Police crack down on Ike-damaged junk cars

By Chris Paschenko
The Daily News

Published December 1, 2008

GALVESTON — Two months after Hurricane Ike flooded Galveston, police continue to find abandoned cars damaged by the rising water or crushed by falling debris.

One such car, with its roof crushed into a horseshoe shape possibly by a falling tree, appeared recently at 39th Street and Avenue N.

It is unclear whether someone towed the white Mercury with no license plates to that spot. However, judging from its roof, which was level with the hood and crushed to within 6 inches of the car’s automatic gear shifter, it is unlikely anyone could have driven it to that spot. There was also no evidence of trees or other debris that could have fallen on the car where it sat.

Galveston police placed a green, abandoned-car sticker on a flat piece of its quarter-panel, so a wrecker company could tow the piece of junk away.

The policy of towing abandoned cars doesn’t apply only to hurricane-damaged vehicles.

Police Capt. Henry Porretto said any car left unattended on a city street for more than 48 hours is subject to removal.

“We’re not going to let people store their junk on a city street,” Porretto said.

Police also placed an abandoned sticker last week on a pickup left at Sealy and Sixth streets. The owner had 48 hours to move it before it qualified for towing.

The pickup, which was parked with its rear end in the path of oncoming traffic, had a trashed cab and a miniature, plastic hand hanging on a chain from the rearview mirror. The hand formed an obscene gesture. Police wasted no time in tagging the truck.

It was unclear how many storm-damaged vehicles police had been ordered towed. According to city codes, the city must notify the owner or lien holder of the car’s towing, and any unclaimed vehicle can be sold at auction after 90 days, with the proceeds going to pay for future removals.

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