American Towing and Recovery Institute onThe Go
American Towing and Recovery Institute onThe Go
Tow Truck Hijacking Drama, Extreme Weather Challenges, and Heroes in the Towing Community
Imagine navigating the chaos of a hijacked tow truck chase or dealing with treacherous weather conditions in parts of the U.S. unaccustomed to snow and ice. These real-life scenarios set the stage for this week's episode of the American Towing Recovery Institute podcast. We take you through the gripping trial of Eric Streitzel, whose ill-fated hijacking of a tow truck led to a dangerous pursuit. The courtroom drama unfolds with compelling video evidence and a defense built on mental health arguments. But it’s more than just a trial; it’s a stark reminder of the perils that tow operators face every day.
The conversation shifts as we focus on the impact of extreme weather across the southern states and the ongoing challenges posed by California's wildfires. With the Atlanta Airport temporarily closed due to unexpected snowfalls, we discuss the infrastructural strain and reflect on how these events intersect with national economic shifts, including fuel price dynamics under the new presidential administration. In honoring a fallen tow operator, we acknowledge the grave risks inherent in this line of work, underscoring a need for increased safety and awareness.
Lastly, we spotlight stories of resilience and charity, like Tanner Adder’s quick-thinking heroics and the transformative Tunnel to Towers initiative aiding veterans. With heartening tales of community support and individual courage, we celebrate those who make a difference. As always, we’re grateful to our listeners for their support and engagement, and we hint at exciting announcements and guests lined up for future episodes. Stay tuned and stay safe—our journey through the world of towing is only just beginning.
Welcome one and all to the American Towing Recovery Institute podcast. I want to remind all of you that the American Towing Recovery Institute aims to promote professionalism, safety and education within the towing and recovery industry. Remember, we provide training and certification programs for towing operators. We also advocate for industry standards and best practices, support research and develop all new techniques, including research and development of electric and alternative fuel vehicles With extensive research, with the EV Clever app, available now on Apple and Google Play stores, Foster cooperation among industry stakeholders. Please, if you need to contact us, we're always at wwwamtowri G Now. Here is Towing News Now.
Speaker 2:Welcome today, friends. Today on Towing News. Now we're going to look at the weather impact across the country. Wildfires still blazing the west coast. Also, we're looking ahead to spring. What's going on with training, tow shows and a whole lot more? Plus, we have a whole segment of news from across the country. What's going on? How tow trucks are making the news good, bad and indifferent? Sit back, relax and get ready for a fresh episode of Towing News Now on the Towing News Network.
Speaker 3:Wes, I believe this is episode number three of season four.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:Yep, we're rolling with it now.
Speaker 2:Absolutely rolling.
Speaker 2:Yours truly, wes Wilburn, with April Wilburn and DJ Harrington, we're happy to be here. Got a lot going on right now, the day we're sitting here recording this, this record setting cold and snow across the country. Dj, we got snow here in southeastern north carolina, which you know. Different parts of north carolina have different weather patterns, but this is definitely a different weather pattern for us because we don't get snow in this little southeastern corner of the state and the um crazy part was is the further south you went, the more snow there was.
Speaker 2:That was the crazy part yeah and uh, you're absolutely right and I talked to somebody in louisiana. They're in northern louisiana, they didn't get much snow at all southern louisiana got walloped. New orleans got I don't remember was how many inches, I think it was eight inches eight inches is what I heard.
Speaker 2:what I remember was it was like from 1895 or something was the last time that he broke the record for the snowfall since 1895. That's outstanding and I know one of the news reports we didn't we could have gone with several of them about snow and tow truck action across the South. One of them was Mobile, alabama. Another one was Louisiana, which we'll get to that in just a little bit.
Speaker 3:There's got to be a lot of that. Because they're not used to this weather, people are not used to driving in these systems, absolutely.
Speaker 2:DJ. How about you?
Speaker 1:Well, the Atlanta Airport was closed yesterday for part of the day. It's 13 degrees here in Canton, georgia, and school was on for today, but the kids were out of school yesterday. So there's the weather and, of course, all of our prayers go out to the people in California, because there's another fire out there today.
Speaker 2:That's what I've seen on the news Terrible 13 degrees currently during the daytime DJ, or is that?
Speaker 1:below for now. No, it's 13 right now, Boy that is low.
