Watch competing Chicago tow trucks turn an accident scene into a demolition derby
A clip of a car accident scene in southwest Chicago is circulating, and it’s a doozy. A few days ago, in the West Lawn area, tow truck drivers attempting to do business at the same incident fought so hard that they destroyed their rigs and endangered everyone nearby.
Footage provided shows two drivers and at least a third tow truck at the scene. All wanted to claim the recovery tow service.
Chaos breaks out.
At one point, the driver of a red hook-and-chain rig sped to ram another tow truck down the street in front of them.
This is truly something you’d see at a demolition derby…not on city streets.
According to witnesses, gunshots were fired. Chicago police arrive. You can see an officer chasing one of the trucks, attempting to flag it down and stop the violence. The driver turns away.
Clearly, these drivers had some beef.
J.D. Power said a few days ago that the national average for a tow these days isn’t all that much—about $100 bucks.
The City of Chicago charges $150 to tow vehicles under 8,000 lbs and $250 for cars heavier than that. However, accident scene recovery might pay more if the tow truck driver performs additional tasks. For instance, if the vehicle is damaged to the point where loading is complicated, or the car is located in a tricky spot, like a ditch, they may be able to charge for the extra labor.
Some tow companies also clean up the scene and get paid extra, including removing broken glass or other car part debris that could pose a risk to other drivers.
We expect the companies and their tow truck drivers to face some consequences for their spur-of-the-moment demolition derby event.
