Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Respect Tow Truck Operators Ribbons

Hey all, I have looked into getting Respect Tow Truck Operators ribbons for our fan page. I came across a couple problems though. All together, 50 of them would cost me over $200. Now, I am only doing this by myself, and this is going to be a problem for me because I am hardly making ends meet as it is.

Saying that, I am going to start up a donation account next week. To all those who are willing to donate a couple bucks to the ribbon donation fund, I will give you 15% off the sales of any ribbons bought. This will be set up though paypal. I am going to get the papers tomorrow and probably will have the account up and running by next week.

This is just all just going though my mind right now, nothing is set in stone. I would like feed back from my fans to see what you guys think!! Comment on the blog, facebook post, or send me a message (amandadavid@towgirl.com)

Monday, September 27, 2010

Tow truck driver survives close call

Tow truck driver survives close call
http://www.kptv.com/news/25178848/detail.html
A tow truck driver hooking up a car to his rig on Highway 26 was struck and injured by a car Sunday afternoon, fire officials said.
Portland firefighters said the car’s driver lost control as the vehicle spun out on wet pavement and crashed into the tow truck driver just west of the Vista Ridge Tunnel.The tow truck driver survived and is recovering at a Portland hospital. His name was not released.The car’s driver stayed at the scene of the wreck and cooperated with the investigation.

Newest page on FB

Please take a moment to check out my newest page on Facebook, PETERBILT GIRLS!

 http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Peterbilt-Girls/156398114382362?ref=ts

Philly tow truck driver charged with killing rival

Philly tow truck driver charged with killing rival

Turf wars among tow truck drivers are nothing new in Philadelphia, but they have turned unusually violent - and now deadly - in 2010.
A territory feud apparently led one driver to repeatedly run over over a rival with his truck at a gas station early Sunday, killing him, police said.
Ray Santiago's death comes months after authorities charged another tow-truck driver with shooting a competitor at an accident scene. Both firms involved in that case were then vandalized, one with a barrage of bullets and the other with a fire that tore through 13 vehicles.
"It runs in cycles, but 2010 has been the most violent year I've seen in almost a quarter century," said lawyer William J. Brennan, who has defended several tow operators charged in on-the-job scrapes. "Maybe it's the economy. Maybe people are getting desperate."
Glen McDaniel, 25, of Philadelphia was being held without bail on murder, drunken-driving and other charges in Santiago's death. It was not clear if he has an attorney.
Philadelphia police try to rotate tow jobs among a list of approved operators, but they don't do so if a tow truck beats officers to a crash scene. That leaves rivals racing dangerously through narrow city streets to claim jobs before police give them away, critics say.
That cutthroat competition explains why TV producers seized on Philadelphia for an upcoming TLC network show called "Wreck Chasers," which is following several drivers with an unidentified firm for a series set to start next month.
The city was chosen because of the unusual and competitive nature of its towing businesses, the show's executive producer, Jim Kowats, told The Associated Press earlier this month. A TLC spokeswoman did not immediately return a message Monday.
Santiago, 30, may have been involved in a towing-related film project, but police did not know if it was the TLC program, Lt. Frank Vanore said. And no filming was under way when the fatal argument erupted, said Vanore, a police spokesman.
City Councilman Jim Kenney wants oversight of the industry moved from police to the Philadelphia Parking Authority. The authority has dispatchers and impound lots available, and could eliminate the dubious practice of drivers getting cash from auto-body shops to bring in wrecked cars, Kenney said.
In July, police charged Jose LaTorre Jr. of J & Sons Autobody with shooting a Mystical Towing driver in the thigh as they argued at a crash scene. LaTorre had gotten there first, but was trying to claim the customer from his Cadillac Escalade. The Mystical tow driver therefore considered the client fair game.
"With wreck chasers, whoever's got a truck and some guts, and a connection with a body shop, wins," Brennan said.
He had defended Santiago on unrelated drug charges in 2008, and recalled his client as a family man, with a wife and children.
Police believe Santiago had an underlying feud with McDaniel over their respective territories, although there was no accident in progress when they met up Sunday just before 3 a.m. at a North Philadelphia gas station. They ran into each other as a bar let out across the street.
They may have argued over a woman at the scene, but police believe they mostly fought over their turf.
"I don't think it was about a specific tow, like we've seen (at issue) in the past. This is more like, 'You're in my area. What are you doing down here?'" Vanore said.

