A WOMAN’s car has been left missing for months after it was towed following a crash.
Now, drawing the attention of city officials, the missing motor could be a small part of a major corruption scandal.
YouTube @KSDK NewsA woman’s car has disappeared for months after it was towed[/caption] YouTube @KSDK NewsThe city’s tow facilities have come under scrutiny[/caption] YouTube @KSDK NewsTwo months later, her car remains missing and is possibly swept up in a corruption scandal[/caption] YouTube @KSDK NewsShe’s questioned why anyone would any one would want to steal a car that wasn’t drivable[/caption]In a report by KSDK, Deborah Cohen of St. Louis, Missouri, revealed how her damaged Hyundai Accent vanished after a crash back in March.
Two months later, Cohen’s car remains missing and is possibly swept up in a corruption scandal that has already seen the prosecution and discovery of nearly $5 million in missing vehicles.
Puzzled by the theft, Cohen, whose 2019 Hyundai was rear-ended by another car on March 7, said to reporters: “Why would anybody steal a car that wasn’t drivable?”
The case eventually drew the attention of city officials amid a widening investigation into the St. Louis Tow Lot.
A March audit revealed 568 of 1,133 vehicles, worth $5 million, are unaccounted for in city records.
Talking to KSDK’s 5 On Your Side, Cohen said that St. Louis firefighters who responded to her accident advised her against waiting for her own towing service as darkness approached.
She recalled: “I said, ‘Well I’m gonna call, I have towing.
“They said, ‘No, we do not want you waiting out here as it starts to get darker.
“We do not want you waiting out here, we will take you home.
“We will call and get you a city tow.'”
The firefighters gave Cohen a ride home with what Cohen described as a guarantee that her car would be picked up and towed to the city lot.
But upon checking the next morning, she discovered no record of her vehicle.
Cohen said: “So I put in the VIN and there was no car registered.
“So I called the city tow after it didn’t come up and they said, ‘Well, we have no record of your car.'”
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department examined tow truck records, license plate scanner data and service calls from that night but found no evidence firefighters ever requested a tow truck.
The Fire Department maintains that it does not call for tow trucks as a matter of policy, stating that responsibility belongs to the police under Missouri state law.
The surveillance footage that might have captured what happened to the vehicle that night is now gone, officials have said.
Real-time Crime Center cameras in the area only retain video for 60 days and the police have since listed the vehicle as stolen.
Alderman Daniela Velazquez, who has been helping Cohen, said: “I hope for her sake that her car wasn’t involved in some of the allegations that are going around with the towing department, but we just don’t know.
“The car still hasn’t been found.”
Revelations of widespread corruption at the city’s tow facilities means Cohen’s missing Hyundai has taken on new significance.
Alleged systematic theft of vehicle and cash from whistleblowers is being investigated by federal prosecutors.
More than $80,000 in cash remains unaccounted for and a third of tow tickets were either missing, incomplete or showed incorrect amounts, according to an audit from former Comptroller Darlene Green’s office.
According to court records, former employees who reported corruption faced retaliation.
A 23-year-old city employee, Angelica Woods, was awarded $257,000 in damages by a federal jury after being terminated for discussing her concerns with 5 On Your Side’s investigative unit.
Speaking on her decision to come forwards, Woods said: “Because a lot of cash was being taken under the table here.
“It was a lot of corruption within the city.”
Since then, two additional former tow lot employees have stepped forward with similar allegations spanning from 2020 to 2023.
George Hooker worked for the city for 14 years, serving as the tow lot’s auctioneer.
He claimed vehicles were being misappropriated, saying: “A lot of the employees was taking the cars and benefiting for themselves.”
Cohen began to wonder if her car had been caught up in scheme, saying: “I happened to see the story and I’m thinking, ‘Hmm, I wonder if that’s what happened to my car.'”
Mayor Cara Spencer acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating: “This audit, which was quietly released in March, should not have been swept under the rug.”
But at the same time, she also called on police to crack down on reckless driving and impound the vehicles involved.
Such a solution requires trust in the city’s tow lot operations.
The audit recommends transitioning to online transactions from cash payments and implementing a digital system to keep track of all records.
Cohen’s investigation has now reached an impasse with no surveillance footage or clear answers from the firefighters involved.
The situation mirrors the larger challenges facing city officials attempting to get to the bottom of years of alleged misconduct.
What to do if your car is towed
Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.
If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.
Steps to take when your car is towed:
Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial. Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail. Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative. Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:
Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle. Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better. Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state. Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly. Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases. Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm
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