Detroit Towing sends a flatbed or winch-equipped truck to clear a crashed vehicle from traffic in Detroit, MI, day or night Monday through Saturday. The crew works the scene alongside police, hooks up whatever the impact left drivable or not, and hauls it to a shop, a driveway, or a yard. Rated 5.0 from 15 reviews.
A car that won't move after a wreck isn't a normal tow call — it's a scene. Detroit Towing's trucks carry chains and a winch in addition to the flatbed deck, because a vehicle pushed into a ditch, a median, or up against a guardrail usually can't just be driven up a ramp. The driver works around whatever the responding officer needs first — clearing a lane, keeping the wreckage stable — and loads it once the scene is released.
Collisions don't wait for business hours, so trucks run every day of the week except Sunday afternoon, when the shop switches to a shorter 12:30–5:30 PM window. Outside that stretch, dispatch stays live around the clock, because a car blocking a lane at 3 a.m. is still a car blocking a lane.
What happens when the tow truck reaches the crash?
The driver checks whether the vehicle can be winched clear from where it landed or needs to come out on chains first, then decides between hook-and-chain and flatbed loading based on how the car is sitting and how bad the damage looks. A car with a bent axle or a wheel that won't turn goes on the flatbed — dragging it on its own wheels only tears up what's left of the suspension.
Where does the vehicle go after it's loaded?
Wherever it needs to go next — a body shop, the owner's home, or an impound lot — dispatched out of Detroit Towing's shop on Woodbine St. The driver will ask before loading, since a car headed to a shop for repair gets tied down differently than one headed to a yard for the insurance company to total out.
Does the driver need anything from me at the scene?
Just where the car should go once it's loaded — a shop, a driveway, or a lot — and a number to reach if plans change before the truck arrives. Everything else, the winching, the loading, the paperwork with whoever's directing traffic, is handled on-site.
Will the tow truck work with the police at the scene?
Yes — the driver coordinates with whoever's managing the crash before touching the vehicle, since traffic control and any accident photos usually come first. Once the scene is released, the truck loads fast to get the lane open again.
Is Detroit Towing available at 2 a.m. after a wreck?
Yes — Monday through Saturday a truck rolls any hour, including 2 a.m. Sunday is the single exception, running a shorter afternoon block rather than the full day.
What if my car won't roll after the crash?
That's what the flatbed and winch are for. A car with a locked-up wheel or a bent frame gets winched onto the flatbed deck rather than dragged on its tires, which avoids making the damage worse.
Does accident recovery cover areas outside the immediate neighborhood?
Yes — dispatch covers 20 service areas, not just the blocks around the Woodbine St shop. Call to confirm a specific location is inside that coverage before the truck rolls.