Department of Transportation averaged 2,500 incidents a month using 24 trucks and 36 drivers.

FIRST units patrol interstates 270, 670, 71 and 70 around Columbus, as well as State Route 315. ODOT runs two shifts each weekday, providing service from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Crews also work weekends during special events.

The program has helped free law enforcement to focus on more serious issues and the public has welcomed the program as well.

Limited service is offered to all vehicles, such as water, coolants, flat tire repair and free fuel for motorists with empty tanks. Crews have Polaroid cameras to help motorists and law enforcement document accident scenes. They also help with more major problems, from traffic control to removing debris.

Ohio officials cite a federal DOT study that suggested more than half of urban congestion is caused by incidents such as stalled vehicles and other problems that FIRST helps mitigate. (Thanks Ted)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

MARYLAND -- Baltimore County is citing for failing to obtain a use permit the owners of the York Road property on which Maryland Towing and Recovery has set up an impound lot.

The possible fine is mounting at the rate of $200 a day.

But Maryland Towing owner Barrett Browning claims that zoning officials neglected to tell him he needed the permit when he moved in.

"The bottom line is it was an oversight," he says. "It's not something wrong; it's just something missing - and it will be remedied."

The towing and impound lot is at 39 York Road in Towson between a vacant Crown station and a building that houses Pizza Palace and York Liquors.

The fenced lot has a gravel-covered space between it and York Road.

The owners of the property are Gus, George and Nick Kosmakos, according to county code inspector Lavette Street. They could not be reached for comment.

They have been cited by the county instead of Browning, who leased the site in the spring, because "the law says it's the property owner's responsibility to keep the property free of violations," explains Street.

To qualify for a county use permit, the property has to meet proper screening and paving requirements, she says.

Since May 23, when the county issued the violation notice, the owners of the property have been liable for a fine of $200 a day, Street says. By the Sept. 4 hearing date, that would add up to more than $20,000.

But the county has had difficulty locating the Kosmakos family, Street said late last week.

So the hearing date will have to be postponed, with the potential fine rising accordingly, while she explores other ways to locate them.

"We may pull MVA records to get the address or use mail or visit them in person," she says. "We try everything."

The potential fine, however, is not necessarily the fine that would be imposed, according to Street.

If a fine is imposed, the amount will be up to the county administrative hearing officer who hears the case, she says. (Thanks Robert)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

The average price at the pump for a gallon of diesel fuel jumped three cents this week amidst rumors the U.S. will attack Iraq, which could very likely disrupt oil flow.

The Dept. of Energy said the price rose to $1.333, the highest it's been since the price hit the $1.32 mark on April 15.

According to the department's Energy Information Administration, California saw the biggest rise, 6.6 cents to $1.509. The price was virtually flat in New England, where it rose from $1.407 to $1.416.

The White House said on Monday it had no plans at this time to tap into the nation's emergency oil stockpile, but cited the possibility of "risks ahead in the markets" in urging Congress to pass the president's energy plan.

For diesel prices in your area, go to www.itow.org/fuel.htm.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

MICHIGAN -- General Motors Corp. said on Monday it was recalling about 720,000 vehicles to fix two problems that could cause their air bags to malfunction in a crash.

GM said one recall covers about 570,000 full-size Chevrolet and GMC pickups and sport utility vehicles built in model year 2000. The automaker said the vehicles had air bag sensing and diagnostic modules that could interfere with air bag deployment. The modules will be recalibrated by dealers.

The other recall covers 150,000 cars, SUVs and minivans built between May and June 2002. GM said about 8,000 of those vehicles have air bag inflator modules that could crack open if the bag deployed, leaving the bag less than fully inflated.

GM said both problems were discovered during testing. The vehicles will be repaired at no charge to their owners.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

WYOMING -- A Bellingham Washington woman who survived a terrifying ride down Wyoming's Teton Pass in a runaway tow truck Aug. 7 said the driver tried to control his vehicle until the moment he died.

Vicki Canada endured a gut-wrenching descent that lasted more than two minutes and reached speeds of 70 mph. She was pinned in the wreckage of the tow truck for almost an hour after it raced into Wilson, Wyo., crashed and flipped. Emergency workers freed her from the mangled steel, but the driver, Dave Reust, died almost instantly.

