Posts by Editorial Staff
Houston Tow Operator Shot and Killed After Verbal Altercation
A tow operator was shot and killed on Oct. 23, by two suspects after a verbal altercation in Houston, Texas. The operator, Augustin Martinez, 48, was reportedly giving a customer a ride when he encountered the suspects at an apartment complex. During the altercation the suspects, who were driving a red Ford Explorer, began firing…
Read MoreCalifornia Man Charged with Murder of Tow Operator Deemed Incompetent for Trial
Malik Dosouqi, who has been charged in the murder of tow truck operator John Sione Pekipaki, 31, and taxi driver Abdulmalek Nasher, 32, near Woodside, Calif., in June has been declared mentally incompetent to stand trial. Two court appointed doctors made the declaration after a San Mateo County judge ordered an evaluation of Dosouqi, of Pacifica,…
Read MoreCalifornia Man Who Died While Working on Flatbed Identified
Mario Lopez Silvas, 53, has been identified as the man who was killed while working on his tow truck in a tow yard in Otay Mesa, Calif. on Oct. 18. The Medical Examiner’s Office and the San Diego Fire-Rescue department said Silvas was working on the hydraulic lift system on his rollback tow truck when…
Read MoreTow Operators Raise Awareness on National Move Over Awareness Day
Tow operators in Indiana, Vermont and New York are among those raising awareness of national Move Over laws this Saturday, Oct. 19, billed as National Move Over Awareness Day. The Indiana Towing and Wrecker Association organized a family event at the Indiana State Fair Ground from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. In Burlington, Vt., emergency…
Read MoreCalifornia Tow Operators Pay Tribute To Fallen Operator in Memorial Procession
Tow truck operators in Riverside, Calif., joined together in a procession paying tribute to operator Jesse Martinez, 27, who was shot and killed Oct. 7 during an argument with a customer, Javier Martinez, 32. Javier Martinez had called for a tow and Jesse Martinez responded. The argument reportedly escalated to Javier Martinez pulling a gun…
Read MoreCalifornia Man Dies While Working on Tow Truck
A man has died in an Otay Mesa, Calif., auto yard Oct. 18 after he became trapped between a flatbed tow truck’s bed and the hydraulic system. The man, reported to be in his 50s, was working on the tow truck at the time, police said. Fire rescue personnel responded, but the victim died before…
Read MoreWoman Convicted in Tow Operator Dragging Death Will Not Receive Early Prison Release
The woman convicted in the 2011 dragging death of a Colorado Spings tow operator will not receive a release to a half-way house and will remain in prison. She has served seven and one-half years of her 20 year sentence. The Arapahoe County Corrections Board reached the decision October 17. The board earlier voted in…
Read MoreDoing One Thing
I’ve always known that members of the towing and recovery industry are generous and giving when asked to support a great cause, and that was evident in the following email I received from a special tow lady. “I am like many women in this industry, I not raised in it, but married into it. As…
Read MoreCalifornia Tow Operator Fatally Shot by Customer During Tow
A tow operator was shot and killed by a man requesting a tow on Monday, October 7, in Riverside, Calif. According to news reports, Jesse Martinez, 27, who worked for Liberty Towing, was dispatched to a call by the owner of a truck, 32-year-old Javier Martinez, to have it towed. As Jesse Martinez loaded the…
Read MoreThe Tow Times 2019 Photo Parade and More
The Tow Times October features the 2019 Photo Parade — a selection of entries in this year’s Shine ‘n Star tow truck beauty contest powered by Ford Trucks. Joining this stunning array of top-notch tow trucks is the Tow Times 2019 Fleet Analysis Survey that offers a look at the mix in current tow truck…
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