A video circulating online showing a tow truck trying to attach itself to a car in San Francisco while the owner is driving it raises questions.

When he saw the strange sight, Jeff Ferland stopped near the corner of Montgomery and Bush Streets, calling it “very bizarre” and “very frightening.”

“I saw a Waymo with its hazard lights on and then I saw a tow truck pull up in front of me to tow it,” he said. “I thought, 'Oh, I'm going to see this one hook up to a broken down Waymo car and take off.' And then he walked up to the car next to it that had people in it and started loading it up. They started backing up and he started chasing them with the tow truck.”

Ferland took out his phone and filmed most of the incident.

“The most effective thing I can do now is to record it, because it's wrong,” he said.

Ferland said he had never seen anything like it.

“He had the thing down, he maneuvered the forks under the front tires, he kept backing after them with the forks down, and then when he wanted to drive off, as soon as he started driving off, he raised his arm,” Ferland said.

It all happened very quickly.

“The car behind them maneuvered around and overtook. At that point they had a clear path to escape the tow truck and they took advantage of that opportunity,” Ferland said.

City Attorney David Chiu said his office is investigating the incident.

“We are currently investigating this,” he said. “I also understand that the San Francisco Police Department is aware of this incident. We encourage the public to contact them if they have noticed anything about the behavior of this company.”

Earlier this year, Chiu announced that he had banned auto towing services and related companies, including Specialty Towing and Recovery, from doing business with the city.

The tow truck in the video had “Specialty Towing” written on the side, but it is unclear if it is the suspended company since several companies use “Specialty” in their name.

“Assuming this is Specialty Towing, this is the same towing company that our office previously suspended and barred from awarding city contracts,” Chiu said.

NBC Bay Area contacted the company listed on the tow truck's door by phone and email, but did not immediately receive a response.

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I realize this story is a few days old, and while I'm not sure I have any particular insight to add to it, I think it's worth showing and discussing, because what the hell is this? As far as I can tell, this is what happened: A couple was slowly driving through San Francisco traffic in their 2017 Toyota Corolla when a yellow tow truck with SPECIALTY TOWING's livery did something unexpected: It apparently attempted to tow the couple's car while they were driving it. That would be, um, that would be hijacking, wouldn't it? Whatever it is, it looks very wrong, and it's very disturbing that it was even attempted.

The couple, who do not want to publicly share their last name, according to ABC 7 Los Angeles, were out running normal errands on April 9. When they stopped at a stoplight, the two drove behind the tow truck from Specialty Towing, which they thought might be in the area to tow a Waymo robotaxi stopped on the side of the road. But the tow truck seemed more interested in human cars, a proclivity known as “The Most Dangerous Game.” The truck extended its low-mounted wheel jacks and backed into the Corolla to grab the car and tow it away. From the news outlet:

“He came from the side. I thought he was turning right. He was backing up and all the lights came on. That's when we thought, 'Hey, something's wrong. His lever came down,'” she said.

A video taken by a witness shows the tow truck making several attempts to attach itself to the 2017 Toyota Corolla.

The driver of the Corolla backed up, but a car behind him blocked his path. As can be seen in the video, the tow truck continued to try to grab the Corolla, and eventually the car behind the Toyota was able to swerve, giving the Corolla enough room to back up and escape.

Luckily, a witness caught the whole thing on video, and it almost feels like a scene from a nature show where you're rooting for the little rodent to escape the big lizard, or something like that:

This is all very concerning because what is the tow truck driver up to here? When you watch the video, it is clear that the tow truck driver is trying to catch the car. Joanne, the woman in the Toyota seen in the video, points out that her car's payments and registration are all up to date, but even if they weren't, to my knowledge there is no law in this country that would make it okay to pick someone up and lock them in their car while their vehicle is being towed.

The truck gives chase after the Corolla speeds away, which makes things even stranger. Why is he so fixated on the car? And what could his plan have been if he had managed to hook it to the trailer hitch? The Corolla is front-wheel drive, so theoretically he could have towed it. Where to? Back to the tow yard? To essentially pay back the car to its owners, who were unwillingly taken away with the car? This all sounds like a crime.

Was this a case of incorrect car identification? I tried reaching Specialty Towing both directly and through their dispatch service and although they did not respond through their direct line, the dispatcher told me they would forward my message to them, but I don't think I'll hold my breath.

