Driver cleared after towing minivan with toddler inside

WATERVILLE – No charges will be filed against a tow-truck driver who hauled away a minivan with a 13-month-old baby inside.

Deputy Police Chief Joseph Massey said he received assurances from the owner of Interstate Towing Co. after the incident Tuesday night that there’s a strict policy against towing vehicles with people or pets inside.

Wrecker driver Jon Loiselle towed the Dodge Caravan with the baby inside from a fire zone in front of a bookstore. The baby’s mother chased down the tow truck, which stopped on Main Street.

The driver said he did not see the sleeping tot because it was dark and the van’s windows were tinted.

After meeting with the owner, Massey said the decision was made to reinstate the city’s contract with the towing company.

The mother said her child was not feeling well Tuesday night and she wanted him to sleep, so she parked in the fire zone where she could see the van from the store window while she bought a magazine.

The mother, who said she was in the store for only a few moments, has drawn her share of criticism for leaving the baby in the car.

Massey said the District Attorney’s Office will review the case, but he had no immediate expectation that she’d be charged.