Canada, 60, said she thought about her partner, Hugh, and her four children as the truck careened out of control down most of the five-mile, 2,224-foot drop. She returned home to Bellingham with only scrapes, bruises and a dreadful memory.

Canada had visited her son, Drew, a Jackson resident, and was driving home across Teton Pass when her Audi station wagon overheated. She called for a tow truck.

Reust, 33, a Washougal native and husband and father of one, had moved to Jackson only five days earlier and worked at Flat Creek Towing four of those days. Helping Canada was his first solo job.

He met her near the summit of Teton Pass, just west of Jackson on the Wyoming-Idaho state line, and loaded Canada's 1.5-ton car onto the flat bed of his tow truck. Canada and her 8-year-old golden retriever, Puffin, got into the passenger side of the truck. She fastened her seatbelt. Puffin sat on her lap.

Reust began the steep descent down the pass. Canada said he lost control of the truck almost immediately.

"Within a very short time, he lost his gears and lost control of his brakes," she said. "I told him our only hope was the runaway truck ramp."

The gravel ramps are designed to slow down out-of-control vehicles, particularly trucks, on the steep highway. Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers said Reust lost control of the truck about two miles above Wilson and failed to negotiate the two runaway ramps on the pass.

Canada said she saw only one runaway ramp, but Reust did not pull off onto it.

"He froze and we missed it," she said.

Canada became choked up and paused as she recounted her story. "He was only 33 years old," she said.

Whizzed by the ramp

The truck whizzed by the ramp, Canada said. She was worried about running into other cars. "I pleaded with him to keep his hand on the horn," she said.

Canada said after passing the ramp, time seemed to slow down. She thought about the good and bad experiences of her life.

"We were careening down the hill and going so fast," she said, "but I was on a very slow, uplifted journey. I felt completely protected by God's love."

Highway Patrol trooper Shannon Basaraba estimated that Reust was traveling more than 70 mph as he rounded the last turn before Wilson. The speed limit is 25 mph. As it approached the sharp turn just above the intersection of Fall Creek Road, the truck tipped onto two wheels. Canada's car came loose, and that momentum flipped the truck onto its roof, troopers said.

"It was like a tin can that came crashing in," Canada said.

The car crashed into a pile of construction debris. The tow truck hit the foundation of Tommy's Truck Stop, a log cabin that had been destroyed by previous runaways and subsequently removed. The two vehicles came to rest about 25 yards apart.

Reust probably was killed instantly, Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper Brian Bragonier said.

As for Canada, "it's absolutely amazing she's still alive," Bragonier said.

Canada said troopers told her the weight of Puffin might have kept her in the truck seat long enough to push her into a safe compartment of the wreckage. Some time during the flip, the dog escaped and ran to a nearby house.

Canada said she came to rest in a 45-degree angle with her face smashed into the ground. "There was a tremendous amount of pressure all over my head," she said. Practicing breathing and relaxation techniques she learned through extensive training in Pilates, yoga and meditation, Canada tried to remain calm.

Teton County Emergency Medical Services volunteer Diane Benefiel, who lives 100 yards from the site, was the first responder at the scene. She made contact with Canada, who was screaming in pain as the weight of the truck bore down on her head.

'Kept my spirit alive'

"I would not have survived if it were not for Diane Benefiel," Canada said. "She was there within five minutes, and she never said anything but the perfect thing to me. Everything she said kept my spirit alive."

Also on the scene was a Yellow Iron Excavating backhoe that was working on the Fall Creek Road project. Construction is designed to move the intersection of the road away from the dangerous pass highway corner.

Fire department volunteers from Wilson and Jackson crowded the scene and began working. Using the backhoe, they lifted the eight-ton tow truck inch by inch, monitoring Canada's condition to make sure she was comfortable.

"Just a millimeter of shift would have crushed my skull," she said. "At the 58-minute point, they lifted it enough so most of the pressure was off of my skull."

At that moment, "I thought I might live," Canada said.

Canada was transported to St. John's Medical Center, where she was treated for scrapes and bruises.

"There's a part of me that doesn't want to believe I'm still alive," she said. "There's another part of me that knows that God's not done with me yet."

Bragonier said driver inexperience likely contributed to the crash, although mechanical failures are still being investigated.