It's probably worth noting that the owners of Specialty Towing have been charged with welfare fraud by the San Francisco City Attorney (see the City Attorney's website) and that the company is currently barred from bidding on city contracts.

I know there are many stories about shady towing companies doing pretty lousy and underhanded things, but this is certainly the first time I've heard of a tow truck apparently attempting to steal a runnable car with passengers right off the street.

If you ever find yourself in this situation, I wonder what the best thing to do is. If there is space, reversing is certainly the first, best and most instinctive thing to do, but what if you can't reverse? Can turning the front wheels completely to one side or the other interfere with the connection of those control arms? If your parking brake is on, will the control arms be pulled away? Honestly, I'm not sure, but if this sort of thing keeps happening, maybe we should see an expert and do some testing.

Whatever the case, this is terrible and I think we should all be aware of it.

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SAN FRANCISCO — A California couple is detailing the horrific turn of events when a tow truck attempted to tow them away as they drove through downtown San Francisco earlier this week.

“We were at a stoplight minding our own business,” said Joanne, who gave only her first name. She described running errands with her husband on Tuesday morning.

While the couple was stopped, they thought the yellow Specialty Towing truck was moving toward a nearby Waymo autonomous vehicle. But soon it became too close for comfort.

“It came from the side. I thought he was turning right. It started in reverse and all the lights came on. We thought, 'Hey, something's really wrong. His lever fell down,'” she said.

In a video captured by a witness, the tow truck can be seen making multiple attempts to attach itself to his 2017 Toyota Corolla.

On video, a witness can be heard shouting: “What the hell are you doing?”

When the traffic light turns green, the Waymo drives off alongside Joanne and her husband. Then the couple realizes that they are stuck in front of a black limousine.

“We completely freaked out. The first instinct was to get away,” Joanne said.

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Luckily, the black car reverses and Joanne's husband can drive away. Then the tow truck begins chasing them for several blocks.

“It's definitely really scary,” said Joanne, who looks back on the incident and wonders what would have happened if the tow truck had managed to attach itself to her car.

ABC San Francisco affiliate KGO reached out to Special Towing via email and phone but received no response.

The company, along with two other companies, was indicted by prosecutor David Chiu in February on charges of fraud and illegal towing of parked cars. His office called the company “unscrupulous” in an online press release. Specialty Towing is now prohibited from offering or accepting city contracts.

Joanne and her husband said they were eventually able to get rid of the tow truck and drove back home to the East Bay. They claim they did nothing wrong and are still baffled as to why they were targeted.

“Full disclaimer: I definitely paid off my car. I paid for my admission,” she said.

Joanne plans to file a police report soon and is sharing her story to make other drivers aware.

“Be more careful when they're driving around and make sure you do your best to protect yourself if something doesn't look right,” she said.

Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

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A tow truck driver allegedly targeted a Northern California couple by attempting to steal their car as they were stopped at a traffic light in downtown San Francisco, video footage appears to show.

Joanne, who only gave ABC7 News her first name, and her husband were reportedly driving through downtown San Francisco running errands on the morning of April 9, 2024, before the interaction occurred. As the couple stopped at a traffic light, they noticed a yellow specialty tow truck approaching near them as they sat in their silver 2017 Toyota Corolla, according to the outlet.

The couple initially believed the truck driver was heading toward a nearby Waymo autonomous vehicle; However, according to the outlet, he began reversing toward the couple, lowering the vehicle's lever as he did so. (RELATED: San Francisco Can't Seem to Get Rid of Its Poop Problem Despite Spending Millions on Public Toilets)

“We were at a stoplight minding our own business,” Joanne told the outlet. “It came from the side. I thought he was turning right. It started in reverse and all the lights came on. That’s when we thought, ‘Hey, something’s really wrong.’ His lever fell down.”

Video footage of the incident was posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), showing the moment the yellow tow truck appears to attempt to cling to Joanne's car by reversing. The bystander who recorded the video could be heard screaming, “What the hell are you doing?” at the tow truck, as Joanne could faintly be heard also trying to yell at the tow truck driver.

