Car Owners Forced To Pay Towing Costs After Fleeing Fire
Burned Car on I-15 in Cajon Pass
On Friday afternoon, a smooth highway ride turned into a panicked frenzy when a brushfire in Cajon Pass, outside of Los Angeles, swept onto the highway and started to burn cars. Many people fled the scene on foot, abandoning their vehicles to escape to safety. Once the fires were extinguished, 20 passenger cars, two semi trucks, and four homes were completely destroyed on I-15.
After the fire was extinguished, owners of the cars that had survived began the task of looking for their vehicles. Once they found them, however, they received a nasty shock. The towing companies contracted by the California Highway Patrol were charging big bucks for their services. One driver reported a bill of $650 for towing and storing her vehicle.
Some of the drivers involved in the escape reported that the Highway Patrol had given them the option of returning to the highway after the fire was put out to retrieve their vehicles, or picking them up from where they had been towed (supposedly for free). Once they visited the lots holding their cars, though, it was another story.
The California Highway Patrol is reaching out the towing companies to try to reach a resolution, and some providers are now not charging the victims for towing and storing the vehicles. Hopefully this all gets sorted out, so that those effected by that terrifying fire can get back on the road as soon as possible!
News Source: NBC4 Los Angeles
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