Scott Baldwin, co-owner of Flat Creek Towing, said Reust had experience driving trucks in Alaska. Although he did not have a commercial driver's license, one is not necessary unless the total weight of the vehicle is more than 13 tons.

"One of the reasons we hired him was because of his prior trucking experience," Baldwin said. Baldwin took Reust out on several tows before letting him go out on his own. None of the training tows were up on Teton Pass, Baldwin said, but he assumed Reust had mountain driving experience. (Carolyn Smith - Jackson Hole News)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

GEORGIA -- Milledgeville's towing policy could soon get overhaul after the city's public safety committee agreed Thursday to revamp the policy, tasking three main city officials with finalizing a new plan.

Police Chief Woodrow Blue, Fire Chief Tom Dietrich and acting Fire Marshal Jack Graham submitted a preliminary outline of new regulations they would like to see implemented during the committee's Thursday meeting.

Blue went over eight proposals with Denese Shinholster, chairwoman of the public safety committee, and committee members Jeanette Walden and Richard Hudson.

The proposals were to create a police wrecker service list separate from the Baldwin County list currently being used; implement a wrecker inspection process; deny companies from being on the list if they do not own a wrecker; require wrecker services to charge a standard fee; have reduced fees for city vehicles; charge an administration fee to be put on the list; and make sure towing companies have a secure and well lighted storage area.

Standardizing fees and charging an administration fee of up to $50 monthly to be on the list would help support the program, Blue said.

"I feel confident these eight proposals would eliminate many of the problems (in the current policy)," he said, adding that it will make all companies on the list equal. "No one company would be favored over another."

Unfair practices in the rotation system came to light after the owner of a local towing service alleged the city was using inconsistent and unfair practices when vehicles needed to be hauled.

That owner said police officers call certain wrecker services to remove vehicles needing a tow, but overlooked other companies on the list.

Public safety committee members met with Blue, Dietrich and Graham on June 26 to discuss current policies and Graham, code enforcement officer for the city, presented a summary of the city's wrecker rotation system.

He said the city has two current wrecker rotation lists - one for wrecks and one for abandoned vehicles. Seventeen companies are listed on the wreck rotation list and 14 are on the abandoned vehicles list. When a call is received requesting a wrecker, a computer produces a name and pager number of the next wrecker in line, he said. That wrecker is dispatched then rotated to the bottom of the list.

If a caller "requests a wrecker company by name," that company receives the call, he said, "but it doesn't lose its place in the rotation line." The county administers the wrecker rotation system, he said, adding that Baldwin County has a verbal agreement with Old Capitol Wrecker Service to tow all county vehicles at a charge of $30 in the city and $35 in the county. Other charges can vary based on the size of the vehicle and the distance towed.

Graham said Thursday that in checking with surrounding communities, they found that many municipalities have had difficulties in the same area. "Everyone we spoke to said they have had a problem with their policy in one way or another," he said.

Blue said creating their own list would enable them to create their own standards. They all agreed that inspections should be conducted on all the wreckers on the list and that those wreckers should meet state standards.

"Omitting companies that don't own their own wreckers will eliminate a lot of these problems," Blue said.

A final draft of the new towing policy should be completed in three weeks, he said. That plan will then be resubmitted to the committee for approval. (Cheryl Mitchell - The Union-Recorder)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

NEBRASKA -- The city of Papillion has vowed to cap non-nonconsensual towing rates based on a single complaint and without any study of the industry at all.

Cities arbitrarily capping non-consensual towing rates is an alarming trend that forces tow operators to make cuts in other areas to keep the non-consensual towing profitable and continue to provide this essential service to police and property owners. 

While every industry has it's problems, most tow operators are fair and honest and charge what is appropriate for the job.

If a city decides rate caps are necessary, they should at least commission a study to determine what a fair rate would be.

In the complaint, that prompted the city to take action, a teenager parked his vehicle in front of a Dairy Queen dumpster and Dairy Queen had it impounded.

The owner of the car even admitted that they saw the "no parking" sign, but they thought that only "nuisance" cars got impounded.

The teen was charged approximately $280 for the impound which occurred on a Friday night.

What the city and other people, not familiar with towing, fail to realize is towing a car that is locked-up and has it's steering locked requires more time, effort, and sometimes special equipment to tow.

