Philadelphia City Council Wrestles With Reining In Tow Truck Drivers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- For the second time in two weeks, Philadelphia City Council held a hearing Tuesday on a long-running issue of wreck chasers: rogue tow truck operators who race to the scenes of accidents, often putting the public at risk.
And there are still no easy answers, as this hearing pointed out.
Philadelphia Police Department lieutenant Fran Healey testified at the hearing that the current system, in which police call tow trucks in rotation from a list, has not prevented wreck chasers from showing up at accident scenes:
"So it is not a perfect system. What we've done in the police department is a temporary fix until we can come up with a permanent and more solid solution. But we're trying to resolve some of those issues."
Last week, a Council committee debated Councilman Jim Kenney's plan to have the Philadelphia Parking Authority get involved. This second hearing was called by Councilman Frank Rizzo, who opposes Parking Authority involvement.
Healey, Rizzo, Kenney and others involved agreed on one thing: they have to keep working to find a system that stops the wreck chasing.
Reported by KYW City Hall Bureau Chief Mike Dunn.
File photo by KYW's Karin Phillips
