PEDESTRIANS were left open-mouthed after a video of a tow truck trying to stop a vehicle with people in it went viral.
The bizarre confrontation between the two vehicles occurred in the middle of a busy street with oncoming traffic.
On a video obtained by NBC News, a yellow tow truck with the caption “Special Towing” can be seen backing up and trying to pick up a white 2017 Toyota Corolla in the middle of a San Francisco street.
“I saw a truck in danger and went to the car next to which there were people and started loading it,” an eyewitness told the vehicle.
According to the eyewitness – who managed to capture everything on his cell phone – people tried to move out of the truck’s path only for it to follow them.
After failing to secure the car, the man – who has not yet been identified – sped away while lifting the truck’s forklift.
Many viewers of the video were shocked.
“Wouldn’t this be considered a possible kidnapping or something?” one person commented.
“Towing a car or truck is not legal in most states when there are people in the car. These clowns are putting lives at risk,” said a second person.
“That’s not what you call – I don’t know – kidnapping,” scoffed a third person.
The driver of the car later introduced himself and detailed what it was like during the harrowing moments.
“We were at a traffic light and minding our own business,” Joanne, who provided only her first name, told the ABC affiliate. KABC-TV.
The woman said she and her husband were running errands when they found the truck.
Joanne told KABC-TV she initially thought the truck was moving toward a nearby Waymo autonomous vehicle, but realized it was getting too close for comfort.
“He came from the side. I thought he was turning right. He backed up and all the lights came on. That’s when we thought, ‘Hey, something is really wrong. His lever was falling off,'” she said.
“We were freaking out. The first instinct was to run away,” said Joanne.
What to do if your car is towed
Unfairly or not, recovering a towed vehicle can be a hassle.
If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are some steps you can take to get it back.
Steps to follow when your car is towed:
- Try to find out why your car was towed. Haven’t you seen a “No Parking” sign? Did you miss your car payment? Have you returned to a lot where there were unpaid citations? Finding the reason may narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some type of contact information via a posted or mailed sign.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but these times will be posted on the website or may be provided by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as quick as possible, as some towing yards may charge per-day storage fees.
If you believe your vehicle was improperly towed, you can dispute the action by following these steps:
- Be quick – many states have a small window of time in which it is acceptable to file a claim against a company that improperly towed your vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements, if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws, as laws for towing companies vary by state.
- Try talking to the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact your local Justice of the Peace as they may have more information or resources to help. They are often used for towing cases.
- Speak to a lawyer. Many lawyers offer free consultations and, depending on the case, it may be worth calling on a lawyer.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak law firm
The woman further stated that the truck chased them for several blocks.
“It’s definitely very scary,” Joanne commented.
Fortunately, Joanne and her husband were able to ditch the truck while heading back to their East Bay home.
“Full disclaimer: I definitely paid off my car. I paid my registration,” she said, still perplexed as to why she and her husband were targeted.
The US Sun has reached out to Specialty Towing for comment.
On a declaration Dated February 2024, it was revealed that Specialty Towing, Auto Towing and another company were accused of fraud and illegal towing of parked cars.
City Attorney David Chiu described the company and its owners as unscrupulous.
“Auto Towing intentionally scammed and scammed people out of hundreds of dollars by illegally towing cars and making their recovery difficult,” he said.
“We now also know that they took advantage of the public and defrauded our safety net programs. “
” [Abigail] Sources and [Jose] Badillo demonstrated a clear pattern of predatory behavior designed to enrich themselves at the expense of the most vulnerable among us.”
“Our city has no interest in hiring exploitative companies involved in illegal conduct.”
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