If you also consider the after hours release fee that they most likely incurred for a Friday night impound, the towing fee is quite reasonable.

Papillion Mayor Donnie Brandt has proposed an ordinance which establishes a maximum fee of $150 for a non-consensual tow, $20 for administrative fees and $15 for daily storage.

Council members Diane Battiato and Steve Engberg would like to see the rate cap even lower.

While Papillion's rate cap is not the worst in the industry, it is an example a very unfair practice of setting rates without sufficient knowledge of the industry.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

WISCONSIN -- Quick action by an employee of a wrecker service helped free an Appleton motorcyclist trapped underneath a car today.

Marty Jansen, an employee of Zentner’s Auto Service, was on his way to work at 6:48 a.m. when he saw a man on a motorcycle pull in front of a car traveling eastbound on Wisconsin Avenue at U.S. 41 in Grand Chute.

Jansen saw another motorist call 911 on a cellular telephone. Jansen called work to get a tow truck. “The quicker you get it off the, better you are,” he said.

Jansen said the tow truck arrived before firefighters.

Zentner’s driver Brad Knaack lifted the car off the 24-year-old man.

The man was transported to an area hospital. Police were not releasing his name.

Grand Chute police Sgt. Jeff Wege said Zentner’s should be credited for their quick response.

“They did a fantastic job,” Wege said. “He was here in a minute.”

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

CONNECTICUT -- A veteran Hartford police officer turned himself in Sunday on charges that he stole from a local towing and auto parts company.

John Nisyrios, 43, is the second Hartford officer to be arrested on petty theft charges in unrelated incidents since mid-July. Both officers joined the department about 19 years ago and are a year short of retirement eligibility.

Nisyrios was arrested after a monthlong internal investigation into allegations that he used his position as a police officer to demand free parts and other services from Corona's Auto Parts Inc. in Hartford, sources close to the case said.

On several occasions, the sources said, Nisyrios would tell employees at Corona's he needed new parts for his or a relative's car but shouldn't have to pay for anything because of the protection he provides to the store.

Nisyrios did not return a reporter's phone call Sunday seeking comment.

According to a police department news release about the arrest, the towing company contacted the department weeks ago "complaining that they had discovered Officer Nisyrios on their property after hours, removing various motor vehicle parts without permission from, nor payment to, Corona's."

Nisyrios, accompanied by legal and union representatives, surrendered to the Internal Affairs Division Sunday.

"He knew there was a warrant for his arrest, so he called and arranged to turn himself in," police department spokeswoman Maura Hammick said.

He was immediately suspended without pay, pending the outcome of his court case, and is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 19. Hammick released no further details Sunday about the allegations or their time frame.

Nisyrios was charged with third-degree burglary, criminal attempt to commit fourth-degree larceny and first-degree criminal trespass. He was released on a written promise to appear in court. Third-degree burglary is a Class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines.

"If convicted of a felony," Hammick said, "he wouldn't continue as a police officer. He could get fired."

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

VIRGINIA -- The Virginia Beach City Council voted Tuesday to go against the recommendation of it's own Towing Advisory Board and only slightly raise the rates that a towing company can charge for non-consensual tows.

The City of Virginia Beach created a Towing Advisory Board to monitor the towing industry in the city and make recommendations to the city council.

Now that the Towing Advisory Board has made recommendations to the city council to raise towing rates to keep pace with inflation and rising operating costs, the council will not follow them.

The towing Advisory Board recommended the unusually low $70 impound fee be increased to $85 and the ridiculously low storage fee of $12 be increased to $20 to keep pace with industry standards.

The council instead voted for a token fee increase of $5 for towing and $3 for storage, hardly enough to make a difference.

Why a Towing Advisory Board?

Inconsiderate people that park illegally in the oceanfront tourist area of town have been a long standing problem in Virginia Beach. 

The property owners who count on that space for paying customers and tenants have no choice but to have the offending vehicles impounded.

The people who had their illegally parked cars impounded complained to the city and the city decided to get involved.

The city calls the towing practices, which are very necessary to local businesses, "aggressive" and they are afraid that towing will hurt tourism.

While parking citations have the same effect on tourism, the city has no plans to back off on that practice. 

