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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    1

    Default Remedy When Police Inappropriately Tow A Vehicle

    I am in St. Louis and my wife slid off the road into a ditch at 4:30am because of ice and snow. A Missouri Dept of Transportation guy from Motorist assist stopped and tried to get it out but didn't want to risk scratching the truck up since she was wedged between big rocks. Then a St. Louis County officer pulled up and said the best thing to do is leave your car where it is and get a tow truck when she gets home because the tow trucks are running about 2 hours behind. The officer was kind enough to give here a ride home. Once home she called a tow truck company and made arrangements to meet him at 8:20am. They were booked until then just like all towing companies that day. My father picked up my wife to meet the driver but the car was nowhere to be found. She called the tow truck company and they said they never located it. They suggested a few places to call to try and find the truck. We found the truck at MOJO's towing off Big Bend. They said the Missouri State Highway Patrol called to have it towed at 5:15am. Mojo's said that the trooper indicated that it was blocking traffic which that is a lie. She was in a ditch off of the highway. It cost me 320 bucks to get the truck back. The original tower was going to get it for $75.00.

    Now I have 3 witnesses total. The first policeman who said leave the car there and get a tow truck. The MoDot worker who said it should not be an issue leaving the car there in the ditch. (That's his job to clear accidents, Roads etc.). And Third the Tow truck driver who said when he picked up the car that he didn't understand why it was being towed since it was not blocking traffic.

    Another point is that there were cars everywhere in ditches. So how can a Missouri patrol officer order the car towed in just a matter of 1 hour of it being there. If there was no obstruction as witnessed by 3 external persons plus my wife I do not see how it is possible. Are there guidelines for police ordering a towing. I see cars on the side of he highway on actual pavement for a week sometimes and they don't get towed.

    What are my options now? I am going to get a police report from the County Officer and try to get some documentation from the MoDot worker as well. Also will get the police report from the Missouri Highway Patrol.

    Hope everyone else has a better holidays...lol.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Remedy When Police Inappropriately Tow A Vehicle

    It's possible that the ditch was considered a high-danger area, as you say a lot of cars were ending up in the ditch. If that's the case, having cars in the ditch is dangerous to other vehicles and it makes sense to clear them out. It could also be that the truck was dispatched to tow a similar vehicle, and your wife's car matched the description closely enough that it was towed instead.

    Once you find out if and how the tow was actually authorized, we'll have a better sense of whether you have any remedy.

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