KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 47-year-old Rick Daubenspeck was riding home Monday night on Interstate 435 when he was hit by a bullet in his right hand. As the victim, he never thought he’d have to pay to get his motorcycle back from the tow lot, and now thanks to FOX 4’s help, he just got reimbursed.
“The next thing I hear is a big pang and it sounded like it was right next to my ear drum and then that’s when I lost control with my right hand,” Daubenspeck said.
Daubenspeck doesn’t want us to show his face because the driver who shot him hasn’t been arrested. He claims he was driving northbound on I-435 when a driver in a blue Chevrolet Equinox shot him in a case of possible road rage.
“If he had been the other way, I probably wouldn’t be talking to you honestly, cause I would’ve probably went down if he would’ve hit me in my body,” Daubenspeck said.
Daubenspeck lost part of his pinky and has a hole in his bike glove. There’s still a blood stain on his bike, a Harley he got back on Wednesday, but only after paying GT Tow $240.
FOX 4 asked him what if felt like to be the victim of a crime and still have to pay to collect his property.
“Well I’ve got tears in my eyes and I’m upset about it, I didn’t do anything to deserve this and these guys are treating me like a bad guy,” Daubenspeck said.
He’s not referring to GT Ttow, he’s actually referring to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He said troopers promised they would take his motorcycle to headquarters for additional photographs but instead had it towed to GT’s lot in Smithville, Mo.
“I’m like, ‘Sir, I don’t have the money for the tow bill, none.’ And he looks at me and says, ‘Sir, you won’t have to worry about that because we’re taking it to our office and you can come pick it up in two to three days after we’re get through doing our investigation on and it ain’t going to cost you a dime,’” Daubenspeck said.
When he called troopers on Wednesday morning, he learned the Harley was at GT Tow and GT Tow told him if he didn’t pay to pick it up before 5 p.m., the bill would only get bigger. The bill that he feels should be the responsibility of highway patrol.
“I think they should reimburse me,” Daubenspeck said.
Shortly before 6 p.m., FOX 4 learned that he had been reimbursed. FOX 4’s Rob Low called the highway patrol who called the tow lot to make sure he would get his money back. It should also be noted that troopers believe Daubenspeck was drunk at the time of the shooting. He failed a breath test at the hospital and was given a DWI.