If the City Council knows the towing industry better then the city's Towing Advisory Board, and your not going to listen to the studied recommendations of your independent board, why have the advisory board at all?

Apparently the city never prepared for the reality of studying the towing industry and now that they do not like the result, they are going to dismiss it.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

FLORIDA - An appeals court, In a July 31 court ruling, threw out a sheriff's tow truck rotation policy as illegal.

The 11th U.S. Court of Appeals said the 1999 policy is illegal and only the county commission can enact such legislation.

The policy included strict rules against roadside solicitation by tow truck drivers.

King's Wrecker Service of West Palm Beach refused to participate in the illegal program and consequently had drivers arrested for soliciting business from roadside breakdowns and accidents.

Tow operators argue that the anti-solicitation portion of the policy not only squelches free enterprise but may inconvenience or endanger motorists who break down in some areas since tow truck are unable to offer assistance.

The decision has prompted the sheriffs department to discontinue the illegal program but they vow to ask the County Commission to enact a similar policy.

The appellate court overturned the U.S. District Court's earlier decision against King's Wrecker Service saying that the sheriff cannot legislate.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

CANADA -- The tow-truck industry faces a shakeup as the city of Montreal revives plans to begin regulating it next spring with taxi industry-style permits and exams.

Some tow-truck operators oppose the changes, which they warn will be costly and will boost the cost of a tow.

"It will be the first time we regulate the industry in Montreal," said Richard Boyer, director of the Bureau du Taxi, which would be responsible for supervising tow trucks. "As it is, there is no regulating on city territory."

The city council's executive committee approved on Wednesday the creation of a new position to implement the new system at the Bureau du Taxi.

Boyer said mandatory testing of tow-truck drivers, training courses for those who fail tests, monitored load restrictions for different types of tow trucks and licenses for towing operators and their drivers are aimed at squeezing out fly-by-night operators.

The city will not regulate the prices charged by towing firms, Boyer said.

The bureau will also set up a system to investigate complaints from the public about tow-truck operations, he said.

"If you don't have requirements, then anyone without a basic minimum of competence can enter the industry and compete with a company that offers acceptable service," Boyer said.

As it is, anyone can buy a tow truck and start hauling vehicles, he said.

The regulations are also meant to prevent competing tow-truck drivers from jeopardizing safety by racing to accidents in search of work, Boyer said.

The project was put on ice when the province announced plans for municipal mergers, but now that those are over, it's time to move ahead, he said.

"I'm against it," towing operator Stéphane Berry responded. "We already have trouble as it is to find competent people (to drive tow trucks). It's going to be expensive for a company. It means the customer is going to pay."

Berry, president of Services Routiers Unipro Ltd., said companies will have to pay drivers' wages while they're being tested, pay for tests and training courses rather than training them on the job, and pay for annual or biennial company and driver permits.

More experienced or better trained drivers will force up wages, he added.

The complaints were expressed two years ago when public hearings were held on a draft bylaw that proposed dividing Montreal Island into zones and giving towing firms exclusive rights to respond to accidents in those zones.

Provincial highways already have an exclusive towing system. Taking the system to city streets will not resolve competition problems because operators will fight for territory, Berry said.

Stan Zieba, who runs the American Automobile Center Ltd. in Pierrefonds and works with an industry association, agrees with rules to keep out fly-by-nighters, but says the city is "asking for too much." He estimates the system would cost $5,000 per driver per year.

Boyer said the estimated $400,000 annual cost to the city to operate the system is expected to be self-financing through the sale of permits. (Linda Gyulai - Montreal Gazette)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

RHODE ISLAND -- A federal judge has issued a preliminary order calling for the campaign fund of Providence Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci Jr. to forfeit at least $250,000 in illegal contributions obtained from local towing companies through a pattern of racketeering..

The figure roughly corresponds to the amount of money donated to the Friends of Cianci by the Providence City Tow Association between 1991 and 1999.

Cianci, his former top aide Frank Corrente, and politically connected tow-truck operator Richard Autiello were charged with shaking down members of the association for campaign contributions. In exchange, the members were guaranteed that no new towers would be added to the lucrative police department tow list.

Cianci was acquitted in June of all charges relating specifically to the tow list, but he was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept.6.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

MICHIGAN -- General Motors and Ford Motor are preparing to offer buyers plusher, more sumptuous interiors in top-of-the-line versions of pickups and sport-utility vehicles next year.

