Tow Truck Driver Allegedly Targets Couple To Steal Their Transferring Automotive In Broad Daylight
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.”
