Trash Talk: Abandoned Cars Dot Area Roadsides
There’s plenty of litter along the side of the roads. But sometimes Birmingham’s biggest trash rolls on four wheels. And law enforcement officials say abandoned cars are not only a nuisance, but safety hazards as well.
On a recent morning, Cameron Creighton of Weil Wrecker was dispatched to First Avenue North near East Lake Park to remove an abandoned vehicle from the roadside.
Weil Wrecker handles much of the towing for Birmingham and several other cities in Jefferson County. The company estimates it tows about 100 abandoned cars every month.
But this isn’t just a Birmingham-area problem. A state database of abandoned or unclaimed cars lists vehicles from almost every corner of the state.
Birmingham policeman Roderick Shelby, who was on the scene as Creighton collected the abandoned BMW, says abandoned cars create dangerous situations. This car was almost right in front of a business, he says.
“If a person was trying to go out on the main street, they can’t see the oncoming car,” he says.
The BMW sat on the side of the road for several days. A business owner from nearby called to report the vehicle several times, Shelby says.
The tow truck driver hauled the car to a vehicle storage lot. Owners can reclaim their cars, but if they don’t get them in a couple months, state law allows them to be auctioned.
State Trooper Corporal Steve Smith says law enforcement officers try to remove abandoned vehicles especially quickly from interstates and construction zones. When officers spot a deserted vehicle, they place an orange sticker on the window. That sticker helps officers track how long the car has been abandoned and it tells the owner they must remove their vehicle.
Most of the time, cars on the side of the road are just disabled, Smith says. But, “there are occasions when a car breaks down and they (the owner) decide for whatever reason, ‘I’m done with that car. I’m leaving it here.’”
Cars have to be hauled away on interstates and in construction zones to prevent shoulders and emergency lanes from being blocked, Smith says.
“If there is a wreck out here on 65, and your car is broke down in the emergency lane, then emergency personnel can’t get to where they need to go,” he says. “There’s all kinds of reasons why your car will be towed and it will towed at your expense.”
Towing and daily fees could add up to hundreds of dollars. But Smith says drivers can avoid that extra expense by calling police, state troopers, or the Alabama Department of Transportation when they’re stalled on the side of the road.
.
Mentally ill people are stuck in jail because they can’t get treatment. Here’s what’s to know
Hundreds of people across Alabama await a spot in the state’s increasingly limited facilities, despite a consent decree requiring the state to address delays in providing care for people who are charged with crimes but deemed too mentally ill to stand trial. But seven years since the federal agreement, the problem has only worsened.
Ivey appoints Will Parker to Alabama Supreme Court
Parker fills the court seat vacated by Bill Lewis who was tapped by President Donald Trump for a federal judgeship. The U.S. Senate last month confirmed Lewis as a U.S. district judge.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
