College grad receives $500 bill from fire department after driver crashes into his parked car

SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A local man is speaking out about a hefty bill he received from the South Milwaukee Fire Department, months after a driver crashed into his parked car.

"My car was parked over here, and we heard a loud crash and all of a sudden my car was all the way down over there," explained Thomas Wortz.

Wortz had just graduated college the day before the accident in front of his mom's house -- on Dec. 19, 2022.

A woman driving a red Ford hit his black Hyundai from behind.

"We were pretty concerned with her safety and health at first, I mean, the car whatever, but my car was the only car on the road," he added.

Wortz said he immediately called 911 out of precaution. 

"The 911 operator had asked if we needed any EMS, I had said I wasn't involved, I didn't see this crash, she seems fine, but I don't know what's precautionary for it, so EMS and police arrived," Wortz said.

According to the crash report, his car was not towed but the woman's vehicle was.

Authorities said it was unfit to drive due to frame damage and leaking fluid. 

"The excuse that she had used is that she had slipped, I don't know if she said she had slipped on the road, which, as you know, there was no ice or hazards on the road so..our assumption is that she was distracted," he said.

Wortz exchanged information with the woman, and he thought everything was covered -- until just a few days ago, when he received a $500 bill from the fire department. 

"People shouldn't have to worry about a charge for an attempt to do the right thing when calling for emergency services," Wortz added.

The document sent to his home largely states that his insurance information is not on file, so at the moment, he is responsible for paying out of pocket. 

Wortz said he called the number on the paper he received, and that number went straight to voicemail. Without any luck of getting in touch with someone on the other end, he called the fire department directly and notified them that the number was not working.

The South Milwaukee Fire Department told him the third-party company involved is called 'Life Quest' and they should be able to help facilitate questions and information.

CBS 58 spoke to South Milwaukee Fire Chief John Litchford over the phone, and he said that this is a city ordinance policy. If police or fire crews are called to the scene of an accident and a car gets towed or is suffering a leak, both parties involved will receive a standard flat fee to cover the significant cleanup. 

Litchford also told CBS 58 that they are constantly reviewing their policy to make the process an easier one for everyone involved. The chief added that the bill is normally taken care of by the insurance companies and to move forward, Wortz would need to provide that information -- but Wortz is afraid his insurance payment will go up.

"It feels like all this payment should have to be done through her insurance," he said.