Wrecker by request?


Nobody wants to be in a serious motor vehicle accident. But if it happens, knowing how the Shelter Island Police deal with wrecked cars may be valuable information as one Island family learned last weekend.

Mark Kanarvogel was not happy after a family friend visiting the Island was in a two-vehicle accident on Saturday. In accordance with police procedure, the dispatcher called wreckers from a list in the police computer system. One vehicle was towed by an Island towing company, the other by an off-Island wrecker. Although towing rates and impound fees are set by the town, towers also charge a per mile fee and the off-Island wrecker may also add ferriage to the bill. In other words, the amount you pay will depend on which wrecker comes up on the dispatcher’s computer.

According to Mr. Kanarvogel, the cost of being towed by the Island’s TMC Trucking is about $200, a lot less than the $600 Rapid Recovery of Hampton Bays charged his friend for towing and impounding the vehicle for a couple of days in a lot 30 miles away. The Shelter Island Police added Rapid Recovery to the wrecker list in August and did so in part, Police Chief Jim Read said, to mitigate concerns of the perception of a conflict of interest with TMC, which is owned by Police Officer Tom Cronin who bought Hap Bowditch’s long-established towing company.

Mr. Kanarvogel also learned after the fact that the driver could have specifically requested the local towing company. According to police procedures, provided by Chief Read, “Wreckers will be chosen from the tow list established by the Chief of Police unless a specific request for a particular tow operator is made and the wrecker is available and can respond within a reasonable period of time.”

“Nobody asked us any questions about where to tow it,” Mr. Kanarvogel said.

An accident victim can also request to have their vehicle towed to their own property, Chief Read said, but added that most accidents necessitating a tow truck will also require off-Island body work.

Chief Read added that he would welcome any other towing companies to apply for inclusion on the Police Department list.

For now, Islanders can request one of the two wreckers on the list.