Motorist charged with DUI for hitting tow truck driver

Motorist charged with DUI for hitting tow truck driver

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=13220078

JACKSON, MS (WLBT) – Jackson police have arrested the motorist who they say struck a tow truck driver working an accident scene.
J.P.D. Officer Colendula Green said shortly after two a.m. Sunday morning the unidentified tow truck operator was working on a disabled vehicle on south Gallatin Street, near the Pilot Travel Center.
Green said officers were on the scene when a woman driving a green Chevrolet Silverado hit two cars before colliding into the man who was removing a vehicle from a previous accident.
The wrecker operator suffered two broken legs and was transported to a local hospital.
The driver, whose name has not been released, fled the scene but was soon caught.
She is charged with dui and is being held at the Hinds County Detention Center.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Tow Operator killed in WA

Tow truck operator killed in hit-and-run crash on I-5

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/103711174.html

SEATTLE - State troopers arrested a woman who they say struck and killed a tow truck driver on Interstate 5 in Seattle early Friday morning.
Officials said the 51-year-old tow truck driver was on the ramp from Spokane Street to southbound I-5 working on a vehicle damaged in an earlier crash when he was hit about 1:15 a.m.
William Padilla, who worked for GT Towing in Seattle, was kneeling down at the front of the disabled car when a man driving an SUV in the HOV lane lost control and drove across all southbound lanes before hitting the tow truck operator.
"We had DOT at the scene doing traffic control... so it was a pretty safe scene," Washington State Patrol Trooper Trisena John said.
"But, still, this person for some reason cut across all lanes and ended up hitting this tow truck driver even though there was plenty of traffic control and plenty of lights to notify approaching traffic that there was a collision scene ahead."
Padilla, of Burien, died at the scene.
Investigators said the woman driving the SUV sped off but was captured minutes later at the bottom of the Michigan Street off ramp.
The driver and another person who was in the car at the time of the crash were arrested and booked into the King County Jail. Officials said both were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

And a follow up on the charges:

$150K bail for woman accused in tow truck driver's death


http://www.komonews.com/news/local/103792729.html

SEATTLE - A 20-year-old woman accused of hitting and killing a tow truck driver on Interstate 5 then fleeing the scene was ordered held in jail on $150,000 bail Saturday.
State troopers arrested the woman, Shavelle Lewis, 20, early Friday after the crash that killed a 51-year-old tow truck driver. She was booked into King County jail for investigation of vehicular homicide.
According to the Washington State Patrol, the tow truck driver was hit at about 1:15 a.m. while on the ramp from Spokane Street to southbound I-5. He was working on a vehicle damaged in an earlier crash.
William Padilla, who worked for GT Towing in Seattle, was kneeling down at the front of the disabled car when a woman in an SUV drove across all southbound lanes and hit the tow truck operator.
"This person for some reason cut across all lanes and ended up hitting this tow truck driver even though there was plenty of traffic control and plenty of lights to notify approaching traffic that there was a collision scene ahead," said State Patrol Trooper Trisena John.
Padilla, of Burien, died at the scene.
Investigators said the woman driving the SUV sped off but was captured minutes later at the bottom of the Michigan Street off-ramp.
When troopers arrived they found Lewis standing outside the SUV, but the keys to the vehicle were in her pocket. Officials said she appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
At Saturday's court hearing, prosecutor Jennifer Peterson argued for a $250,000 bail, saying Lewis has had 14 arrest warrants since 2003 and that she is a "danger to community."
Her criminal record includes previous misdemeanor convictions for prostitution and possession of marijuana, plus a gross misdemeanor conviction for fourth-degree assault.
Lewis waived her right to appear at Saturday's hearing in King County Superior Court. Her next court appearance is set for Tuesday.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Just a little update ...

