Can you choose your own tow company after a crash, or does the responding officer decide? Here’s how it actually works.
Call (269) 925-9573This is general information about Michigan practice, not legal advice. Policies can vary by police department — when in doubt, ask the responding officer directly.
If you’re conscious, safe, and able to make the call at the scene, you can usually request the towing company you want instead of whichever truck the police department calls from its rotation list. Say so clearly and early — before dispatch happens, if possible. If your vehicle isn’t blocking traffic and there’s no safety issue, an officer will often accommodate a specific request. If the road needs to be cleared quickly for safety, the rotation truck may be dispatched regardless.
Most local police departments keep a rotation list — a rolling queue of licensed, insured towing companies they call in order for accident and abandoned-vehicle tows when the driver doesn’t request a specific company. Being on a department’s rotation list is something towing companies apply for and maintain through inspections and compliance, not something assigned randomly.
If you’re injured, unconscious, or otherwise unable to make a request at the scene, the responding officer will call whichever company is next on the rotation. That company still has to follow the same licensing, insurance, and storage-notice rules as any other Michigan tow operator — see our abandoned vehicle law guide for what happens if the vehicle sits unclaimed afterward.
Who pays the tow bill depends on your insurance policy and fault determination, not on who called the tow truck. Keep your paperwork — the tow receipt is something your insurance adjuster will likely ask for.
You can request Zielke Towing & Tire by name at the scene. Call (269) 925-9573 — we’re licensed, insured, and available 24/7 across Berrien and Van Buren County.