Speaker 2:We don't you know the teens in the South in the daytime is something that's hardly ever happened, especially here in the suburbs of Atlanta. Basically correct.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's cold, we don't have the teens this time, a lot of times.
Speaker 2:It's cold.
Speaker 3:Were you out there making snow angels DJ.
Speaker 1:The other day, yes, the other day it snowed how much.
Speaker 3:We had about two inches. Yeah, that's about what we got here in this part of the state. Like I said, the further south you went, the more southern it was.
Speaker 1:But underneath the snow, april was ice, and that's the part, yep.
Speaker 2:We are thankful that we started off with a new president and a new administration. It looks like they got things going, all the executive orders they signed. Obviously we're not a political program so we're not going to get political. We feel very good that the new administration is an American citizen that's out there doing stuff and we're looking forward to that. I think his drill, baby drill, did the country good before for the price of oil. I know the majority of the listeners to this show do well when diesel fuel is priced in a reasonable manner and doesn't get out on that world market with the prices high, demand taking it extremely high. So I feel good, great new day in America.
Speaker 1:The very first time I went to TRAA Hill Days, the senator from Florida was Mark Rubio and of course he now yesterday became Secretary of State. Terry Estate and his office was so kind to everyone from TRAA that we were talking to him and all of a sudden he said stay right here. And there was five of us. Stay right here, the senator's coming in right now. He said hi to each and every one of us and said thank you for leaving your material about TRA with my office. That's amazing.
Speaker 3:That is amazing, so hopefully that's a good step in the right direction.
Speaker 1:I hope so too, April.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they got them through on the first real quick and that's good to see, and I'm glad to see that they're moving right along with things. I really am.
Speaker 1:So what's the news now?
Speaker 2:Well, looking at the TOWIE news, we start with that. I hate to have this duty, but I feel we need to recognize this. Apparently, we lost a TOWIE operator already. I believe this is the first for the year. I'm searching the news and whatnot to make sure of that. Well, we showed up with a sad news, reporting that a 42-year-old Maui man was killed Friday. That was a week ago.
Speaker 1:Identified as Kilpaca Nelson of Waukee.
Speaker 2:At 3 o'clock in the afternoon of 2007,. Kenwood's flatbed tow truck failed. To 3 o'clock in the afternoon, a 2007 10-inch flatbed tow truck failed to navigate a right bend in a roadway, sliding into a metal guardrail before returning, the flatbed was loaded with six large concrete retaining wall blocks at which were ejected, striking an unattended vehicle nearby and a residence as well. So thank God nobody was hurt from that part of it. The driver in the truck was not wearing a seatbelt and speed was a factor in the accident.
Speaker 1:The investigation continues.
Speaker 2:Very sad story to start the year with. We pray for everybody involved.
Speaker 3:Definitely, definitely, always hard to hear that death in the towing industry under any circumstances, this one or any other one, and we're hoping for a year, we're praying for a year that we don't have to do this, we don't have to read these things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a shame. Next story takes us to Oregon.
Speaker 6:This is about a trial that's now happening from an incident where a tow truck was hijacked about two and a half years ago.
Speaker 7:During opening statements, prosecutors showed video that clearly shows a man named Eric Streitzel jumping into the tow truck as the driver jumps onto the back to try to stop him. But defense attorneys argue some of the charges don't take into account what really happened Inside a Multnomah County courtroom Tuesday after a jury watched this video of a crash following the carjacking of a tow truck.
Speaker 8:With Mr Crist still hanging on for dear life. It is a miracle that this man did not die.
Speaker 7:On July 10, 2023, a tow truck driver by the name of Travis Crist was in the process of towing a car after a wreck near the Moda Center, but before he knew it, the suspect, eric Streitzel, made a move. Here's his defense attorney.
Speaker 8:Unhoused, unmedicated, unstable. He didn't exactly know what was happening moment to moment he was walking barefoot on the steel bridge. He saw a tow truck idling with no one in it and, without pausing, he jumped into that tow truck and he threw it in drive.
Speaker 7:Christ took the stand on day one of the trial, recalling what was going through his head as he clung to the back of his own vehicle.
Speaker 4:Why chase down the man stealing this very expensive vehicle?
Speaker 6:down the man stealing this very expensive vehicle it's instinct.
Speaker 9:I don't have a fight or flight mechanism in the flight portion of it.