Hey everyone! Hope the week is going awesome for you all. I know it has been pretty busy for myself.

So just posting a little update about a couple things. I haven't had much time to even get a chance to work on the web page this week :( I am sorry everyone!! It will get done eventually. It's pretty tough getting it up and running all by myself, but I am working on it slowly.

Also, I am looking for some suggestions for our featured fan of the week question. If you have any questions you would like to ask, be sure to send me a message on facebook or email me at amandadavid@towgirl.com

If you haven't checked out http://www.towgirl.org, be sure to do so!! I write a blog on there called Chain-n-Cable! Check it out and be part of the hottest new tow web site!!

Stay safe everyone!!
xoxo Amanda

Washington man gets 3 DUI's after crashing two cars and trying to tow them away.

Tommy Ryser could have been arrested on one count of DUI had he stayed with the truck he allegedly crashed into a utility pole Monday night, Sept. 13, in the 3300 block of Sweet Road.
He could have been arrested on a second count had he stayed in his wife's car, which he allegedly crashed into a guardrail a short distance away soon afterward.
But Ryser, 54, of Blaine compounded his problems when he retrieved his tow truck and returned to the second crash scene, with his forehead bloodied, to tow his wrecked cars back to his house. That gave deputies evidence to arrest him on a third count of DUI, said Sgt. Larry Flynn of the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies found that the pickup truck, with a trailer in tow, had been abandoned on the side of Sweet Road after it was crashed into the pole, Flynn said. Ryser was the registered owner, Flynn said.
While they were investigating that crash, they got the second crash report farther down the road, this time involving a Volkswagen Golf registered to the same family, Flynn said.
A little while later, Ryser pulled up in his privately owned tow truck and was questioned by deputies, Flynn said.
Through those interviews, deputies were able to ascertain that Ryser was driving both cars before they crashed, Flynn said.
Ryser was taken to the Whatcom County Jail, where he was allegedly determined to be intoxicated and was booked into the jail on suspicion of three counts of driving under the influence, Flynn said.


http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/09/14/1619012/blaine-man-arrested-for-dui-after.html#ixzz0zYWyqDsm

Fatality involving tow truck

http://savannahnow.com/effingham-now/2010-09-14/update-sandhill-road-opens-after-traffic-fatality






Monday, September 13, 2010

Lincoln man allegedly tried to run over tow truck driver

http://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_7a721308-beda-11df-a35c-001cc4c03286.html
A Lincoln man allegedly tried to run over a tow truck driver after his 2001 beige Buick Century was towed to the city impound lot.
Lincoln police arrested 26-year-old Jesse Rabago early Saturday after he told a tow truck driver he had money in his car and went to get it.
Instead, Rabago drove off.
The tow truck driver tried to close the impound gate, but Rabago allegedly sped up and nearly hit him, said Police Capt. David Beggs.
The incident happened at Weister Towing, at 840 West O St.
Rabago had a $120 towing fee. He was arrested for second degree assault, vandalism and theft of services.

2 tow operators killed in the UK

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2010/09/10/merseyside-man-dead-in-m6-horror-100252-27241749/

Merseyside man dead in M6 horror

A MERSEYSIDE man was one of two workmates killed in an horrific motorway tragedy.
The 69-year-old victim and his colleague, a 39-year-old from Ashton-in -Makerfield, were changing a tyre on the hard shoulder of the M6 when they were hit by a lorry.
The tragedy happened just after 11.15am yesterday.
The motorway was closed for more than ten hours as police and emergency services worked at the scene.
Cheshire Police said the lorry driver, a 60-year-old man from Selby, in North Yorkshire, was treated in hospital before being arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
He was later released on police bail until November 17.
The victims were in two separate recovery trucks which pulled onto the hard shoulder on the northbound carriageway of the M6 just north of junction 17 – the turn off for the south Cheshire town of Sandbach.
They were dealing with a flat tyre on one of the trucks when they were struck by the lorry.
The ECHO understands they were changing the tyre on the side of the vehicle closest to the carriageway.
Police and ambulance services rushed to the scene and a police helicopter was scrambled as the crash caused the shutdown of one of the country’s busiest roads.
Michael Thompson, 46, who was travelling to Liverpool from London to take his son to see Liverpool University said it was the longest delay he has ever experienced.
He told the ECHO: “We flew up to Keele services but then the traffic just stopped.
“We were at a standstill for about four hours and didn’t arrive in Liverpool until well after midnight.
“I heard it was a very serious incident though, and it’s terrible to hear about what happened to those men.”