This woman and her husband were stopped at a traffic light at Montgomery & Bush yesterday morning when a tow truck came out of nowhere and tried to hook up to their Toyota!

I spoke to Joanne today who says her car is paid off, she's paid off her registration and doesn't understand why her car was targeted. … pic.twitter.com/6p2z0yBEfg

— Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) April 11, 2024

When the light turned green, the tow truck failed to move forward, trapping the couple, according to the outlet.

“We freaked out. “The first instinct was to get away,” Joanne told ABC7 News.

However, a black sedan was seen reversing directly behind the couple's Toyota, giving the couple room to avoid the tow truck and escape down the street. The tow truck then followed the couple's car for several blocks, Joanne claimed, the outlet reported.

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu announced in February that Auto Towing and several related individuals and companies, including Specialty Towing, were suspended and barred from bidding on or receiving city contracts, according to a press release. The towing companies were suspended by authorities for “illegally towing vulnerable people's cars from a private commercial parking lot, limiting vehicle pickup times and pressuring vehicle owners to pay in cash.”

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A towing company with allegedly illegal practices is receiving the wrong kind of attention after one of its drivers attempted to tow a moving vehicle with two occupants. Video of a Ram 5500 attempting to hook an idling Toyota Corolla at a stoplight in San Francisco went viral, prompting a statement from prosecutor David Chiu, who told ABC7 Bay Area that the truck driver's aggressive behavior “unfortunately not surprising”. “Given Specialty Towing’s history of lawbreaking and generally unscrupulous behavior.

While it's not surprising to Chiu, the video is still alarming. The Corolla's owners, Harry and Joanne Cho, told the San Francisco Standard that they were running errands Tuesday morning when the incident occurred. As the couple sat at a stoplight on the corner of Bush and Montgomery Streets – more or less downtown SF – they noticed the yellow tow truck heading back in their direction. The truck driver opened his yoke and tried to hook the sedan's front axle, but Harry Cho quickly backed up, out of reach of the tow bar, and went around the Ram to escape. The truck then pursued the Corolla, as footage shared by ABC7 shows:

The entire incident was captured by SF resident and software engineer Jeff Ferland. Ferland told SF Gate that he believed the tow truck was there to recover a Waymo autonomous vehicle in the adjacent lane that had its hazard lights flashing. This would hardly be unusual given the high failure rate (and general chaos) that disabled autonomous vehicles have brought to San Francisco traffic.

But as the tow truck raced behind the occupied Corolla instead of sitting in front of the robotaxi, Ferland began recording. He told NBC Bay Area he had to capture the incident on video because it was the most effective measure during the dangerous tow, adding that the attempt was simply “wrong.” Passersby can be heard trying to get the driver's attention and someone yells, “What the hell are you doing?” as the Corolla swerves around the Specialty Towing truck and escapes.

That's the tow truck leaving on yellow, behind the Corolla on the other side of the intersection. ABC7 News Bay Area via YouTube

Ferland called the San Francisco Police Department's emergency number to report the incident, but the SFPD claims it has no record of that conversation, according to SF Gate. Harry and Joanne Cho contacted police immediately afterward, but the dispatcher who spoke to the couple was skeptical of their claims. Harry Cho told the SF Standard that police “didn’t really believe what we had to say.” It wasn't until Thursday – after the video went viral – that the SFPD confirmed it had filed an official report, and an investigation is now reportedly underway.

Joanne Cho can't explain why the tow truck driver was after her car. She says the 2017 Toyota Corolla is fully paid off with a valid registration. Specialty Towing has refused to speak to the media to explain the illegal attempt, and workers at a subsidiary under a separate company name, Auto Towing, were unhelpful.

Auto Towing, which owns Specialty Towing, among other subsidiaries, was blocked from obtaining labor contracts in San Francisco earlier this year. Chiu ruled out cooperating with the city after the district attorney's office charged the owners with “multiple felonies related to an alleged welfare fraud scheme.”

The towing company has a history of targeting Spanish and Cantonese speakers, illegally towing their cars, then making it difficult for them to get their vehicles back and forcing them to pay in cash. The SFPD is now asking residents who have been targeted by Specialty Towing to contact the department immediately.

ABC7 News Bay Area via YouTube

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The post A Shady Tow Truck Tried to Haul Away a Shifting Automobile, Then Chased After It appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A viral video showing a tow truck attempting to hook up to a car while the owner was driving it in San Francisco is raising questions.