Speaker 7:Traveling first through Old Town then onto the freeway. Footage shows the speeds increasing, the truck weaving in and out of traffic and Crist still holding on in the back then turning around to, as he stated, brace himself.
Speaker 6:I was just watching cones flying out of the way. A lot of debris started coming up. I was kind of hoping he would have stopped long before this portion.
Speaker 7:The truck would eventually come to a stop after. Video shows it slamming into a semi, then swerving onto the shoulder. The aftermath displayed in these pictures to the jury. As the defense argued the suspect was struggling with his mental health.
Speaker 8:Those videos show pretty much everything, which means they will also show you that this was the result of impulse and not intent.
Speaker 7:The trial resumes tomorrow morning at 9 am. As for the victim again hanging onto the back of that truck, he says after the crash he left the scene bleeding from the head and with a shoulder injury.
Speaker 6:As of the airing of this podcast, towing News Now was unable to find a medical update on the operator, tyler Christ. If anybody knows that, we'd appreciate the 411 on that. We are praying for the operator's family and we also are praying that the judicial system does its job.
Speaker 2:What do you think, DJ?
Speaker 1:Boy oh boy.
Speaker 2:Wes, what is your suggestion when something like that happens? It's a horrible situation. I know the instinct is the junkyard dog mentality and I say that I don't mean that in a bad way but not jumping on the back of the truck, you need to be alive to report what happened. The gentleman, lucky, is alive.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's instinct to do something like that, but it's definitely not advisable because he was testifying in court. So there's no long-term injuries with that, but that definitely could have went a lot worse than what had happened.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a horrible situation and it's good to point that out. This happened a couple years ago and the thing that I have to say rubs me the wrong way deeply is the attorney trying to say that because he was walking in quiet, they didn't say it. I guess they implied it is what they did, that he had some kind of right to take that tow truck because he was walking on the bridge barefooted.
Speaker 3:I don't think that she said that, but she definitely played the sympathy card because she said he was unhoused, unstable and another unborn.
Speaker 2:I forget what the unborn was, but he wasn't responsible for his actions because and she also implied that, if I remember correctly, that because he was barefoot on the grave at least that's what I remember that was the motivation that he said something he didn't even think about and just instinctively stole water Instinctively got in, got in the seat, put his foot on the brakes, put the extinguishing gear and drove and steered it away.
Speaker 3:He instinctively did that.
Speaker 2:First instinct was to steal something of great, great value. Because they, because he had shoes, sometimes for that, why he didn't have shoes on his feet, walk across the bridge at that moment does not decide his problem, in my opinion. But what do I know?
Speaker 3:I thought truck operators would probably would have bought him a pair of shoes you're right about that yeah some of the nicest people DJ.
Speaker 2:What do you think about all that?
Speaker 1:Boy, oh boy, wes, I don't myself. It's a stolen vehicle, no matter what. But I'm not an attorney. And today you know if you steal a person's property, you stole it Absolutely. And then you went to a rear end of an 18-wheeler person's property. You stole Absolutely.
Speaker 2:And then he went to a rear end of an 18-wheeler. You're right about that too, tj, that whole police chase that you know. He led them on the way. He drove that truck and ran in the back of that. He had no concern about anything his own life, anybody around him's life that could have turned out really, really bad. I think there's a reporter in the field who has one more story for us. What do you got All right?
Speaker 3:I have this poor guy, Felix Calcedo, in Northern California. This is from the Mountain View Voice. This is where we got this information from On April, the 12th 2023, he towed a Tesla.
Speaker 2:He's a tow operator. He's a tow operator.
Speaker 3:He towed a Tesla, did all the things that he was supposed to do and, as it so happens, it was owned by. At the time she was a city council person, ellen Kamai. She's now the mayor, but she towed his car. Ms Kamai and her husband came and paid the fines, complained to the MLA and then the next day he was interrogated by Sergeant Christopher Troth a potential unlawful towing involving that Tesla. The police report said that Goss investigated the incident and met with us on April 13th.
Speaker 2:This was the police chief correct Says Sergeant. Okay, police. Member of the police department.
Speaker 3:Yeah, according to the lawsuit, goss regretted the interrogated Falsito and accused him of improper towing. The encounter led Falsito to believe that Cabayan, her husband, contacted a high-ranking official to complain about the tow and that Goff was assigned to the investigation. To get back at Mr Falsito and he's filed a civil rights action, court against or case against.
