Colorado Springs Tow-truck driver dead after being dragged
This is pretty gruesome. What a way to die.
THE GAZETTE - Colorado Springs
A tow-truck driver was killed Wednesday morning after being dragged more than a mile by a sport-utility vehicle he was attempting to tow from an apartment complex in east Colorado Springs, police said.
The victim — whose name wasn't released — was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital Central about 11:30 a.m., police said.
John Stellabotte, the owner of J & J Towing, said police told him his driver was in the process of towing an illegally parked vehicle at the Hill Park Apartments at 360 N. Murray Blvd. when the owner jumped inside and took off.
Sgt. Steve Noblitt said the driver drove away in the sport-utility vehicle that was about to be towed — but did not address details of how the victim became ensared or whether the driver knew what was happening.
Witnesses said at least one of the man's legs were caught by a chain, and that he was screaming loudly.
Klaus Klapac, owner of Klaus Towing of Colorado Springs, said Allen Rose was among the drivers who worked for J & J Towing. A spokesman for Memorial Hospital confirmed that a man by that name died in the emergency room this morning.
Police spokesman Sgt. Darrin Abbink said police were interviewing several "persons of interest," including an occupant of the sport-utility vehicle.
The police Major Crimes unit was sent to investigate.
The victim was found at Babcock Road and Platte Avenue, just west of Powers Boulevard and 1.2 miles from the scene of the tow-job-gone-bad, police said. Blood streaked long stretches of Platte Avenue, and boots, a tattered jacket, a ball cap, wallet and other articles were scattered along the road.
"A crime scene this size stretches our resources thin," Noblitt said.
After the dragging victim fell off, the driver of the sport-utility vehicle turned around in the median on Platte and reversed direction, Noblitt said.
The vehicle — a black GMC — was stopped at Bridger Place and Bridger Drive.
A homeowner in the area said he went outside and saw officers interviewing a female who was apparently in the SUV. It's unclear whether that person was the driver, and police have released no information about the SUV's driver.
Many streets remain closed, and police were urging motorists to avoid the area. The traffic disruption was expected to continue through rush hour.
Two witnesses outside Family Liquor in the 400 block of Murray Boulevard saw the man being dragged behind the vehicle. His leg appeared to be caught in a chain, and he was "screaming and yelling — I felt his pain," one witness said.
One of them ran after the vehicle in an unsuccessful attempt to stop it. The vehicle turned right and disappeared down a frontage road that runs south of Platte Avenue, still dragging the screaming man, he said.
Dominique Morneau, 15, said she was walking out of the Walgreen's at Platte Avenue and Murray Boulevard with her grandmother when she saw that man being dragged about 10 to 15 feet behind the truck.
"Our condolences go straight out to the family and the loved one," Morneau said.
A police cordon surrounded the Hill Park Apartments complex, preventing anyone from entering.
A man who answered the phone in the apartment management office declined to comment.
Read more: http://www.gazette.com/articles/drag...#ixzz1EpLs5mJj
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