CALLICOON – On Monday, December 8, the Town of Callicoon Board discussed two road hazards that thwarted cleanup efforts during last week’s snowstorm: an abandoned car and improper snow removal. 

During his report, Highway Superintendent Ryan Bose said, “Last Tuesday night when we were out plowing, we had a person abandon their car out in the roadway.” 

Bose warned residents that any abandoned cars left in the roadway will be towed at the owner’s expense. 

“The other thing we had an issue with,” said Bose, “was people shoveling snow or plowing snow and leaving it out in the roadway, which is illegal according to the New York Vehicle Traffic Law; it prohibits individuals from placing or dropping injurious substances on a highway and requires immediate removal of any such material.” 

Bose issued another warning to residents that if snow left in the roadway causes an accident, the liability will fall back on the property owner.

Supervisor Tom Bose spoke to the snow removal issue, saying, “It’s a big safety hazard and a liability... But also about the abandoned car – they left it there with the 4-ways on and the town truck could not get around it. But think about this – what if an ambulance was needed there or a firetruck needed beyond it, you wouldn’t have emergency vehicle access. They weren’t stuck, right? They were just parked and left it?”

Ryan said, “They pulled it out of the driveway and there was no one around the house, no one to be seen.” Ryan said he honked his horn and went to the front door but nobody answered. “They eventually showed back up with another car hooked on a tow-truck, so I don’t know how they did what they did,” said Bose.

Tom asked, “You had actually already contacted the tow company to come tow it, correct?”

Ryan responded, “I did. By the time they were making their way there, the owners had gotten back to the car.”

Tom said, “We certainly don’t want to cost anybody any money to tow their cars, but if they present a hazard and we cannot remove the snow properly, effectively, safely, and it’s a problem for emergency vehicles, they will be towed.”