Adam Ford
F L I N T O I D
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http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-40/11661096083050.xml&coll=5
FLINT - A fatal crash last week cost a Flint man several broken bones and the life of his third cousin.
Now, a local towing company is demanding more than $300 for what's left of the man's wrecked pickup truck.
Gerald Persails, 63, had just dropped off his fiancee at work Dec. 6 when an oncoming pickup slid out of control on Fenton Road in Fenton Township and slammed into his 1990 GMC Sierra one-ton pickup.
The impact killed Kathy Nichols - a relative of Persails who was behind the wheel of the other pickup - and sent Persails to the hospital with a shattered wrist, three broken ribs and a broken ankle.
The bad news, however, didn't end there.
Persails' son, Gerald Jr., said that when he tried to get his father's truck back, he was told he had to pay $335 because the Genesee County Sheriff's Department had put a hold on the vehicle.
"I don't feel it's our responsibility to pay if the police are holding it," said Gerald Persails Jr.
Genesee County Sheriff Robert J. Pickell said he understands the frustration, but police impound cars involved in fatal crashes to make sure they are secure until the investigation is done.
When it comes time to release those vehicles, Pickell said the owners are responsible for the towing and storage bill.
"It's really unfortunate that, even though we impound, the public has to pay for it," said Pickell. "It would be cost prohibitive for us to pay for it."
The tow company, Complete Towing, did not respond to a request for comment.
Although the family wants the truck back for sentimental reasons, Persails Jr. said he told Complete that they could keep it for scrap and parts if they called the bill even.
Instead, Persails Jr. said Complete offered to buy the wrecked truck for $100 but said the family will still have to pay the other $235 on the bill.
"We'll probably just give them the title and owe them the rest," said Persails Jr.
With Christmas right around the corner and his father due to return to the hospital for surgery Friday, Persails Jr. said the timing couldn't be worse.
"I just wish there was a fair shake for the poor guy," he said. |
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