Town of New Hartford NEW YORK

TOWN of NEW HARTFORD

ONEIDA COUNTY

NEW HARTFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT

32 KELLOGG ROAD, NEW HARTFORD, NEW YORK 13413-2850

 Telephone: 1-315-733-6666

Fax: 1-315-724-8618

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05-27-07

Charges Filed Against Tow Truck Driver                                                  

A Tow Truck Driver was charged Sunday afternoon after New Hartford Police stopped his tow truck after observing that the vehicle being towed was falling apart littering the highway with debris.

New Hartford Police were alerted by cell phone callers that a tow truck towing another vehicle was traveling on Route 8 and there was smoke and sparks coming from the vehicle being towed. Police located and stopped the tow truck on Route 840 near Commercial Drive. Police discovered that the vehicle being towed, a junk pick up truck, had started to fall apart. One of it’s front tires had fallen off which resulted in the steel wheel coming in contact with the pavement resulting in the smoke and sparking condition. The body of the towed vehicle had shifted and began to fall off. This resulted in portions of the body being dragged on the highway. Debris from the tire and body fell onto the highway.

Patrolman Steven Snyder charged the driver of the tow truck, Rocco G. Pupino, age 53 of Deansboro with driving with a suspended license and for failing to surrender a suspended drivers license, both misdemeanors. Pupino was also issued traffic tickets for operating a vehicle with an over width load and depositing refuse material on the highway and upon lands adjacent to the highway. Pupino is scheduled to appear in New Hartford Court on June 5th to answer the charges.

Although Pupino was aware of the condition of pickup truck being towed and that debris was being dropped, he made no effort to stop and fix the situation.

Contact: Patrolman Steven Snyder, 733-6666

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