A North Caroling towing company put the brakes on a truck driver hauling hurricane relief supplies yesterday when they booted his truck and asked for $3000 to remove the boot.
The incident happened yesterday in Charlotte, North Carolina, when truck driver Hazim Dzananovic parked in a shopping center parking lot to check on directions to a Red Cross drop-off center. Dzananovic was hauling 25,000 pounds of hurricane relief supplies including batteries and medical supplies from Missouri to a drop-off location in Charlotte.
The lot was clearly marked with signs forbidding any truck parking at any time.
As Dzananovic sat in his truck trying to sort out directions, an employee with Carolina’s Towing attached boots to two of Dzananovic’s tires and demanded $3000 to remove them.
Dzananovic said that he immediately explained that he was hauling hurricane supplies but was unable to convince the Carolina’s Towing employee to remove the boot. Dzananovic also says that he contacted local police for help but didn’t get any.
However, when Dzananovic’s boss contacted local news station NBC Charlotte, they were able to get the situation turned around quickly.
After NBC Charlotte stepped in, Carolina’s Towing agreed to refund the $3000 plus $600 in credit card fees. A spokesman for the company called the incident a “misunderstanding” and says they they will also be collecting and donating items for hurricane relief as an added gesture of good faith.
In the video below, you can see footage filmed by Dzananovic of the confrontation between himself and the Carolina’s Towing employee.