LEITCHFIELD, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Some local veterans are taking aim at a Leitchfield towing company after they say one of their own is ripped off. Timothy Elliott, a decorated veteran, was involved in a motorcycle crash just outside Leitchfield, Ky. earlier this month.
Elliott is still in the hospital due to injuries of compound fractures in his leg, a broken hip and a broken back. Friends of the family say Elliott is doing well. He has already gone through three surgeries and is now focusing on healing. In the meantime, some Leitchfield veterans are focusing on getting justice.
On July 7, Elliott was riding this motorcycle and hit a car at the intersection of Blackrock Road and Highway 62, just outside of Leitchfield. He was airlifted to University Hospital and his motorcycle was taken to Ben Ward's towing facility.
Neil Carroll, along with several other local veterans, came here to get the bike expecting to pay a couple hundred dollars, but the bill they got was much more than that. Carroll says "It was a whole lot more expensive than what we were told over the phone. It went from $180 to $520 […] $520 to tow a bike for three and a half miles is just outrageous."
The bill shows $100 for hauling the motorcycle on a flatbed, $200 for wrenching, $50 for road clean up, $50 labor for an extra man, $60 for two days of storage, and $60 for mileage. A major discrepancy is how far the crash site is from the towing company’s lot because most companies charge per mile.
WHAS tested the distance by driving from the crash site to the lot and the odometer showed 3.7 miles, but Ward’s company is charging for 12 miles. The group of veterans says that some the other charges are outrageous, too, so we called several local tow companies and found that the cost would be nowhere near $520 from this crash site.
Ward’s towing company said "I did nothing wrong." However, these Leitchfield veterans disagree and say they will fight to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.
