Tow truck runs over, kills man

LAUDERHILL, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida man died after he jumped onto a tow truck when he realized it was towing his car.

According to Lauderhill Police, 39-year-old Elias Konwufine noticed his car being towed right in front of his home. He got very upset and jumped onto the tow truck. He was then run over by his own car. Several hours later, he would die from his injuries. His family has been left in shock.

"He did not have to die. Oh, Lord! He did not have to die. Look at his children," said a family member.

When you walk into their home you can see, hear and feel the pain. Elias leaves behind a wife and three children. His youngest child is 13-months-old, and his other son has special needs. Konwufine was an online college professor with two doctorates by the time he was 37 years old.

Police who are investigating are saying the driver with Elias's towed car drove off as he was run over by his own car. At first, police said it appeared as if Elias suffered non-life threatening injuries. He was taken to the hospital, and police were informed he died several hours later.

Lauderhill Police Captain Rick Rocco said, "The tow truck hooked up to a vehicle that apparently was in the violation of the rules and started to leave. The owner came out and was upset about their vehicle being towed. As the tow truck pulls forward, his own vehicle ran over him." He adds, "In this case, it looks like just a tragic accident. This individual was there when the tow truck driver pulled forward and the individual is run over."

His family said it was parked on the side of the road and not in the driveway and now his family is absolutely heartbroken. The victim's niece, Doreen Ayafor, said, "There was no reason for this. There is no justification."

Family Attorney Dean Freeman said, "It's not the Wild Wild West. The man has his car parked in front of his house, and he tried to negotiate to try to take care of his car, and the worst scenario happened. We now have a 39-year-old man who is dead, father of three, for no reason."

Police continue to investigate the case. In the meantime, the family needs to figure out how they are going to move forward.

Elias's niece said, "I don't know what we are going to do without him."

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