Check out the Tennessee Tow Show this weekend!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slow-Down-Move-OverIts-the-law/135603696748?ref=ts#!/event.php?eid=143498922331805&ref=mf

http://www.tenntowtruck.com/index.html

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Controversial St. Petersburg tow company stole semi, overbilled owner, police say

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/controversial-st-petersburg-tow-company-stole-semi-overbilled-owner-police/1120710
ST. PETERSBURG — The owner of Apex Towing, the company caught in controversy over towing vehicles near Tropicana Field earlier this year, was arrested Thursday morning in the towing and burglary of a semitrailer truck.
Phillip DeCelles, 43, was called Tuesday to remove a semitrailer truck from Tina's House of Angels, 3080 34th St. N, police said. Apex Towing didn't have a large enough tow truck, so DeCelles called ABC Towing.
DeCelles paid ABC Towing, police said, then fraudulently created another invoice — one for the truck and one for the trailer — so he could double the charge to the owner.
DeCelles charged the owner $1,112, so the owner complained to police. DeCelles told detectives the truck and trailer were separated when towed. ABC Towing said that wasn't the case.
When police went to his business to arrest him on Thursday, DeCelles was found inside the semi with the dashboard of the vehicle off. A passenger side window also was removed. Police said DeCelles told them he was trying to hot-wire the semi so he could move some stuff in his lot.
He was charged with grand theft because of the overbilling and auto theft. DeCelles was released from Pinellas County Jail Thursday night on $4,000 bail.
DeCelles told the St. Petersburg Times he charged for two things because the semi and trailer are separate. He has to file information with the police for each, so that's how he charged it, he said.
"If I'm wrong, I'm wrong," he said. "But arresting me isn't the way to do this."
DeCelles was last in the news in April after people covered "no parking" signs at an apartment complex near Tropicana Field and charged fans to park there. Apex Towing had a contract to remove unlawfully parked vehicles, so some fans had their cars removed. Police said Apex Towing did nothing wrong.
But DeCelles was charged the next day with scheming to defraud, a felony. Police said he misrepresented himself as the owner of another towing company and then towed a vehicle from a different lot.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Woman and babies critically Injured in a tow truck crash

http://www.keyt.com/news/local/Three-Children-Injured-In-Tow-Truck-Crash--101911333.html?video=YHI&t=a

This is all I can find right now, as more news is released, I will post.

Man accused of shooting at a tow truck

Man accused of shooting at truck about to tow his car

A 65-year-old store security guard shot at a tow truck as his car was about to be repossessed, officials say.
MUG-Holmes,-Ikethis.jpgIke D. Holmes was working at an Aldi food store in the 5600 block of West Fillmore Street on Aug. 27 when a tow truck arrived at about 7 a.m. to repossess his car, police said.
Holmes argued with the two men in the tow truck, then took out a gun and shot one of the truck's tires, police said.
Holmes, of the 2100 block of West 119 Street, was charged with felony aggravated discharge of a weapon, misdemeanor criminal damage to property, failing to register a fire arm and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said.

Friday, September 10, 2010

A little update on the RTTO web page!!

Hey everyone!! I just wanted to express my thanks to everyone who continues to follow my page and now my RTTO blog!! It means so much to me. I am trying my best to bring the respect that our operators, dispatchers, law enforcement, and road workers deserve and need out on the road. We shouldn't have to turn on the news or see posts about another fellow towing brother/sister suffering or killed because of someone's stupidity. I am very dedicated to my Facebook page and the towing industry itself.

