Tow truck driver hurt post-storm
from CBC News
April 30,2010

A tow truck driver, trying to clear a crash after a major snowstorm in southern Alberta, was seriously hurt when a car struck him. The tow truck driver was on Highway 22, south of Cremona, when a southbound Volkswagen Jetta hit him on Thursday afternoon. The Jetta’s driver then left the scene in another vehicle, said police. Didsbury police said weather was no longer a factor at the time of the collision. The tow truck driver was taken to the Foothills hospital with serious injuries. He is in stable condition.Charges are pending against a man, 48, who is in custody. Power still out About 1,000 homes are still in the dark in southern Alberta after more than 15 centimetres of snow fell in some areas between Wednesday and Thursday.Electricity provider, Fortis Alberta, has 300 workers restoring [...]

Blue, red and amber lights mean slow down and move over Law changes in effect today

From The Eagle Tribune 2008
By Jarret Bencks

When emergency vehicles arrive at an accident, safety officials said vehicles with lights that aren’t red or blue don’t get the same level of respect from motorists — and it puts workers in danger.

“It’s unnerving when someone blows by you at 70 mph,” said Bill Boynton, spokesman for the Department of Transportation, whose vehicles have amber lights. “We’ve had a few instances where people have had to jump over guardrails just to get out of the way.”

Beginning today, changes to the state’s Move Over Law will clearly include tow trucks and DOT vehicles as emergency vehicles. Drivers will be required to slow down and make room for [...]

Car Being Towed Catches Fire On I-95

Tow Truck Driver Escapes Unharmed
POSTED: 9:18 am EDT April 28, 2010

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A tow truck driver escaped unharmed after the car he was towing caught fire early Wednesday morning.

The fire started about 1 a.m. along southbound Interstate 95 near Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard.

WPBF 25 News was first at the scene when firefighters were extinguishing the flames.

The tow truck driver told WPBF 25 News he was towing a car that had been involved in a fire when he saw smoke. He stopped to lower the car from his truck when it burst into flames. No One was injured

Moreno Valley tow truck operators could get rotation system

By LAURIE LUCAS
The Press-Enterprise

Tow truck drivers in Moreno Valley may finally get an official rotation system.

Under the proposed city-wide fee schedule for fiscal year 2010-11, tow truck operators would pay an application fee of $2,828 for a five-year contract and post a $5,000 deposit to cover administrative costs. Owners of towed cars would have to pay $74 to recover their vehicles.

The City Council is expected to vote on the fee schedule tonight after a public hearing , which starts at 6:30 p.m. State law requires that municipalities can only charge fees to recover costs, not to make profits.

Moreno Valley has an ordinance that’s languished on the books for more than a decade involving towing service rotation, said Rick Hartmann, the interim assistant city manager.

Most California cities and counties have a rotation set up with area operators so that business [...]

Parma gives break on towing fee to crime victims

By Bob Sandrick, Sun News
April 25, 2010, 11:10AM

Victims of crimes like automobile theft will no longer have to pay city towing fees under an ordinance Parma City Council approved Monday.

Under the previous code, the city charged a $25 fee for each car it towed. From now on, the city will waive the fee for crime victims.

Safety Director Greg Baeppler said the ordinance was recommended to council by the city’s Law Department and Police Chief Daniel Hoffman.