Jeff Ferland stopped near Montgomery and Bush streets when he noticed the strange sight, calling it “very bizarre” and “very scary.”

“I saw a Waymo with hazard lights on and then I saw a tow truck maneuvering in front of me to tow it away,” he said. “I thought, 'Oh, I'll just watch this hook up with a broken Waymo car and take off.' And then he went to the car next to it that had people in it and started loading it. They started reversing and he started chasing them with the tow truck.

Ferland pulled out his cell phone and captured most of the incident on video.

“The most effective thing I can do now is record this because it is wrong,” he said.

Ferland said he had never seen anything like it.

“He had the piece down, he maneuvered the forks under the front tires, he continued to chase them backwards with the forks down, and then as he went to take off, as soon as he takes off, he raises his arm,” Ferland said.

Everything happened quickly.

“The car behind them maneuvered around and overtook. At that point they had a clear line of sight to escape the tow truck and they took it,” Ferland said.

Prosecutor David Chiu said his office is investigating the incident.

“We’re dealing with it right now,” he said. “I also understand that the San Francisco Police Department is aware of this incident. We encourage the public to contact them if they have observed anything related to this company’s conduct.”

Earlier this year, Chiu announced that he had banned car towing companies and affiliated companies from doing business with the city, including Specialty Towing and Recovery.

The tow truck in the video had “Specialty Towing” written on the side, but it is unclear if it is the suspended company as several companies use “Specialty” in their name.

“Assuming this is Specialty Towing, then this is the same towing company that previously moved our office to suspend and disbar from receiving city contracts,” Chiu said.

NBC Bay Area reached out to the company listed on the tow truck door by phone and email but did not immediately receive a response.

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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — An East Bay couple details the horrific turn of events when a tow truck attempted to tow them away while driving through downtown San Francisco.

“We were standing at a traffic light, minding our own business,” explains Joanne, who asked that we only use her first name. She described running errands with her husband on the morning of April 9th.

While the couple was stopped at Bush and Montgomery, they thought the yellow Specialty Towing truck was driving toward a nearby Waymo autonomous vehicle. But soon it became too close for comfort.

“It came from the side. I thought he was turning right. He put the car in reverse and all the lights came on. Then we thought: Hey, something is really wrong. His lever fell down.”

In the video captured by a witness, you can see the tow truck making multiple attempts to attach itself to his 2017 Toyota Corolla.

On video, a witness can be heard shouting: “What the hell are you doing?”

When the traffic light turns green, the Waymo drives off alongside Joanne and her husband. Then the couple realizes that they are stuck in front of a black limousine.

“We completely freaked out. The first instinct was to get away,” says Joanne.

Luckily, the black car reverses and Joanne's husband can drive away. You can see the tow truck giving chase. Joanne says the truck chased her for several blocks.

“It's definitely really scary,” says Joanne, who looks back on the incident and wonders what would have happened if the tow truck had managed to attach itself to her car.

MORE: New San Francisco program will text you when your car is about to be towed

ABC7 reached out to Special Towing via email and phone but did not receive a response.

The company, along with two other companies, was indicted by prosecutor David Chiu in February on charges of fraud and illegal towing of parked cars. His office described the company as “unscrupulous” in its online press release. Specialty Towing is now prohibited from offering or accepting city contracts.

Joanne and her husband told me that they were finally able to let go of the tow truck and drive back home to the East Bay. They claim they did nothing wrong and are still baffled as to why they were targeted.

“Full disclaimer, I definitely paid off my car, I paid off my registration,” she says.

Joanne plans to file a police report soon and is sharing her story to make other drivers aware.

“Be more careful when driving around and make sure you do your best to protect yourself if something doesn't look right,” she shares.

If you're using the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

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Authorities say a man was struck while waiting for a bus in San Francisco's Richmond neighborhood when a car plowed into the bus stop. The San Francisco Police Department reported the incident occurred around 4:50 p.m. Saturday at Fulton Street and Park Presidio Boulevard, across from Golden Gate Park, SF.

