Kamloops mayor's twice-torched car towed

Kamloops city staff made good on their promise to have the mayor's burnt up SUV towed away. Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson said he would not abide by a 48-hour order from the city's fire chief to get rid of the wreckage. That hasn't spared him from paying the tow bill. "We made arrangements for it to be towed this morning," fire chief Ken Uzeloc said. The truck arrived at Hamer-Jackson's used vehicle dealership on Dec. 14 and took it away. Uzeloc said he'll also be getting a bill for the tow truck and the storage fees, depending on how long it takes for him to pick it up. Hamer-Jackson, meanwhile, is on a plane today, heading south for a vacation. Earlier this week, Uzeloc told iNFOnews.ca the city has gotten multiple complaints about the twice-torched Pontiac Torrent.  It was first lit ablaze shortly after the October 2022 election, then again roughly a year later https://infotel.ca/newsitem/vehicle-torched-again-at-kamloops-mayors-dealership/it100967 , prompting two arson investigations at his business Tru Market Auto Sales. Uzeloc said he gave the order to remove it because he deemed it a fire hazard https://infotel.ca/newsitem/city-orders-kamloops-mayor-to-remove-torched-suv-from-his-car-lot/it102086 , noting it had become an "attractant" for trespassers. In recent weeks, it became littered with graffiti and was turned into a makeshift camp. Hamer-Jackson said he felt targeted by the fire chief's order https://infotel.ca/newsitem/city-orders-kamloops-mayor-to-remove-torched-suv-from-his-car-lot/it102086 , while his business is on a street that frequently has issues with graffiti, fires and vandalism. He claimed he was leaving the vehicle there because he could still sell it for parts, noting the only other vehicle on his lot had also been vandalized and had its batteries stolen. Hamer-Jackson was unable to respond immediately to comment on the towed SUV. To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry mailto:llandry@infonews.ca  or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .