Nepean Towing provides accident recovery in Ottawa for vehicles that have been in a collision and cannot be driven away from the scene. Call (613) 619-4545 any time and we dispatch across the Ottawa-Gatineau area to recover your vehicle and transport it to your chosen destination, whether that is a body shop, dealership, or your home.
Post-accident towing is a different operation from a standard breakdown tow. The vehicle may not roll, steer, or sit level. Airbags may have deployed. Fluids may be leaking. Emergency services may still be on scene. Our operators are prepared for all of this and work within the requirements of the situation rather than rushing the job.
Accident recovery towing differs from a standard breakdown tow in several important ways. A breakdown vehicle is typically intact, level, and can be attached using normal connection points. A collision-damaged vehicle may have compromised suspension, bent frame rails, deployed airbags, and fluid leaks that all need to be accounted for before the vehicle is moved. Our operator assesses the vehicle's condition on arrival and determines the safest approach before connecting.
In many post-accident situations, flatbed transport is the correct method regardless of the vehicle's drivetrain. If the suspension is damaged, the vehicle cannot safely roll on its own wheels. If the steering is compromised, wheel-lift towing creates an unpredictable load. Loading onto a flatbed keeps the vehicle stable with all four wheels secured and off the road for the entire transport. For vehicles with structural damage, we also take care with which points we use to connect rigging to avoid adding stress to already compromised components.
If Ottawa Police, OPP, or Ottawa Fire Services are still present at the accident scene, we work within their direction before moving any vehicle. Emergency personnel control the scene until they release it, and our operator will not connect to a vehicle or begin recovery until they receive clearance. If police are documenting the scene or waiting for an investigator, the vehicle stays in place until that process is complete.
When you call us from an active accident scene, let us know whether emergency services are present. This helps us give you an accurate picture of what the timeline looks like. We stage nearby if needed and move as soon as the scene is released to us. Rushing this process is not something we do under any circumstances.
Moving a vehicle involved in a collision before police have documented the scene can create problems with your insurance claim and, in some situations, carry legal consequences. If the accident involves injury, significant property damage, or another party, wait for police to arrive and release the scene before requesting that the vehicle be moved. Call us while you wait so we can be nearby and ready to proceed as soon as clearance is given.
If the vehicle is in a position that creates an active safety hazard for other traffic, advise the police on scene. They will determine whether moving it immediately is warranted.
The approach to loading a crash-damaged vehicle depends on its condition. A vehicle that can still roll and steer may be loaded onto a flatbed using its own wheels as a guide. A vehicle with a locked wheel, bent axle, or collapsed suspension requires a different method, often involving a skate or dolly to allow a wheel that cannot roll to be moved onto the deck without dragging. A vehicle that has rolled over or come to rest against a barrier may require winching before it can be positioned for loading.
We tell you what we are doing and why at each step. If there is a choice between two approaches and one carries more risk to the vehicle's remaining intact components, we explain that before proceeding. You are not required to accept the first method we suggest. Accident recovery is already a stressful situation and we do not add to it by moving without communication.
You choose the destination. We transport your vehicle to the body shop, dealership service centre, or storage location of your choice anywhere in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. If your insurance company has a preferred shop or has already authorized a specific destination, we go there. If you have not yet spoken to your insurance company at the time of the tow, we can take the vehicle to a secure location while you sort out the claim, and it can be moved again once a destination is confirmed.
View all towing options on our Towing Service Ottawa page.
If police are on scene, yes. Emergency services control the accident scene until they release it, and we work within their direction before moving any vehicle. Call us while you wait and we stage nearby so we can begin recovery as soon as clearance is given. If there are no police present and the other party has already left, you can authorize the tow directly.
Yes. A vehicle with a locked wheel, collapsed suspension, or bent axle can be moved using a skate or dolly that slides under the affected wheel and allows it to be transported without rolling. The vehicle is then loaded onto the flatbed and secured for transport. Our operator assesses the vehicle on arrival and determines the right approach based on what has been damaged.
You can do both at the same time or in either order. Calling us first gets a truck dispatched and on the way while you are still dealing with the immediate situation. Calling your insurance company first is worth doing if they have a preferred towing provider or body shop, since sending the vehicle to a non-preferred location can sometimes complicate the claim process. If you are unsure, call your insurer first to ask about the destination, then call us with that address and we go directly there.
You do, or your insurance company if they are directing the claim. We take the vehicle wherever you authorize. If your insurer has already named a preferred collision repair shop in Ottawa, we go there. If you have not spoken to your insurer yet, we can take it to a secure storage location while you sort out the claim. We do not take vehicles to any shop you have not authorized.
Airbag deployment itself does not change the towing method, but it is useful information because it tells us the collision was significant enough to trigger the system, which means there is likely structural involvement beyond what is visible on the exterior. Our operator treats the vehicle accordingly, checking frame and suspension condition before connecting and using flatbed transport to avoid putting additional stress on compromised components during the tow.
Call Nepean Towing. We dispatch across the Ottawa-Gatineau area 24 hours a day and work within emergency service direction to recover your vehicle safely.
(613) 619-4545
See all Ottawa towing services: Towing Service Ottawa
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