What’s the most damage you expect one driver can do in a single crash? If you said anything less than wreck three pickup trucks, I have a story for you! It’s a story that many Southern Californians–especially from Sherman Oaks–may already know.
Our mystery driver somehow got their hands on a red rollback tow truck–which looks to be an International Harverster/Navistar. Perhaps they stole it, or maybe they found a way to borrow it. Though considering the lack of skill they later demonstrated, I doubt they drove it professionally.
They drove the heavy-duty work truck into Sherman Oaks. Then the thief found a large, black, Ford Super Duty truck he liked. So what did he do? He backed up, dropped the rollback, loaded the truck, and strapped it in place. At this point, they might have congratulated themselves on how smooth the heist had gone. Maybe they even wondered at how easy it was to steal a car once you have the right tool for the job. Then they tried to drive away.
The three-truck wreck
Security footage from a nearby Ring doorbell shows the red truck careening down the street, even on a straightaway. I am not sure if someone sounded the alarm, forcing the driver to flee in a hurry. The Ford Super Duty it hauled was far from secure, and its swinging wildly back and forth must have made the tow truck a real bear to drive.
First, the driver tried to take a righthand corner and the Super Duty in back swung wildly to the left side. Then the tow truck wandered all the way into the wrong lane before side-swiping a third truck: A white second-gen Toyota Tundra.
At that point, the situation went truly sideways. And by the situation, I mean the Super Duty. The Ford slid off the tow truck and crashed onto the Toyota Tundra. The entire scene is a truck fan’s nightmare. The operator of the wrecked red tow truck then drove off, and police are still trying to hunt them down.
Residents report this isn’t the first time a fake tow truck driver tried to nab vehicles from the neighborhood. Let’s hope that after this disaster, it’s the last time. For trucks’ sake.