Speaker 2:So let me get this straight. The towing operator towed a Tesla. Everybody thought it was going to be a Tesla on fire story or something. Catch y'all on that one towed a. Tesla did his job, like many tow operators do every day here in America. The then city council woman, now mayor, didn't like it. She had to shut the police down to investigate and interrogate from what I remember reading the co-operator and the city council lady now mayor was hard to deal with, wasn't it Something about that? When they came to pick up the car.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, and calling it a fine, it wasn't a fine.
Speaker 2:They were paying a topey, wasn't it Something about that? When they came to pick up the car, oh yeah, and calling it a fine, it wasn't a fine they were paying a tow fee, not a fine, but they had that ground. So anyway, they harassed the towor apparently, or alleged anyway. Now the towor is suing them and settled for it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it says. The lawsuit is seeking to recover compensatory and punitive damages, as well as the cost of account fees and civil penalties.
Speaker 2:As I've always said, this business is really tough. It is a tough business. You have to be tough to be in it.
Speaker 3:You have to be tough in it because somebody likes their car to be towed, nobody does. You're not having a good day. I don't care what the circumstances of your car being towed. Your day is not a good day when that happens.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you know it's also a personal responsibility. They've got to take responsibility for it, if that is correct with that lawsuit and with that lawsuit alleged yeah, alleged yeah. Then that's the worst thing that can happen. That's someone taking political power and trying to put their thumb down on the working person.
Speaker 3:And if that's what happens, more power to him, because he's strong enough to stand up against it. Right and then everybody is.
Speaker 2:So we'll follow this case closely. So we've got several more stories we want to share with you, but it's time to take a quick break. We'll be right back after a quick break.
Speaker 11:For all your ringing needs. Give us a look at towingequipmentdirectcom or email us at info at amtowriorg. Also, you can give us a call at 910-747-9000.
Speaker 10:Information in this podcast is made possible by generous sponsorship from Henry's Wrecker, serving the community with quality towing and recovery for over 40 years. Henryswreckercom.
Speaker 1:Welcome back listeners. You know you're listening to April and Wes Wilburn and DJ Harrington, the tow doctor on the new Towing News channel, doing this new segment called Towing News. Now, wes, I'll turn it back over to you in April.
Speaker 2:Thanks, dj. I certainly appreciate that. We're happy to be back. We've got a couple more stories we want to go to A reporter. Cannonball Clankard did another story about something going on in southeast Kansas, so we'll go to that next.
Speaker 6:Tragic news to report out of southeastern Kansas. On January 22, 2025, a man was killed and a woman suffered serious injuries when a car and a tow truck collided. Car in a tow truck collided. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that the Volkswagen Jetta stopped at a stop sign and then began to cross the highway, failing to yield to a southbound tow truck. Two vehicles collided in the intersection. The man driving the Jetta, a 79-year-old out of Venta, oklahoma, died at the scene. His 73-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital for treatment. The 23-year-old driver of the tow truck was towing a pickup truck was not hurt. All those involved were wearing seatbelts. No further details were available at the time of this podcast.
Speaker 2:Boy. That's a bad situation. There Sounds like an elderly person driving. No further details were available at the time of this podcast 70s and I gotta believe they didn't see the tow truck compared to. They didn't obey the stop sign is what it's indicated as. So it's a tough, tough situation. It goes to show you anything can happen anywhere at any time. Can't stress enough to be alert when you're approaching intersections, especially that's where the majority of accidents happen at. So and again our prayers go out to the families involved. That's tough for everybody involved, including the towing operator Still involved, still deals with. There's a lot of gruesome stuff to deal with in a situation like that. A lot of emotional stuff Down the road, even if you can be right as rain, if they'll be involved in litigation unfortunately so I pray for everybody involved and I'm very sorry to hear about that yeah, that's really.
Speaker 3:That's just really really bad. I mean, almost everything is abortable. But that's hindsight, that's a lot of hindsight we got another situation that's similar to this.
Speaker 2:We don't know the outcome of it, uh, yet happened down in louisiana and here's kind of a similar accident as well, where a bad situation appeared it was thursday morning, just before 7 30 when the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office got called to the crash on North Market Street.