The injured pedestrian, an adult male, was found on the sidewalk by officers who quickly rendered aid. Paramedics took the victim to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to a statement obtained by KGO. The vehicle, a Nissan, landed on the curb and struck and hit a “Pedestrian Yield” sign.

To add to the severity, the accident occurred just a week after a tragic incident in which a 78-year-old woman drove into a bus stop in West Portal, claiming the lives of a family of four. Although no charges have been filed against the driver of the previous accident, Jen Nossokoff, a San Francisco resident and eyewitness to the most recent accident, expressed her dismay, telling KGO: “I'm heartbroken that I'm exactly one week after the terrible tragedy in the West Portal.” A man is placed on a stretcher after sustaining a head injury when another car collided with people waiting at a bus stop.

Law enforcement issued a citation for multiple traffic violations against the male driver of the Nissan. Following these incidents, State Senator Scott Wiener called for safer roads and stricter speed rules on social media, according to SFist, proclaiming, “We can make our streets safer.” Wiener is advocating for legislation that would enforce speed limits by limiting the speed of cars to no more than 10 miles per hour over the prescribed limit.

San Francisco Police are asking anyone with information about the recent crash to come forward and provide details to the department by calling 415-575-4444 or texting TIP411 and prefixing the message with “SFPD.”

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LIVEMORE — A woman was stranded on top of her car in a swift-moving Livermore creek for about 15 hours before being rescued Tuesday morning, the Alameda County Fire Department said.

Just after 10 a.m. Tuesday, a camper near the 7000 block of Del Valle Road called the Alameda County Fire Department about a car submerged in the water.

Fire crews at the scene spotted a woman sitting on top of the car and began planning a rescue, while calling the CHP for help. Thanks to appropriate weather, a CHP helicopter was able to lower a rescue technician and get the woman out of the creek.

“It could have had a whole different outcome. She could have been swept downstream, but she was strong enough to get up on top of the vehicle,” said Battalion Chief Kent Carlin, with Alameda Fire. “Maybe out of her tenacity or luck. I don’t know what it was. The entire cab was submerged, so she was able to swim out of the window and climb herself up on the vehicle.”

Video posted on the CHP Golden Gate Division Air Operations account showed the dramatic rescue.

**Water Rescue–Lake Del Valle**

This morning, CHP H-30 responded with Alameda County Fire, Pleasanton-Livermore Fire, East Bay Regional Parks, San Ramon Fire Department Helicopter Rescue Technician (HRT) and Falck Ambulance to a report of an overturned vehicle at Lake Del Valle. It was further reported that the occupant was sitting on top of the vehicle in the middle of a flowing creek.

As firefighters set up for a rescue with rescue swimmers, H-30 arrived overhead and lowered a San Ramon Valley Fire Department Helicopter Rescue Technician (HRT) to the vehicle. The San Ramon Valley Fire HRT placed the victim in a rescue harness for rescue. H-30 was able to hoist the HRT member and victim from the car to waiting firefighters.

The victim was transported to a local hospital by ambulance with minor injuries. It appears the victim attempted to drive across a creek that was moving fairly swiftly due to recent rains causing her vehicle to overturn in the creek.

Posted by CHP – Golden Gate Division Air Operations on Tuesday, January 23, 2024

According to Alameda Fire, the woman tried to drive through the creek around 7:30 p.m. Monday, but she underestimated how deep it was and was running faster than expected causing her car to overturn.

She was stranded for about 15 hours. Rescue crews said she would be OK, but she was still taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Kelsi Thorud contributed to this report.

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A South San Francisco man was found guilty of car theft and burglary for stealing a van and a motorcycle in December 2020 and stealing catalytic converters and an exhaust pipe in 2021.

Cedric Anthony Sanders, 43, pleaded guilty to the two felonies Oct. 27 and had five prior car theft convictions, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office. He faces up to three years and eight months in state prison, with a sentencing date set for Dec. 6.

Sanders was stopped by Redwood City police officers on Dec. 25, 2020, when officers determined he was driving a Chevrolet van stolen three days earlier with a motorcycle that had been stolen several weeks earlier inside, the DA’s Office said.

On June 17, 2021, the police were called on Sanders after reports of him breaking and entering a Fair Oaks residential property garage with an unidentified woman, at which point used catalytic converters and an exhaust pipe were also found in his car, according to the DA’s Office.

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