I have to admit that in my more than 10 years as a reporter I have not seen a crash like this one before.
Officers in Car 9 in Lowell parked off Gorham Street tonight and called for a tow truck after discovering they had a flat tire. A truck from Kazanjian’s Towing arrived at the scene, parked next to the cruiser, and the truck’s driver lowered the ramp and prepared to haul the cruiser away.
Police tell me that both the tow truck and cruiser had their emergency lights on.
Firefighters were just down the street, backing into the Gorham Street fire station, when they saw this happened.
Car 9 radioed dispatch at 9:57 p.m.
The van picture above was heading inbound on Gorham Street, near Chambers Street, in a pouring rain, when it struck the lowered ramp of the tow truck pictured in the background.
I think you can see what happened as a result.
The officers in Car 9 were not hurt and neither was the tow truck driver.
The van’s driver, who was not immediately identified, was freed from the van after firefighters cut the windshield out. I’m told he was taken to Lowell General Hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.
I asked if there were signs alcohol was involved. I was told no.
It was pouring at the scene of this, but that didn’t stop a fairly good-sized crowd from coming out of the Catcher’s Mitt and other nearby buildings to check things out.
It might be fortunate this turned out how it did. I’m still imagining what could have happened if this van had driven up the truck’s ramp, instead of just clipping it.
I’m thinking Dukes of Hazard, except with a result that is anything but entertaining.
Stay safe out there Lowell. You never know what this city has in store.
that tow truck drive had no right to park in the middle of the road and these lazy ass cops need to learn how to change a tire it unreal what happens in this city and its never the cops fault or the tow truck drivers something needs to be done about them
1. If tow trucks can’t park in the road, where do they go to tow cars?
2. I’ve seen many a police cruiser trunk. They have shotguns and road cones back there. Not spare tires. It’s not a question of know how, it’s a question of equipment.
How do you change a flat when you don’t have a spare?
Are you suggesting cops should carry spare tires instead of firearms, and that tow trucks should be limited to only towing vehicles that break down in yards or forested areas?
There are many credible and important reasons for all of us to criticize both police officers and tow truck drivers.
Have we identified any of them in here?
Hey Anonymous…..the police & the tow trucks pay taxes and do their jobs –use your brain!