Companies that remove vehicles from the scene of an accident in Pasco County must be sure to clear away the crash debris, too.
That’s the word from the Pasco County Commission, which adopted an ordinance to that effect during the board’s Oct. 20 meeting.
Commissioner Mike Wells had called for the local ordinance in the spring, to ensure that towing companies do a thorough job when clearing accident scenes.
County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder said the ordinance came to commissioners several months ago, but was delayed because of the pandemic.
“It basically mirrors state law, but gives us some teeth with towing companies that fail to clean up the scene of an accident,” Steinsnyder said.
Wells told the county attorney: “I’m glad it has finally made it back to us.”
The ordinance says that the board “recognizes that its streets and intersections are littered with debris from accidents and that this debris creates dangerous conditions for other persons using the roads.”
It also requires that: “Any person removing a wrecked or damaged vehicle from a street, road, or highway shall remove and lawfully dispose of any glass, debris, or other injurious substance dropped upon the highway from such vehicle.”
The ordinance aims to hold tow-truck drivers to the standards that state law requires.
In calling for the ordinance earlier this year, Wells said he didn’t think every hauler is guilty of leaving debris in the road, but he wanted to increase the level of accountability.
The ordinance was adopted without public comment, on a 4-0 vote, with Commissioner Kathryn Starkey absent.
Published November 04, 2020
