Posted 10/24/2006 05:51:00 PM by Douglas

Please be careful if you're wrecker driver that repossesses cars

A dispute between a wrecker driver and car owner escalated into gunfire followed by a high-speed chase that ended when the vehicle in tow broke loose and crashed into a taco stand in northeast Harris County, sheriff's deputies said.

The wrecker driver was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Deputies were questioning the vehicle's owners and family.

The wrecker told deputies that he was towing a repossessed vehicle from a residence in northeast Houston when the owners drove up. A chase ensued and the owners fired multiple gunshots at the wrecker before he lost control on the Eastex Freeway feeder at Darwin. The car he was towing during the chase broke loose and crashed into a taco stand, deputies said.

The owners accused the wrecker of trying to steal their car. They also alleged that the wrecker driver drove his truck into their car before fleeing with their other vehicle in tow.

Ouch.