What Every Towing Professional Needs to Know This Week

Every day, towing professionals face evolving challenges that demand awareness, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to safety. This episode of the American Towing Recovery Institute podcast delivers crucial industry updates that impact everyone from owner-operators to fleet managers.

Breaking news from Kenworth reveals the planned discontinuation of their iconic 1.9-meter cab Class 8 trucks—including the legendary W900, T800W, and C500 models—by 2026. This significant shift, driven by changing emissions regulations and component constraints, signals a transformation in the heavy-duty sector that towing professionals must prepare for.

The human cost of roadside dangers takes center stage with the heartbreaking story of Wyoming tow operator Zach Krohn, hospitalized after being struck by a pickup truck while working on Interstate 80. His wife's plea echoes what industry safety advocates have emphasized for years: "Please, if you see operators or stalled vehicles, slow down and move over." This incident, alongside troubling legal cases involving a Virginia tow driver's arrest and a deadly police shooting during a contested repossession in Alabama, underscores the complex risks towing professionals navigate daily.

Perhaps most disturbing is the San Diego case where Monica Camaronade Adams was found deceased in her impounded van at a tow yard—over a month after a DUI collision. This tragedy has sparked a $50 million claim against the city and raises profound questions about inspection protocols during towing operations. We also expose predatory practices involving unsolicited towing services that target accident victims with unauthorized fees.

The American Towing Recovery Institute remains committed to advancing professionalism through training, certification, and innovative solutions like the EV Clever app for handling electric vehicles in emergencies. Download it today from the Apple or Google Play store and join us in elevating industry standards. Have questions or need resources? Connect with us through www.amtowri.org and subscribe for weekly updates on the stories shaping our industry.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome one and all to the American Towing Recovery
Institute podcast.
I want to remind all of youthat the American Towing
Recovery Institute aims topromote professionalism, safety
and education within the towingand recovery industry.
Remember, we provide trainingand certification programs for
towing operators.

(00:26):
We also advocate for industrystandards and best practices,
support research and develop allnew techniques, including
research and development ofelectric and alternative fuel
vehicles With extensive research, with the EV Clever app,
available now on Apple andGoogle Play stores, Foster

(00:50):
cooperation among industrystakeholders.
Please, if you need to contactus, we're always at wwwamtowri G
.
Now.
Here is towing news.
Now you are just 60 secondsaway from the latest news in the

(01:10):
towing industry.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Stay tuned.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
For electric and other alternative fuel vehicles.
We have developed an app thatgives you all the manufacturers
411 for when that 911 happens.
Whether you are a fire tower,tow or police, we got you
covered.
To find the EV Clever app, goto your Apple or Google Play
store for a 30-day free trial.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
We also offer the National Tow Operator
Certification, an independentlysourced virtual testing program
covering light duty, heavy duty,electric and alternative fuel
vehicle.
Here's a press release fromKenworth.
Kenworth will end production ofits 1.9 meter cab class 8

(01:51):
trucks, which include Kenworth'sW900, t800w and the C500, in
2026.
The decision is due to evolvingemissions regulation and
component constraints as theindustry moves forward with new,
more efficient and betterintegrated technologies and

(02:12):
products.
A final call for truck orderswill be announced later in 2025.
To ensure a smooth transition,kenworth is providing

(02:41):
comprehensive support andguidance to dealers and
customers as part of thephase-out process for its legacy
trucks.
Kenworth is advising dealersand customers to place final
orders as soon as possible.
For the latest regardingtimelines during this transition
, contact your local Kenworthdealer.
In Stratford County, virginia, aManassas tow truck driver was
arrested late Monday night aftercolliding with a parked car in
a wall among I-95.
The Stratford County Sheriff'sOffice reported around 11.15 pm.
A deputy responded to DolphinCove.
Authorities said 41-year-oldJason Rock, a tow truck driver,

(03:03):
had struck an unoccupied vehiclebefore colliding with a wall
separating the neighborhood fromI-95.
Rock said his truck'sheadlights had malfunctioned
while he was completing a job,causing him to not see the car
and wall in front of him.
Luckily, no one was hurt in thecollision.
He told deputies his licensewas suspended and while
inspecting his truck,authorities found a red fanny

(03:26):
pack with a gun and a glass pipeinside.
During their search of the towtruck, the sheriff's office said
deputies found suspectedcontrolled substances.
Cruz towed his tow truck andGrock was taken to the
Rappahannock Regional Jail.
Was taken to the RappahannockRegional Jail.
The sheriff's office said hewas charged with possession of

(03:46):
controlled substance, recklessdriving and other related
charges.
He was held on a $3,000 securedbond.
We'll keep you updated on thiscase.
Here's a story out of Decarter,alabama, about an incident
that's now in trial involving arepo tow truck driver and the

(04:07):
man who pointed a gun at a repotow truck operator while in work
and he lost his life when thepolice came.

