Can a car be towed if someone is there to pick up the car at an arrest?
My sister in laws boyfriend was pulled over and arrested for no DL. She got to the store where the arrest was being made at and the officer would not let her take the car after they searched the vehicle, stating the car had to be towed because the person driving it was had no DL. The officer told my sister in law that if she paid the tow truck driver the 175 she could take the car. She walked to go get the money from her rides car and when she came back the tow truck driver said the cop told him to load it up so now it would be 250. Is any of this right? What can one do at a time like this? She cant call the cops for help if the cops are the ones reaching out to the tow truck? I thought if someone was there to take the vehicle after an arrest they cant call for a tow truck.
Traffic Lawyer Richard Simon’s Answer
It appears not much she can do in the situation because the police are protected by immunity and if she could the damages at max are $250 and more likely to be $75. Sounds like a crappy deal to me.