Speaker 9:Three of the seven students and the driver of the school bus number 739 went to the hospital after it was rear-ended by the driver of a tow truck. The driver of the tow truck remains in critical condition. The Sheriff's Office says the glare from the sun kept the tow truck driver from seeing the stopped bus. A statement sent out by the school district said we also are incredibly thankful for the quick actions of our bus driver, whose composure and focus prioritize the safety of the children on board. Prioritize the safety of the children on board. This situation serves as a reminder of the care and dedication shown every day by our bus drivers and staff. We want to express our deepest gratitude to the emergency responders from the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, caddo Fire District 1, for their swift and professional response. This is a developing story and we will have more information as it becomes available.
Speaker 2:That's a very tough situation there. A school bus hit For the Sheriff's Department to make the statement about the son being so blinding in that position. That's a pretty strong statement for an law enforcement officer to make, that shortly after an accident, especially one involving a school bus. So the driver of the tow truck. From what we understand, we have a known towing resource in that area that gave us the information that unfortunately the driver of the tow truck was severely injured Still in stable condition but severely injured. So it's a bad, bad situation and it's something that every towing professional, driving professional, just people that drive on the highway should think about.
Speaker 2:Extra vigilant time of year with school buses out. I know the sun can be blinding when we come here and head towards town. Certain times of the year Directly headed towards town can be blinding and looking to the west into the sun. So I just can't stress enough for everybody listening to the podcast to talk to everybody that they work with all their comrades and pay extra attention during school bus times, pay extra attention if there's issues with the sun, you should keep a following distance, et cetera.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the two different things is you know you're a tow truck operator, so you can't wait for the sun to be at a certain position in the sky and you can't wait for the school buses to not be on the road. But if you could do that, that's a good option. But when you respond to that call, you just have to kind of get to know your roads and your areas a little bit better.
Speaker 2:Give yourself extra time and distance.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the sun is blinding, though You're coming up to a light, a red light or a green light, and it's you know again, it must have been a severe factor for police and ray.
Speaker 2:That's not the law to the law enforcement for the news to put out there so we got another story out of kentucky. It's not a great story, uh, but it is happened.
Speaker 4:Let's go correspond in the field the story comes to us out of louisville, kentucky a louisville firefighter is out of jail tonight after being arrested for running over a tow truck operator. Sergeant Ramiro Rodriguez was arraigned today on assault and other charges. According to court records, jefferson Town Police called a wrecker to move an abandoned car as it was being hooked up. Police say Rodriguez came back and said that he had gone to get gas. He's accused of threatening the driver after being forced to pay a fee to get his car. Police say he then followed the driver back to his offices and hit two other tow truck drivers who tried to intervene. Rodriguez has been placed on administrative leave.
Speaker 6:Just to clarify the alleged criminal was driving a vehicle when he hit the two towing operators that intervened.
Speaker 2:Boy, that's a horrible story. They make a big deal about him being a firefighter, but she was not acting in an official capacity and was not acting to a standard that I normally know firefighters hold themselves to. It was just a horrible situation. The fact that he hit him with the car says a lot.
Speaker 3:Yeah, really, it really does say a lot. So since we're in Kentucky, let's just stay here for a minute. I came across an article. There's a new bill that would provide safety blue lights for tow truck drivers in Kentucky, and I don't know how everybody feels about that. I think people are on one side of that or the other. You know is blue lights too much. But here's why they did it. In September 2024, there was a death of a 54-year-old tow truck operator. The gentleman's name was Troy Codwell. He was in I-64 during a tow job and then State Representative Richard Whittemore had filed a bill that would provide workers with safety lights. That death caused that bill to pass Again. Don't know what side people are on in this plan. That's a mixed bag, but at least the state is being proactive with something.
Speaker 2:It's a great thing, as long as they're not abused. It's a known fact that blue lights flashing, red lights flashing rearward, slow traffic down, way better than yellow lights. Again, there's just always, as long as they're not abused.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That has happened, unfortunately it does say.
Speaker 3:The measure details that the bull legs could be used while moving a vehicle or debris from the road, but not used while actively towing them on the highway. And that is where people get a little bit.
Speaker 2:Good, yeah, one of the better legislations I've seen speaks of, you know, using the lights rearward facing and wide stationary only, and also while clearing an accident scene. I think it does say something to that effect. That's good, responsible legislation that will help both sides, it's positive.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. Whether or not you agree with blue lights or not, blue lights at least is positive.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:I think we can go to a break and come back with the rest of the story. What do you think, Wes?
