How to find your abandoned vehicle before it gets towed tonight
Warning: Find your car before 9 p.m.
- Joeff Davis/CL File
- Don't get towed!
If you're among the thousands of stranded motorists who abandoned vehicles on the metro Atlanta freeways Tuesday afternoon or evening, you have until 9 p.m. to fetch your frozen ride before the state tows it.
In the meantime, emergency crews will give people a lift back to their abandoned cars and trucks, including free gas and a jump start, if necessary. The chance to thank - or yell - at a state worker along the way about disastrous snow planning could be a free bonus.
Atlanta officials won't immediately tow abandoned vehicles within city limits, but Fulton County workers are already removing some vehicles, according to county spokespeople.
Whether on the state highways, city thoroughfares, or county streets, many vehicles have been moved out of travel lanes to the nearby roadside. Don't expect your car to be exactly where you left it.
For safety reasons, aim to fetch your car before nightfall. Be sure to drive carefully as melting snow and thawing ice is expected to freeze over again tonight.
As metro Atlanta tries to make its roadways stop looking like the opening credits of a "Walking Dead" episode, here's who to contact for help:
Interstates:
After 9 p.m. tonight, the Georgia State Patrol will begin towing any and all abandoned vehicles state troopers spot on the interstates. To get a free ride to your vehicle and roadside assistance, there are two staging areas depending on where you bailed out earlier this week.
Motorists who left their cars on I-20 and I-285 West should go to the West Lake MARTA Station parking lot, located at 80 Anderson Ave. in Atlanta.
Commuters who abandoned their vehicles on I-75, the top end (northern) area of I-285 and the Downtown Connector (I-75/I-85 interchange) should head to the Mount Paran Church's parking area, which is located at 2055 Mount Paran Road in Atlanta.
Either way, bring your car keys and driver's license. If your vehicle already was towed for emergency reasons, officials can check a database and tell you where to find it.
If you discover your car was towed off the interstate after 9 p.m. tonight, call Georgia's traffic hotline at 5-1-1 to receive help.
The free rides to abandoned vehicles are being provided by GSP, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, National Guard troops, and the Department of Transportation's HERO roadside rescue unit.
Fulton County:
If you left your car on Fulton's streets and are unable locate it, call the county's non-emergency hotline at 404-730-7911. You can also try S&W Towing at 404-622-8360.
Still lost?:
If you left your vehicle in another area or are still having trouble finding it, call GDOT at 877-694-2511.