What happens to abandoned vehicles that are left on the side of a highway in Washington?
It’s not uncommon to see cars parked or abandoned along the side of a freeway during your daily commute.
Maybe you’ve wondered why they are there. Are they broken down? Are they out of gas? Or were they simply abandoned?
While some drivers go back to retrieve their vehicle right away, others may not. So what happens to those cars that aren’t picked up?
What happens to vehicles abandoned in WA?
Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo told The News Tribune in an interview that, depending on where the vehicle is left, WSP or local law enforcement might be tasked with removing it from the side of the highway.
WSP specifically deals with removing abandoned vehicles in immediate tow zones along state routes and interstate highways. Immediate tow zones are located along limited access roadways such as a freeway or highway. Tow-away zones along highways are are marked with signs.
Dattilo said vehicles left in immediate tow zones along interstate highways, such as on Interstate 5, are towed without needing to contact the owner of the vehicle because it poses a safety risk for other drivers.
“Any abandoned vehicle on the side of the road is going to become a danger,” Dattilo said. “If it’s windy and a semi-truck is going by, it can get blown off into the shoulder or emergency vehicles, a lot of times, will use the shoulder to travel to emergencies, and if there’s vehicles blocking that access, that’s not only a danger to us because we could potentially run into it, but it’s also starts affecting the people that we’re trying to get to.”
Dattilo added that troopers have responded to many collisions involving drowsy, tired or intoxicated drivers who crash into abandoned vehicles on the side of the highway.
While it is not always clear to WSP troopers why a car has been abandoned unless they have left a note, there are some indications that a car was left because it was broken down such as a flat tire, if the hood of the car is left open or if it’s up on jacks, Dattilo said.
Vehicles left along non-immediate tow zones are dealt with differently than vehicles left in immediate tow zones. Dattilo said that vehicles left on non-immediate tow zones such as State Route 7 in Pierce County, are not immediately towed. Instead, state troopers or law enforcement officers who make contact with the abandoned vehicle mark it and leave their information on it. Usually, it is a reflective sticker. Vehicle owners then have 24 hours to move it before it is ultimately towed.
If WSP troopers comes across a vehicle that has been reported stolen, they will try to contact the owner of the vehicle, but if they are unable to reach the owner, the vehicle will be towed, Dattilo said.
Once a vehicle is towed, the owners are responsible for paying towing and impound fees in order to retrieve the vehicle, even if it was reported stolen.
“Anytime there’s a stolen vehicle report made, they are supposed to provide contact information that we can utilize, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to get in contact with them, so essentially, we’re we are supposed to be guaranteed to get a hold of them,” Dattilo said. “If we can’t get a hold of them, we tow it and we usually either leave them a message or send some sort of notification to them to let them know we recovered their vehicle.”
What to know about towing and impound fees
WSP has a set rate for towing and impound fees for the entire state of Washington that are dependent on the type of truck and equipment that is necessary to tow the vehicle.
According the WSP website, these are the fees that one can expect to pay if their car is towed by WSP through Oct. 14, 2025. If the vehicle needs to be moved using a rotator, the fee is higher.
Class A&E: $297 / Rotator $415
Class B: $359 / Rotator $501
Class B-2: $482 / Rotator $673
Class C: $622 / Rotator $873
Class S1: $1,041
Class S: $625
Storage rate: $75
To avoid paying towing and impound fees, Dattilo says drivers who are stuck on the side of the highway should call 911 instead of abandoning their vehicle.
“We consider it an emergency situation when someone is broken down or stuck on the side of the road so we will respond,” Dattilo said. “Response times may vary depending on where you are, but we respond to those a lot, and we’re required to.”
Drivers who come across abandoned vehicles on a freeway or limited access roadways should call 911 to report the vehicle, Dattilo said.
This story was originally published January 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