Speaker 1:Sure, all right. So we'll take a break and we'll be right back.
Speaker 11:For electric and other alternative fuel vehicles. We have developed an app that gives you all the manufacturers 411 for when that 911 happens. Whether you are a fire tow or police, we got you covered. To find the EV Clever app, go to your Apple or Google Play store for a 30-day free trial.
Speaker 5:We also offer the National Tow Operator Certification an independently sourced virtual testing program covering light duty, heavy duty.
Speaker 1:Independently sourced virtual testing program covering light duty, heavy duty, electric and alternative fuel vehicle. Welcome back listeners. You know you're listening to the new Towing News channel and we are available every week. Please remember to mark it down. We're available on Spotify, iTunes, pandora, stitcher, iheartmedia, amazon or wherever you get your podcasts. We can't thank you enough to like, review and share with all your friends. So, without further ado, let me send you back over to Wes and April Wilber.
Speaker 3:Welcome back everybody. This is going to be a great year for training, with us starting in February. On February the 8th we're going to have a one-day dance of a light duty at Phillips Towing in Fayetteville, north Carolina. Also in February the 18th or the 20th, we're doing three one-day EV training courses electric vehicle courses with Statewide towing associations in Massachusetts. Those locations will be announced soon. In March, march 7th, we're having a two-hour ED class that's a free one to attend at CP Rucker in conjunction with Griffin Griffin in Opa-Lucka, alabama. Also in Opa-Lucka, alabama, on the 8th and 9th, saturday and Sunday, we're having a two-day heavy duty rotator course with CP Rector in conjunction with Griffin and Griffin. Friday, march 21st, in Liberty, at Liberty Towing in Worganton, north Carolina, we're doing another two-hour EV course and then that, following Saturday and Sunday, march 22nd 23rd, we're doing another free two-hour EV course and then that, following Saturday and Sunday, march 22nd 23rd, we're doing a two-day heavy-duty course at Liberty Towing in Morganton, north Carolina, and that is March 22nd and 23rd.
Speaker 3:In April, starting off in April 1 to 4th, we're having a two-hour EV course that's free to attend, also at All-County Towing in Long Island, new York, and then on the 5th in Long Island we're doing a one-day light-duty class and then on April the 6th, we're doing a one-day heavy-duty course Again. That's in All-County Towing in Long Island, new York. It looks like April is a big month for us because the 10th to the 12th is the Florida Toe Show. On the 10th we're doing a one-day course with Florida Toe Association. It's going to be heavy-duty, focusing on electric and what's coming up with that, and then in that we're also doing a Tunnel to Tower with our good friend DJ Harrington event. We're excited about that and that will be on the 11th. That brings us to May.
Speaker 3:On May 2nd, on the Friday, we're doing a one-day light duty in St Louis, missouri, with J&I Hauling. On the 3rd and 4th, which is Saturday and Sunday, we're doing a two-day heavy duty with Rotator In St Louis, also with J&I towing, and on the 6th and the 7th to the 7th, which is Monday, tuesday, wednesday, it's a three-day extreme advanced level heavy duty With Tom Luciano and it's also in St Louis, missouri. We have prices for that. We're raking that up to the separate classes. It was all through the package and now we're raking it up, so look online for prices for those. Then in June 6th through the 8th, we'll be at the Estrato Show in Lake George, new York. On the 6th we're hosting a live auction there. We're excited about that.
Speaker 3:This will be our third year that we're doing it. On June, the 20th, on Friday, we're doing a class at 24-hour towing in Medford, oregon. That's a light duty. And then on the 21st and 22nd, also in Medford Oregon, for JAR 24 towing, we're doing a two-day heavy duty with sportotator. Then in October we're doing a three-day heavy stream advanced level class in Buffalo, new York. I'm looking forward to that because that's going to put us really close to Niagara Falls and I'm going to go there. So that's October 3rd to the 5th. Friday, Saturday, sunday for that three-day class and we hope to see you there.
Speaker 1:Thanks, April, for that training update and, Wes, I'm going to send it right back over to you.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, DJ. I want to thank all our listeners as well. The group of listeners keeps climbing. We're almost at 17,000 listeners to this podcast. That's very humbling. It's growing every week. Social media numbers up. I'll go over them all, but it's exciting, isn't it? April?