The move is aimed at giving the upscale versions of the trucks a higher-quality image while making it harder for consumers to resist going for the higher-priced, higher-profit upgrade.

The stakes are high for the automakers, which face increasing truck competition from Japanese automakers and luxury brands. A boost of an extra $100 of average profit per vehicle translates to almost $100 million to Ford on its F-Series pickups and $25 million to GM for its Chevrolet TrailBlazer SUV.

First up; GM will offer a completely different interior on its top-priced 2004 Buick Rendezvous SUV. The top Rendezvous will get a wood-splashed dashboard and cockpit instead of mostly plastic, along with redesigned seats and details such as leather-clad interior door pulls.

Currently, Rendezvous prices range from $26,000 to $32,000. But the only obvious distinguishing characteristics of the priciest model are all-wheel-drive and powered leather seats.

GM expects to follow with upgrades on the interiors of TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and other trucks. The goal, says GM's French-born interior design chief, Anne Asensio, "is to recognize quality in the first 10 seconds, after the first 10 minutes and after the first 10 months."

The interiors of Ford's F Series pickups will have "five different personalities," says product chief Chris Theodore. At the top is a lavish spread of leather and wood designed to feel like a living room on wheels. That compares with the cloth and plastic of the budget-priced version.

"It doesn't make sense that people paying $35,000 for one truck should feel like it's the same truck inside as one that's $20,000," says Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer.

Today, the top F-Series has enhancements such as automatic transmission, extended cab and towing package. But except for leather seats, the interiors throughout the F Series lineup feel the same no matter the price.

The moves come as Ford and GM are removing some features they feel customers don't value, such as sun visor lights, and charging for others that used to be standard, as GM is doing with side air bags on some vehicles.

"It's a bit schizophrenic to on one hand be taking content out of vehicles and then making customers pay for improvements that you should be making anyway," says AutoPacific's Jim Hall, a former GM designer.

J.D. Power's Brian Walters says the Ford and Chevrolet brands rank below the industry average for interior design. "Historically, interiors were skimped upon in Detroit when a new model was developed for cost reasons. But their efforts in these areas will be rewarded in greater customer satisfaction," he says. (David Kiley-USA Today)

Return to Headlines

NEW MEXICO -- A New Mexico Court of Appeals decision concerning towing of vehicles was the focus of discussion during this week's meeting of the Sandoval County Board of Commissioners. The ruling, which noted a "fatal flaw" with a law that allows police to tow a vehicle without notifying the owner, will change the way law enforcement officers handle abandoned vehicles.

The court's ruling declared the state statute unconstitutional after Jamie Loretto challenged the removal of her vehicle from NM 4 in 1997. Loretto had been involved in a minor accident when her pickup truck struck a utility pole. She left the area to seek assistance and when she returned her truck was gone.

Suspecting it had been stolen, she reported the incident to police and discovered her vehicle had been towed at the discretion of the deputy. State statute allowed the deputy to remove the vehicle if it was considered to be impeding traffic or if it posed a risk to other motorists.

The court found that by not notifying the vehicle's owner prior to towing, impound and towing charges were assessed in a manner that the justices found unconstitutional. In its April ruling the court reported that the government must provide notice of an owner's right to a meaningful and timely hearing to challenge the towing.

That ruling led to the county's decision to review their current statute and bring it in line with the court's findings.

Loretto, who did not recover the vehicle before it was sold at auction, filed suit against the county and Trujillo Towing in 1999 seeking damages. That suit was unsuccessful. The case was appealed in February of 2001 on the basis that the state had an obligation to provide a form of redress before any sale of private property towed could be held.

Under the ruling, police cannot tow abandoned vehicles, but may tow vehicles that are causing a safety concern to other motorists. However, notification of the tow must be given to the owner.

The towing law is not new to the courts in New Mexico. In 1982 the U.S. District Court in Albuquerque also found the state statute unconstitutional. That decision was never published and was ignored by lawmakers in Santa Fe. (Thanks Kevin)

Return to Headlines

MAINE -- Bill Pullen always said he trained his daughter to operate the winch and the boom on his tow truck, just in case. That training came in handy Friday when a car Pullen was working on in East Vassalboro fell on him, pinning him to the ground.

