SUV Rolls Off Tow Truck, Crashes into Pole on Beltline
MADISON, Wis. — An unusual incident occurred on Thursday when an SUV rolled off a tow truck and crashed into a pole on the Beltline.
A witness captured the moment, exclaiming, “There’s an HRV rolling down, oh my gosh.” The mishap happened due to a technical error; the SUV was supposed to be securely attached to the tow truck but instead rolled away.
John Schmidt, co-owner of Schmidt Auto Incorporated, clarified the situation: “We’re on dollies, where the front wheels normally wouldn’t roll. You couldn’t engage the emergency brake because the keys were either unavailable or gone. What happened is, as you got to the corner, one of the straps that secures the truck released.”
The incident took place in the westbound lanes of the Beltline as the tow truck was just about to exit at 260 A-B onto Fish Hatchery Road. Despite the driver’s attempts to stop it, the vehicle crashed into a pole.
Fortunately, the owner of the SUV did not incur any expenses for the repairs. Schmidt commented, “We took the vehicle to the body shop, explained the situation to the owner, and covered the costs of the repairs. It’s our fault.”
He further acknowledged that whether the blame is on human error or equipment failure, accidents can happen. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
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