Speaker 3:It really, really is. We are just growing. It seemed like real slow and then it just felt like overnight, but I know it wasn't. We have really really grown throughout these last few years and I do feel like 2025 is just going to be a better year for everybody, and these numbers kind of indicate that. What the numbers represent are individual people out there who are actively involved with us in one way or the other, and that is so duly appreciated.
Speaker 2:So we've got one more news story from the field. Just listen to that last story. It's a good story. Then we've got some other good news to talk about.
Speaker 6:It's a great story coming to us out of northeast Wisconsin.
Speaker 5:The crash that happened alongside Gillingham Road could have ended up a lot differently if one man didn't decide to stop the up and help those in need during freezing conditions On Monday night. Tanner Adder, a tow truck driver, says he was getting ready to leave his apartment for work when he heard a boom.
Speaker 10:I happened to see a car laying on its side when I stepped out and a lady screaming for help.
Speaker 5:Adder ran back inside his home and called 911. He then says he put on his snow gear, grabbed a fire extinguisher and drove his tow truck around the block to the crash along Gillingham Road, not far from Breezewood Lane.
Speaker 10:The lady was sitting on top of the vehicle right here holding the door open, saying her husband was trapped inside.
Speaker 5:Adder says he put out a fire and helped the woman off of the car.
Speaker 10:I came back, jumped on top of the car, opened the door open, seeing her husband laying at the at the bottom of the car by that time. He says he had some help as I was trying to pull him up. The officer arrived on scene, extinguished the fire that was in the engine bay again and then came around. I helped him up on top of the vehicle and he assisted me with getting the man out of the out of the car.
Speaker 5:If it wasn't for you being on scene and reacting in the timely manner that you did, do you think those people would still be here?
Speaker 10:I don't think the husband would have made it. To be honest, I think the husband would have died.
Speaker 5:NENA police have praised Adder for his heroic actions and coming quickly to the help of people in need. The NENA police department told me that the woman that Adder helped has been treated and released from the hospital. As for her husband, well, he's still in the hospital, but they don't know what his conditions are as of right now.
Speaker 6:Good job, tanner Adder. Way to be on your toes and thinking clearly in an emergency situation. You're to be commended and thank you for representing our industry so well. And thank you for representing our industry so well.
Speaker 3:I also think that we all think that we know what we would do in a certain situation, but until we're tested, you don't know. And he did what I hoped I would have done. That's what I would have hoped to have done. There's fight, flight or freeze, and he had the fight in it and the fight was the rescuing of these people.
Speaker 2:And he did it right. He didn't get running out there without his snow gear on, where he could have been in help for two or three minutes, and then he would have become a collateral damage, not for after closing on. But he did what he had to do. He got out there and took action. I like to say, and that is to be commended, our hat is off to this young man To be commended.
Speaker 3:To definitely be commended. All right, that brings us. That was our good news segment, and I'm happy that we did that one, but what else we got going on with?
Speaker 2:And we remind you, everybody, of the four show dates, didn't we April? And we remind you everybody of the Florida Toe Show dates. Didn't we April? We sure did. We got an exciting announcement. Can't release it yet it'll be next week before we release it, but we got an exciting announcement coming up about the Florida Toe Show. It looks like we're going to be there. Also, we're going to be there with the Tunnels for Towers program DJ. I understand we need another van. We need a 15, 17 passenger van needs a CDL license.
Speaker 1:And then I found out from one of our fellow towers up in South Dakota he had donated a beautiful 17 passenger van to his church and then realized that it was five times the insurance. So the pastor of his church asked him if he could take the van back. So now Tunnel to Towers is looking for a six to seven person van like a Dodge Caravan in that category category, so that homeless veterans could be taken to Walmart or to a medical appointment or so forth.
Speaker 1:But if you could help out. We're still looking and we sure could use your help if you know somebody that has a van that they could donate.
Speaker 2:Would somebody like to help you? Did you say like a caravan, a minivan, a full-size minivan is what we're talking.
Speaker 1:Yes, a full-size minivan.
Speaker 2:Not up to the bigger van, not an E-150 or something. No, that's too big. Is that the eight or nine passenger?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and they're looking for a regular driver's license because the person that's going to be driving the van will be the director of the village. Now, this is to help eradicate homeless veterans in the community. So the two vans, one's going to a veteran center in Florida, the other is going to Atlanta, the other is going to Atlanta and then, as we come across them during the year, we already have one from J&R Towing out in Colorado. They were kind enough to donate a van that's going to be given to the Denver Colorado Tunnel for Towers later this year.
