Springfield police chase the latest in a string of legal issues at Affordable Towing
A sizable red tow truck barreled though Springfield on Monday afternoon, nearly striking several vehicles as it fled police, officials say.
It took a multi-agency pursuit — videos of the harrowing incident made their way to social media — and ultimately a spike strip to disable the vehicle, which stopped at Walnut Street and Kansas Expressway.
Affordable Towing driver William Sipple, an employee of the company for several years, was arrested and booked for allegedly driving while intoxicated and resisting by fleeing, creating a substantial risk of injury or death.
“Due to the dangerous actions, this driver had to be stopped before injuring or killing innocent citizens," Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott said.
It's been a tumultuous year for the towing company, which said it terminated Sipple's employment following his arrest.
Owner Dennis Cleveland pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the federal Clean Air Act earlier this year, relating the emissions of his tow trucks. He subsequently violated the terms of his parole, according to court records, and was arrested in July.
Investigators said Cleveland oversaw the modification and deletion of emissions control systems of diesel trucks for at least two years, between July 2020 and October 2022. They say the purpose of this was to allow the company to operate the vehicles without the expense of installing and maintaining the devices, which are required under the Clean Air Act.
The documents say Cleveland bought straight pipes, race pipes and exhaust gas recirculation delete kits among other items intended to modify the vehicles. They say he also downloaded software that tampered with diagnostic systems reports of emissions on the trucks.
Cleveland is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 19.
Three years ago, Affordable Towing faced a wrongful death lawsuit after one of its drivers inadvertently backed up its truck and hit Matt Canovi, a 63-year-old safety expert and host of The Gun Show on KSGF. Canovi called for a tow truck on May 3, 2020 after he got a flat tire on Highway 65 near Chestnut Expressway in Springfield.
Christie Engle, who has been overseeing operations of the towing company this year as Cleveland deals with legal issues, has been aware of the negative publicity.
"We've been working hard to improve and rebuild our reputation," Engle told the News-Leader.
Sipple had 30 years of driving experience with no issues until Monday, Engle said.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Affordable Towing's police chase latest in series of legal issues
