Life In Prison For Philadelphia Tow Truck Driver Who Repeatedly Ran Over Rival
By Michelle Durham
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A former tow-truck driver was found guilty today of first-degree murder after a judge ruled that he had deliberately run over a driver from a rival company during a dispute over towing territory in September of 2010.
Closing arguments in the case proceeded quickly, but not without numerous viewings of the surveillance tape from a business near the service station where the incident occurred.
The tape shows a tow truck operated by Glen McDaniel running over victim Ray Santiago over several times (see previous story).
The defense contended that copious amounts of alcohol consumed that day impaired McDaniel's vision as well as his judgment; McDaniel testified that he didn't even know he ran over Santiago at first.
Assistant district attorney James Berardinelli says the surveillance tape showed otherwise.
"It's pretty rare that we get a murder right on video, but there is no dispute here as to what occurred. It was pretty clear that he ran over the man three times, actually locking the brakes up on him," Berardinelli tells KYW Newsradio.
McDaniel was immediately sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole.
