A repossession worker was taken to a hospital after a confrontation over a Tesla outside an Amazon warehouse in Arlington, Washington, left him unable to stand or bear weight on an injured leg. Court documents cited by KING 5 say he had a cut and bruising around the shin and a possible fracture.
Court documents cited by KING 5 place the incident at the Amazon warehouse at 4620 172nd St. NE, where a repossession crew was attempting to take the Tesla. The records say workers had started connecting the car to their tow truck when the driver refused to get out. He told police he knew why they were there but wanted to call his bank the next day.
A Standoff That Escalated Fast
The records describe a prolonged wait as two repossession employees banged on the back of the car, trying to get the driver to move forward. The driver called 911, saying the tow truck was blocking him from leaving. Police initially treated the dispute as a civil matter and did not immediately respond to that call, according to KING 5's account of the records.
A repossession employee later called police to report that the driver had intentionally struck his co-worker, according to the same account. The driver called 911 again, saying he feared for his life; an officer's account said that call came after the worker had been struck.
Video Allegedly Shows Repeated Impact
Police said video recorded by another repossession employee showed the Tesla back into the worker, move forward a few inches and then reverse into him again. Court documents said the driver could have gotten out and walked away, despite the tow truck positioned behind the car.
When officers arrived, they reportedly found the injured worker sitting on the tow truck's towing arm, unable to stand or bear weight on his leg. The man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on Wednesday for investigation of vehicular assault; he has not been charged with that offense. Under Washington law, vehicular assault is classified as a class B felony punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW, according to the Washington Legislature.
What Washington Law Says About Repossessions
RCW 46.55.120, cited by the Washington Legislature, concerns towing and impoundment rules; it does not determine whether the conduct alleged in this case was lawful.
Repossession Limits and Loan Delinquencies
According to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, a creditor does not have to notify a borrower before repossession, but cannot commit a crime, use abusive language, enter a home without permission or take an item if the owner physically resists. That general guidance does not determine whether the conduct alleged in this case violated the law. The Federal Reserve Board reported that seasonally adjusted auto-loan 30-day delinquency rates at the end of 2023 were about 60 basis points above pre-pandemic levels. Delinquency rates measure missed payments, not how often vehicles are repossessed.
Confrontations between drivers and repossession crews have drawn national attention elsewhere this year. In Florida, a tow truck driver was arrested after allegedly beating a vehicle owner with a metal pipe during a repossession attempt and was charged with attempted murder, according to WAFF. In another Florida case, a man allegedly chased down a repo crew's tow truck and fired shots at it as it pulled away with his Ford F-150, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
