Tow truck driver speaks about fatal accident

Lauderhill Police: Elias Konwufine run over by own vehicle

LAUDERHILL, Fla. – A tow truck driver who ran over a man with his own car talked about what led up to the fatal incident.

Ken, who declined to give Local 10 his last name, was driving when Elias Konwufine was run over by his own car outside the Sienna Green Condos in Lauderhill on Wednesday night.

"It's an accident," said Ken. "I did not mean that to happen, but it did."

Konwufine, 39, died at the hospital two hours after the incident.

Ken provided a picture to Local 10 showing Konwufine's Mercedes parked on the sidewalk. In his email, he wrote, "This therefore discredits statements that he was parked 'legally' on the grass (which parking on grass is not permitted as well)."

Ken said Konwufine, the dean of Keiser University's business school, approached his tow truck screaming when he arrived.

"He's cursing me out, trying to get in the door, broke my handle off the tow truck, running next to the truck, jumped on the floor boards, pulling on my door handle, beating on my window," said Ken.

As he pulled away, Ken said Konwufine jumped down from the truck's running boards and was run over by his own car.

"I didn't know his car went sideways. It's a Mercedes. They usually lock straight, they locked upside down, .so I look in the mirror and I see him on the ground," said Ken.

On Thursday evening, neighbors accused drivers of the tow truck company the homeowner's association contracts of being too aggressive. But Ken said towing is dangerous.

"Everyone you tow away is always irate with you," he said.

A sign on his truck warns people that Ken is armed with a Taser and a cattle prod.

"I'm sorry it happened I'm just -- if he would've stopped yelling, and listened in a reasonable manner, been reasonable, none of this would have happened. Paid and gone on with the rest of his life," said Ken.

Ken said he was involved in a traffic crash about 10 years ago that resulted in a death. He said he's decided he'll only do road-assistance tows.

Ken also said he claims Konwufine's wife and son began assaulting him, "beating me on the back on back of my head and my back." He said he retreated to his truck and grabbed his stun gun, but then thought he would have probably reacted the same way if he were them.

"I'd do the same thing they are doing, so I just put it away," said Ken. "It would have been in the same way if something like that were to happen to me."

Konwufine's neighbor said they don't believe Ken's story.

"You [have] been towing for 15 years. You know people are passionate about their possessions," said neighbor Devin Stewart. "Someone jumps in your truck and you continue to drive away? That's negligence."

Neighbors are calling on the homeowner's association to drop the contract with Ken's company.

Traffic homicide detectives are still investigating and as of yet, no charges have been filed. So far, police have called the incident a tragic accident.