Towing Issues: Roll over Vehicle Towing charges in California, jeep cheroke, storage fee

Question
I rolled over my Jeep cheroke the other  night in California. Forunately I was safe, the cops however called a towing company and have them tow away the car. They are demanding $500 plus $70 a day storage fee/per day. Are these reasonable charges. They say they are charging extra becuase it was a roll-over and for clean-up


Answer
Well I do know that everything is more expensive in California but the storage fee is a bit high to me (heck we get 25.00 a day here in Alabama)

Now as to the $500.00, well accident fees and such are set by CHP now with most of the local police departments following the prices... A simple driver arrest tow of a vehicle is not a complicated job to do, hook it and go.

But a rolled over vehicle means that there are more labor charges to roll it over, then hook it up, clean the roadways (by law the vehicle owner is responsible for all debris clean up from accidents) and as such it does take longer to do the job, and is much more dangerous to be doing... Do you want to grab a broom and sweep up glass and debris in the roadway while traffic is still moving past at 30 or more mph???

We as towers do that everyday as part of the job, and yet the general motoring public does not care to slow down for safety of us or other personal on scene... (just last night the local Fire Department (volunteer) was working a wreck on the highway 1/2 mile from my house when a semi truck just about took out 2 firemen and the fire truck at 60 MPH )

But in a short answer to the basic question you asked, the charges seem reasonable, and if you have insurance for collision and comprehensive (full coverage) then the insurance should cover the fees, but if you elected to not carry all the insurance you were in a nut shell agreeing to being responsible for fees if you had an accident.