Towing Operator Fined for Deceased Driver's Unpaid Insurance

A towing company operator in Taitung is furious after receiving a 3,000 NTD fine for unpaid mandatory vehicle insurance. The fine was issued by the Hsinchu Motor Vehicles Office and is being handled by the Taitung Motor Vehicles Office.

The operator, identified only as Mr. Wu, stated he initially suspected a scam but confirmed the fine's legitimacy at the motor vehicles office. He is incensed because the vehicle in question is not his, and he has no relation to the deceased owner. The incident occurred about 18 months ago when he was tasked with towing a car involved in a fatal accident.

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The fine is the most outrageous thing. I don't own this car, and they've wrongly identified me. It makes me furious.

According to Mr. Wu, the car, a red jeep owned by a Mr. Li, was severely damaged in the crash. The owner was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. Mr. Wu towed the wrecked vehicle to a roadside location, but the owner's family never claimed it, and he never received payment for the towing service.

He believes the fine was mistakenly issued because the wrecked jeep was later hit by a motorcycle. This incident may have prompted authorities to believe the vehicle was still in use, leading the Hsinchu Motor Vehicles Office to issue the fine without proper verification. The Taitung Motor Vehicles Office stated they were handling the fine as a transferred case and would investigate whether the issuance complied with regulations regarding vehicle owners or actual users.

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We have never encountered a similar case before. Fines for mandatory insurance typically target the owner or the actual user. We need to investigate whether this case meets the regulations.