Speaker 5 (04:15):
Today marked the beginning of a high-stakes
hearing in the murder case offormer Decatur police officer
Mack Marquette.
His attorneys are trying toconvince a judge that Marquette
killed Stephen Perkins inself-defense and that he should
not be prosecuted for murder.

Speaker 6 (04:28):
Perkins, killed in his driveway during a botched
repossession of his truck.
The on-duty shooting byMarquette rocked the Decatur
community, spurring 18 months ofprotest and calls for police
reform.

Speaker 5 (04:39):
News 19 investigative reporter, dallas Parker, has
been in the courtroom all day,as multiple witnesses, including
the tow truck driver from thatnight, have testified.
So, dallas, what have youlearned?

Speaker 7 (04:51):
Well, like you said, we've heard from a number of
witnesses today, including twoof the officers who responded
alongside Marquette the nightPerkins was shot and killed, and
the repo man who called thepolice to the scene, initially
claiming Perkins had pointed agun at him on his first
repossession attempt.
Now Caleb Combs, who wasworking for Allstate Recovery at
the time, was the defense'sfirst witness.
He testified that when heattempted to repossess Perkins'

(05:14):
truck the first time, perkinscame outside and aimed a gun at
his chest and yelled for him todrop his truck.
Combs eventually called anon-emergency number and an
officer showed up.
After being asked if he wantedto file a warrant against
Perkins, combs said he wouldrather go back and get the truck
if the police were there too.
Now police told the driver togive them five minutes to get in
place.
Essentially, combs said he thenreturned to the house to latch

(05:37):
the truck.
Perkins came out of his frontdoor, shined a light into his
cab and yelled at him once again, and then Combs said he heard
police shout commands andmultiple gunshots.
Right after Now the hearing, ofcourse, is ongoing.
Right now it's completely fullinside of the courtroom standing
room only in the back of theroom.
Of course you can tune in toNews 19 at 5 for the latest from
those officers who did testifyin court today.

(05:59):
But for now reporting live atthe Morgan County Courthouse.
I'm Dallas Parker, news 19.

Speaker 4 (06:03):
We'll keep you updated on this case.
Here's a sad story out of SanDiego about a family claiming a
missing woman left to die in animpounded van after a DUI crash.

Speaker 8 (06:17):
The last place you'd think to look for a missing
person was inside of a car.

Speaker 9 (06:22):
This tow yard lot in Grantville is where they found
the body of 65-year-old MonicaCamaroni de Adams in December of
2023, more than a month after adrunk driver plowed into her
parked van on the side of theroad.

Speaker 8 (06:42):
in Claremont, a worker at the tow yard reported
a pungent smell coming from thecar, and that turned out to be
Monica.

Speaker 9 (06:48):
Attorney John Carpenter is now representing
the victim's family, filing a$50 million claim against the
city of San Diego for failing tofind the woman inside the van
at the scene of the collisionbefore towing the vehicle away.

Speaker 8 (07:05):
The death was approximately caused by leaving
her alone struggling with herinjuries inside of her car
entombing her in her car, takingher car to the tow yard and
leaving her there to die.

Speaker 9 (07:17):
The drunk driver, Jordan Lopez, was arrested at
the scene with a blood alcohollevel of .26, more than three
times the legal limit.
Court records show he initiallywas charged with vehicular
manslaughter but later pleadedguilty in a plea deal to DUI,
causing great bodily injury.
An autopsy showed the victimdied from blunt force trauma

(07:40):
injuries.
She was homeless and had beensleeping in her parked van at
the time of the collision.

