Truck driver charged $44,000 for highway rescue

Staff members at a rescue station on a Highway in Hunan Province charged a freight truck driver more than 27 thousand yuan (around $44,000) for towing his truck to a parking lot five kilometers away.

Staff members at a rescue station on a Highway in Hunan Province charged a freight truck driver more than 27 thousand yuan (around $44,000) for towing his truck to a parking lot five kilometers away, after it hit the barriers and the driver asked for help.

According to Changsha Evening post, the truck crushed the barriers as it ran on the Changliu highway in Liuyang City September 19. The truck then tilted but did not overturn.

The driver, surnamed Luo, was sent to hospital and handed a bill of around 27 thousand yuan.

Luo was shocked by the expensive charge. After bargaining, the price was finally reduced to 21 thousand yuan.

When asked about the charging standard for the rescue service, a staff member of the station said the 21 thousand yuan charge includes a 14 thousand yuan charge for using the cranes.

"Part of the truck ran out of roadbed, so we could charge without following the charging standard of highway rescue. The price should be negotiated by the two sides. The reason for setting the price so high is because rescue in the highway is very difficult and risky," the staff member added.

However, Luo said the staff members did not negotiate with him before towing the truck.

The Price Bureau of Liuyang City also said the relevant regulation for rescue charges in highway is only valid for the rescue inside the roadbed. Therefore, the authority can not intervene as the rescue work was carried out outside the roadbed.