Beaten Utah Tow Truck Driver Speaks Out
Disclaimer: Some of the images included in this story may be disturbing.
SALT LAKE CITY, March 12, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – Today we have an exclusive interview with Taylorsville resident Eric Ballaine, who woke up in a pool of blood having been beaten unconscious after attempting to tow someone’s car Tuesday night.
The 20-year-old, who has worked for a towing company for less than a month, was called to Lennox Apartments in Midvale around midnight to tow a car that didn’t have a parking permit.
“We have companies where we go to people’s parking lots and they want those parking lots clean without other cars parked there for a long time,” he said. “I saw a black Toyota Camry, saw it didn’t have a permit on it, checked the car, got back in the tow truck, and as I was backing up to it, I heard a “Hey,” so I jumped out of the tow truck, went to turn around and got blind sided, knocked out cold.” He woke up about half an hour later and the truck was still running, the keys were still in it and the door was open. “I reached in my pocket and called 911, cops took about five or 10 minutes to get there and when they got there I couldn’t even identify myself, they had to identify me from my wallet.” He was taken to the IHC on State Street for X-rays, where they found no broken bones. He does, however, have a concussion, dislocated jaw, bruising and road rash.
Ballaine said he intends to press charges, but is afraid of repercussions. “I don’t remember getting hit, but the police are guessing it was with a solid object because of the bruising and all that,” he said. “Waking up in a pool of blood, that scared the crap out of me, my family is scared because we don’t know if they can find me, and come back after me. They were trying to kill me, and they didn’t finish.”
He described the Camry as having Aftermarket rims.
“We’ve got very little information,” Lt. Justin Hoyal of the Unified Police Department told Gephardt Daily. “The victim was getting ready a black car, somebody came up from behind him and hit him, which knocked him unconscious. The only suspect description we have is male. That is all he could tell us. There was at least one male there.”
The Police Department is asking that anyone with information call 801.743.7000
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