Speaker 8 (07:47):
Just because someone was homeless doesn't mean that
they don't have a family thatloves them.
Things are difficult, um, it'seasy to overlook people that are
homeless, but they do haveloving families and they do
matter, and this storyexemplifies that.

Speaker 9 (08:00):
The city of San Diego did not respond to our request
for comment and also has notresponded to the family's claim,
meaning a lawsuit likely willbe filed in the near future.
That DUI driver is set to besentenced in court next week
under the terms of a plea deal.
He faces a maximum of six yearsin prison In Grantville.

(08:23):
David Goffertson, cbs 8.

Speaker 4 (08:27):
Our hearts go out to that family and we'll keep you
updated on this case.

Speaker 2 (08:32):
A Rock Springs tow truck operator, now hospitalized
in Casper, is just starting aweek's long recovery after being
hit by a pickup truck Wednesdayon Interstate 80.
Zach Krohn is at Banner WyomingMedical Center waiting on
future surgeries and next stepsas he recovers.
That's what his wife Elizabethtold Cowboy State Daily's Claire
McFarland in a Thursday phoneinterview.

Speaker 10 (08:53):
He's had a kidney removed, so there's some gut
problems, along with otherfractures, shatters, gashes that
they're going to be dealingwith for a while.
But his wife Elizabeth agreedThursday to update the public
and she also said please, if yousee operators or stalled
vehicles or anything like that,slow down and move over.

Speaker 2 (09:14):
On Wednesday morning outside Wamsutter, Zach had been
offloading lumber from acommercial truck trailer onto a
nearby flatbed trailer.
After a wreck that had happenedthe night before, Zach pivoted
from the lumber trailer to startwalking toward his truck so he
could retrieve more straps whena red Ford pickup hurtled down a
slope, lost control and smashedhim between the truck and

(09:34):
trailer.

Speaker 11 (09:36):
When you get in an accident, navigating how to
handle repairs, that can betricky and frustrating.
But tonight the story of yetanother driver who got a call
out of nowhere from a tow andrepair company on Airport
Highway.
The woman says, even after shetalked to her insurance company,
this third-party companyinsisted on helping, but she

(09:57):
says they've been anything buthelpful.
I-team reporter, sean Hegarty.
Back on this story tonight forus, sean.

Speaker 6 (10:02):
Amor Williams' 2021 Nissan Murano sustained this
damage in early February as sheapproached Door Street at Upton
in Toledo.
Williams then called herinsurance company.
With it being close to aweekend, it took him a bit to
get back with her, but her firstreturn call was not the
insurance company, it wasM-Works Auto Body on Airport
Highway.
They even mentioned herinsurance company.

Speaker 7 (10:25):
They sent me a form to sign for a towing agreement
and apparently that towingagreement came with repair
permission for repair, but myinsurance never gave them
permission to do anything.

Speaker 6 (10:37):
The car ended up at M-Work.
That's when she got thisinvoice that was drawn up for
over $6,000 for work storagefees, tow fees all from a place
that was not working with herinsurance company and came out
of nowhere.
Williams says even in all ofthe runaround that increased the
days for those storage fees.
This company has an F ratingwith the Better Business Bureau.

Speaker 12 (10:59):
Yeah, they swoop in and, you know not, pretend they
offer the services, but theservices are not usually very
good.

Speaker 6 (11:06):
Lane Montz with the Better Business Bureau says if
you did not request the specificwork from that specific place,
then don't accept it and becareful what you sign.

Speaker 12 (11:15):
I think it's a pretty safe assumption that they
have, you know, done their duediligence to track you down, to
target you, and they may or maynot be a legitimate business,
but there's really no reason toaccept an unsolicited offer for
service.

Speaker 6 (11:30):
Williams did everything right by starting
with her insurance company.
It just appears M-Work steppedin.
Thankfully her insurancecompany stepped up to pay the
fees, but she does not wantothers to have the same
headaches that she did.

Speaker 7 (11:43):
I just want people to know who this company is.

Speaker 6 (11:47):
This is now the fourth instance that we are
aware of where M-Work makes theunsolicited call and then gets
involved doing work without thepermission of the insurance
company gets involved doing workwithout the permission of the
insurance company.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
There you go, folks, the most recent news on the
brand new Towing News channel.
I'll see you next week with thelatest news in our industry.
Thank you,