Speaker 2:What's here for J&R Towing? You say J&R Towing, what's here for them?
Speaker 1:Thatow you say Jay and Artow.
Speaker 2:What's here for them? That's outstanding, isn't it?
Speaker 3:It's incredible.
Speaker 1:It's incredible and they donated one that was a 10 passenger, but the back seats are taken out because the person who was driving it who can no longer drive now he's past his age and the family has taken the keys away had the full disabled person's lift chair in the rear end of the vehicle. So it was a $20,000 package already in the van and Tunnel to Towers loved it, so they're going to use it in their Denver Colorado location. But the two that we're looking for, we have one from Steps Towing in Florida and then we're looking now for a six to seven passenger regular van for a Florida location.
Speaker 2:All right For those that don't know what Tunnels to Towers is, because if you don't, a lot of our friends don't have TV with commercials on them. If you don't have TV with commercials, you may or may not know. If you have TV with commercials, you almost definitely know. Tunnels to Towers is all over the place. It's a great organization that does a lot for vets and injured all kinds of people.
Speaker 3:I think it started off with the injured vet and it still does that. It still takes care of that function, which is very necessary to now, as DJ said earlier, trying to eradicate the homeless vet Right, as DJ said earlier, trying to eradicate the homeless set.
Speaker 1:Right, and so what they're doing now is they're buying up hotels, like the one they did in Nashville. They bought a Wyndham Hotel and then the first floor will be for PSTD and for employment center, first aid center and that kind of thing job placement and training and then the second, third and fourth floors are going to actually be residences for the homeless veterans, and the vans that we're providing are going to be helping them. So I tell people, it's a recycled band for a recycled veteran.
Speaker 2:You know it's such a great organization and for you to be helping us is just outstanding. Dj, you're going to be commended for what you're doing with that and we're happy to just be a small part of helping with it. So right now, this Florida Center needs one in the short relatively short term. That's correct.
Speaker 1:Yes, and even Rob Johnson, bill Johnson's son, spoke to me today and he had a van that they wanted to help us use and it had a van, but it had a lot of miles on it a van, but it was it had a lot of miles on it and the ramp came out the side of the van, but it was a much older model.
Speaker 1:And so Bill Johnson and his son Rob, who listen to our podcast all the time, they very kindly said this van's not what we want. Quality wisewise for tunnels to towers, Because you don't want to give them something that's going to break down right away. You don't want to give them, you know, a 1950s type of van, but they're looking for a good recycled van that they could use and have the access out of the rear of the vehicle. So what does Rob and Bill Johnson want to do? But they want to donate to the cause to help us get a van with good tires, and you know that kind of thing.
Speaker 3:It just goes to show you the caliber of people that we have in our industry.
Speaker 1:Oh, they're wonderful people and the people that listen to this podcast. They're very generous, warm, kind people. So if you're out there and you want to help in any way, contact Wes and April at 910-747-9000 or DJ Harrington at 770-301-4122. And, Wes, I can't thank you enough for letting me make my little plea for giving away the Vans on. April 11th on Fox Television right there in Orlando Florida.
Speaker 2:DJ. I'm happy to be a part of it. So there's been thanks needed as far as that goes. Um, we appreciate what you're doing and we think it's a great cause that needs to be helped in any way that it can. I do want to thank one more group of people. We're thanking people though the members of the institute. They're the ones that actually pay for all this. There's one. If we didn't have them paying, we wouldn't have this podcast.
Speaker 2:So we want to thank the members of the Institute for their contributions that keep this thing afloat and allow us to do the podcast and many different things it's a privilege to be a part of. Bj gave you the number or the website address. If you want more information for joining us in November, we'd certainly appreciate you looking into that.
Speaker 3:Yes, as Wes had just said, the members of the Institute have really contributed and helped us out with this. It's also helped us grow this podcast exponentially, so everybody's a part of it. It's all one moving mechanism.
Speaker 2:So we have a great announcement for next week. We have a great guest lined up as well.
Speaker 3:Okay, Well, looking forward to being back here next weekend, going over these new exciting announcements and having our great guests DJ. You want to close this out?
Speaker 1:Yes, stay warm and, as Wes always says, be safe out there. And we'll see you next week on the Towing News Channel.