Cops: Tow-trucker accused in fatality was DUI

A tow-truck operator had just come from a party and was driving drunk when he killed a rival tow-truck driver by repeatedly running him over early Sunday, police said yesterday.

Glen McDaniel, 25, of Aramingo Avenue near Somerset Street,was charged with murder, homicide by vehicle, DUI and related offenses, police said, in the death of Ray Santiago, 30, of Gillespie Street near Unruh Avenue.

Police said that McDaniel, who worked for Straight Up Towing, and Santiago, who worked for Siani's, were filling up their tow trucks at a gas station on Frankford Avenue near Lehigh about 2:45 a.m. when a fight broke out between the two over towing territories.

"Although there was no fare to be disputed at the time, there was no vehicle to be towed, it's believed the fight was an ongoing one over who has what territory," Homicide Sgt. Charles Cohen said.

Following the argument, Santiago drove his truck into the parking lot of O'Reilly's Pub across the street and McDaniel followed him, Cohen said.

That's when McDaniel ran over Santiago, backed up and repeatedly ran over him again, police said.

It's unclear why Santiago was out of his truck or why he wasn't able to get out of the way.

He was pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital a half hour later. McDaniel was captured about a half-mile from the scene, police said.

McDaniel was at a party before the incident and smelled of alcohol upon his arrest, police said. He submitted to a blood test, but the results were not available yesterday, according to police.

This was not McDaniel's first brush with the law.

He was found guilty of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person in December and sentenced to probation, which he was still on, according to online court records.

He was also ordered to take anger-management classes.

He also pleaded guilty to forgery in March and was on probation for that charge, too, according to the records.