Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Courtney Orton reportingWhen drivers abandoned their cars on state roads because of heavy winds and snow covered roads, their cars got towed. And that ended up costing those drivers a lot of money, even if they were forced to leave their cars by police.
One driver said, "It's $225. Did you hear that? Two-hundred and twenty-five dollars that I have to pay."
Today, Adan Carrillo, with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), said, "If they were asked by a law enforcement or public safety officer to leave their vehicle, they will be reimbursed."
It's good news for drivers who were not happy when they had to pay to get their cars out of impound lots.
Lisa Taylor says, "My car was stranded. They told me I couldn't come get it, that the street was closed all night, and when my husband went to get it this morning, they wouldn't let him come get it. Now, I have to pay $225."
Lisa says having to pay to get her car back was like putting lemon juice on an injury. The night before, she'd broken down along State Road 92 with four kids in the car and nowhere to go. She says, "My car couldn't go anywhere. I mean, there were cars in front of me and on the side of me and in back of me, so there was no other solution than to leave it there."
Lisa and the kids got to safety, but when she went to pick up her car in the morning she was told she couldn't get her car because the street was closed.
So instead, Lisa paid a towing company to get her car back.
Unhappy drivers said it wasn't fair, and tired tow truck drivers working to get the road clear for snowplows said it wasn't fair to work for free.
Tow truck driver Rob Face says, "It's a lot of work because the snow drifts were completely covering vehicles. We didn't even know there were vehicles there until you see a mirror out of the snow bank. Then you have to dig under the vehicle. It takes a lot of work."
Anyone who was asked to leave their car on S.R. 92 and S.R. 73 can call UDOT at 801-227-8000 to see about being reimbursed.
