A Tesla driver is speaking out and sharing a disturbing video after he says his vehicle was towed while he was inside of it in Burnaby this week.
He claims he took the joyless and nonconsensual ride following a dispute with the tow truck operator over an unpaid parking ticket.
Garen Demacia was out with his partner on Sunday night when they noticed someone was getting ready to tow his car, which he had left charging at the EV stall near SFU Cornerstone.
Demacia didn’t pay for parking because he says he didn’t know he had to.
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“I immediately approached and identified myself as the car’s owner, then proceeded to sit in the driver’s seat.”
The towing operator, employed by Mundies Towing, informed the driver that the fee needed to be paid to release the Tesla.
But Demacia said he wasn’t going to pay a fee on the following grounds:
- They were presently seated in the car.
- They hadn’t requested the towing.
- They were unaware of any towing policy at the parking lot, especially as no such signage was evident at the parking spot.
He claims the towing operator became confrontational, using derogatory language towards him and his partner.
“He threatened to call the police if I didn’t comply with his demands. My response was that he should proceed, believing I hadn’t violated any laws.”
Nearly an hour later, to Demacia’s astonishment, he says the tow truck driver began moving the vehicle out of the parking lot with him inside. Two videos from the driver and his girlfriend, from two different angles, show the vehicle being towed with him inside of it.
Got this video from a driver who claims he was towed while still inside his car at #SFU Cornerstone in #Burnaby.
The towing company claims the driver was lying.
This video suggests otherwise.
Story coming. pic.twitter.com/ZSxSwlP9na
— Amir Ali ⌨️☕️🏴☠️ (@AmirsDoingItAll) August 29, 2023
— Amir Ali ⌨️☕️🏴☠️ (@AmirsDoingItAll) August 29, 2023
But, the tow company denies that happened as Demacia claims.
Rick Pennington with Mundie’s Towing told Daily Hive that Demacia’s Tesla was loaded for towing because of repeated violations and unpaid tickets.
“After we were loaded, a person showed up claiming to own the vehicle. We informed him that he would be required to pay the service call fee,” Pennington said.
“He got inside the car and refused to pay, saying we should bill the parking company. We explained that it did not work that way. He became annoyed and refused to get out of the car, at which time we had the RCMP attend, and when they addressed and agreed with the security parking attendant and our driver, he paid, and we left.”
Pennington added that the company does not tow vehicles with people in them, but “that is not to say people haven’t jumped into their vehicle while we are in motion, causing us to immediately stop and address the situation.”
Burnaby RCMP confirmed officers were called to that area to keep the peace between both parties; however, it did not provide more details into if anyone was at fault.
But for the Tesla driver, this fight is far from over. He says not only will he continue to dispute the ticket, but he’s furious with the company.
“My girlfriend even sustained minor injuries due to the reckless behaviour of the towing operator,” Demacia claimed, saying that she was standing outside the vehicle at the time and was scratched by the moving car.
They provided a photo of her injuries.
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A further request regarding the video was made to Mundie’s Towing, but the company has not yet responded. No video of the tow truck driver using offensive language was shared with Daily Hive.
Some believe that the driver was in the wrong.
Once the tow truck hooks your car up you must pay ..that just the way it is ..driver in the wrong
— L. Craig (@Lynncraig43) August 30, 2023
We have also contacted the parking company to verify Mundie’s claims of numerous violations and tickets.
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