Second Santa Cruz County resident claims she was denied roadside assistance due to COVID-19 concerns

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION) A second Santa Cruz County resident claims she was denied services through AAA because of recent travels.

“I don’t have symptoms, it’s been over three weeks," Sandy Davis said. "I don’t need you to contact or touch me…It’s the car.“

Sandy Davis said that she was refused service by AAA in March. The Santa Cruz County resident's car wouldn't start at 6 a.m.

She told KION that AAA refused to help because of previous international travel.

“I didn’t go to China, I didn’t go to Europe," Davis said. "And I’d been home over three weeks.”

This incident comes on the heels of a Santa Cruz County nurse reporting she was also denied roadside service last week.

“I felt like I was discriminated against because I was honest,” nurse Meg King said.

AAA contracts in Santa Cruz County through Rossi's Towing, which claims to be the only AAA provider in the county. King said she was left stranded due to her work on COVID-19 patients.

So, if someone's car breaks down on the side of the highway and they can't get help, CHP said they should call 911.

“We have protection and we’re going to be there for the people who break down on our highways,” California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Jordan Richards said.

But it's a different story for people like Sandy, who are broken down in their own driveways.

“If they’re in their driveway, hey, they can call us, but there’s nothing we can do,” Richards said.

The only option is to try calling other towing companies directly.

“We don’t deny service because you were exposed,” American Towing owner Monica Martiren said.

Davis told KION that AAA didn't even reach out to Rossi Towing, claiming they rejected her tow from the start.

In response to her case, AAA released a statement saying, "This pandemic is constantly evolving and we are continuing to update our procedures as new information becomes available. In fact, since this member had this experience we have eliminated any questions about travel."