As of tonight, I have been working hard on starting the Respect Tow Truck Operators website. That being said, I am going to need help from all of you! I am looking for towing pictures to add to my gallery on the page. If you would like your picture(s) added to the website, email them to me at amanda.a.david@hotmail.com

Also, I am eventually going to be coming out with merch, and I am going to have sponsorship space open to anyone who is willing to donate some money to get us rolling a little bit more. Once you donate, you're company will have their own little bit on our page for others to see. This is all just rough thoughts right now, things are more than likely going to change!!









I am also looking for suggestions that you as a group would like to see more of, or just would like to see on the website. I am going to get a chat room up and running and hopefully a forum as well.

Again, I couldn't be happier with the fans that I have and how much I have learned from all of you!! Thank you for your support and everything that you do!

Stay safe everyone!!
xoxo Amanda

American Towman Exposition 2010

Check out the website, looks like it's going to be quite fun!!

http://www.towman.com/expo/

I have posted my first news blog on TowGirl.org!!

Please go check it out!

http://www.towgirl.org/News-Events.html


Teenager struck by vehicle after stopping to help stranded motorist

Teenager struck by vehicle after stopping to help stranded motorist

18-year-old listed in serious condition

 JEFFERSONVILLE — An 18-year-old from Jeffersonville who stopped to assist a stranded motorist is in serious condition at University Hospital in Louisville after his vehicle was struck from behind Tuesday afternoon.

Trent Waggoner, who graduated last year from Jeffersonville High School, works for a wrecker service, Indiana State Police Sgt. Jerry Goodin said. Waggoner, driving a 2010 Chevrolet pickup truck, had pulled off on the right side of the road on U.S. 31 near the Eastern Boulevard exit behind a 2000 Toyota passenger car and was helping the motorist her change a tire.

Goodin said Lindsey Leavitt, 28, of Clarksville, driving a silver 2006 Chrysler car exited Interstate 65 and left the roadway, striking the rear of Waggoner’s pickup truck. He was pinned between the two parked vehicles and suffered serious leg injuries. Goodin said the injuries were “very serious, but not life threatening.”

“We’re doing a full-scale investigation, and as always, we will forward the findings to the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office to determine what if any charges they might file,” Goodin said.

William Wilson, a recently retired government teacher at Jeffersonville High School, said he taught Waggoner and was not surprised to hear he had stopped to help.

“He was a very caring person,” Wilson said. “That sounds exactly like something he would do. That’s the kind of person he was.”

A University Hospital spokesperson said Wednesday afternoon that Waggoner was in the Intensive Care Unit in serious condition. Neither of the others involved in the wreck were listed as having serious injuries.






http://newsandtribune.com/local/x1899099043/Teenager-struck-by-vehicle-after-stopping-to-help-stranded-motorist

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Man Dies After Crash With Tow Truck

 http://www.northjersey.com/news/090610_Westwood_man_killed_in__GSP_crash.html

A front-seat passenger from Westwood has died from injuries sustained during a three-vehicle crash on the Garden State Parkway, state police said Monday.
William Flynn, 58, died at Southern Ocean County Hospital in Stafford on Sunday afternoon after the Jeep Liberty in which he was riding struck a tow truck parked on the side of the highway in Barnegat, said Sgt. Stephen Jones, a spokesman for the state police.
The driver, 63-year-old Thomas Flynn, Jr. of East Rutherford, survived the collision. But Jones said the man went to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune with severe chest and head injuries.
Flynn, driving north, lost control of the Jeep and ran off the road for reasons unknown to police about 3:45 p.m. When Flynn reentered the highway, he struck the rear of the tow truck, which had stopped to help a family with a disabled minivan, Jones said.
No one in the minivan was seriously hurt, he said.

Wrecker Driver Dies in Cab of Truck

This is a couple weeks old, but it hits pretty hard. Thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the wrecker operator.


 http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/UPDATE-Fatal-semi-trucks-collision-one-drivers/-OH6uiqzeEujquIArpnnMw.cspx


Welcome to the new RTTO blog!

Hey all, welcome to the new Respect Tow Truck Operators blog. Here I will be sharing news and current events, as well as anything else I can't share on the facebook page due to length. Be sure to follow! This is going to be quite exciting :)

- Amanda