Pullen's daughter, Rose, 15, came to the rescue and saved her dad from what would have been certain death, they said Tuesday at their family-owned Freddie's Service Center on Route 32.

"I was lucky I took first aid classes and CPR and learned how to run the winch and the boom on the wrecker," Rose said Tuesday. "Dad said he taught me that for a rainy day — it must have been pretty rainy that day."

Pullen, a mechanic and tow-truck driver for his father, Freddie Pullen, said he went home just before noon Friday to take a gas tank off an old junker he had on his property.

"I went down back in the woods with the wrecker and stood the car six-feet up in the air on its front bumper," Pullen recalled. "I scooched underneath to get the gas tank out and the next thing I know my face is right in the dirt.

"It buckled me right up — my chest to my knees."

Pullen said the car, a Pontiac Sunbird, somehow became unhooked from the chains that held it up in the air. The car came down with the trunk of the vehicle onto Pullen's back.

The thin floor of the trunk gave way, providing enough space for Pullen not to have been crushed, he said.

Meanwhile, Rose, who will be a sophomore at Erskine Academy this fall, had come home and heard her father's muffled cry for help.

"Had she been inside on the phone or listening to the radio she would not have heard me," Pullen said.

Rose, who said she never panicked, agreed.

"I heard dad screaming. I don't think I ever ran so fast in my life," the girl said. "The only thing I wanted to do was get him out and get him to the hospital."

Only her father's hair was visible from the scene, she said.

Rose said she got into the tow truck, started it up and lowered the boom so her father could reach the "J" hooks from under the car and attach them to the car's bumper.

With the hooks in place, Rose engaged the hydraulic boom, lifting the car high enough for her father to roll out to safety. She then ran to the house for to fetch ice, her dad's back brace and a cold drink.

"I feel I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her," Pullen said. "By the time my dad figured out what had happened it would have been too late."

Rose then drove the family station wagon from the house down to the woods to pick up her father, who drove to a Waterville hospital.

Pullen had broken bones in his right foot and suffered deep cuts and bruises from the force of the car falling on him, he said.

But it could have been much worse, he said.

"I said I taught her that for a rainy day — you never know what's going to happen," Pullen said.

Return to Headlines

FLORIDA -- Officials have released the name of the tow-truck driver they say may have stopped traffic on Florida's Turnpike on July 23 just before a semitrailer truck ran over a car, killing all of the car's occupants.

Lt. Pat Santangelo of Florida Highway Patrol said Oscar Hernandez, 35, of Miami was trying to remove a disabled flatbed truck on the northbound shoulder near the 79-mile marker from about 1:30 p.m. and had to stop traffic in order to return to the northbound lanes.

While traffic was stopped, a semitrailer truck driven by Diosvany Fundora, 27, came over the crest of a rise in the road and ran over a car, killing Renee Woss, 30, and her two children, Andrea Brunner, 8, and Ramon Paez, 12.

Fundora was taken to Delray Medical Center and was released from acute care Friday.

All the witnesses have confirmed that a tow truck hauling a flatbed truck had backed into traffic and stopped vehicles in all three northbound lanes, Santangelo said.

Some witnesses also said they saw "a couple of pedestrians" helping the tow-truck driver stop traffic, Santangelo said.

Because tow trucks have to inform troopers before stopping traffic, Hernandez could be charged with improper backing. Hernandez also could be charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident, but Santangelo declined to say if Hernandez knew of the crash when he left.

"I didn't stop any traffic," Hernandez said when reached at home Tuesday night.

Asked if he was driving the truck that day, he said, "I don't know." Hernandez declined to answer any further questions.

While Santangelo said the stopped traffic contributed to the crash, officials still want to know how large a role it played.

A Highway Patrol investigator said last week that the driver of the semitrailer truck should have been able to stop if he had been paying attention to the road.

Investigators from the state and the U.S. Department of Transportation are examining the semitrailer truck to see if any mechanical problems could have prevented Fundora from stopping on time.

The Highway Patrol has until Aug. 22 to submit its findings to the State Attorney's Office, which will decide on which charges, if any, are filed. (Kenneth Lim - Sun Sentinel)

Return to Headlines