If your vehicle is in moving or rising water, is unstable, or creates an immediate danger to you or other drivers, call 911 first.
How Vehicles Commonly Get Stuck
A vehicle can become stuck because of:
- Deep snow or ice
- Mud, sand, or soft ground
- A roadside ditch or embankment
- Standing or moving water
- A steep, uneven, or washed-out surface
- A collision or mechanical problem
- Low ground clearance
- The vehicle’s size, weight, or load
The safest response depends on where the vehicle is located, how it is positioned, and whether it is at risk of sliding, rolling, sinking, or being struck by traffic.
What to Do First
Stop accelerating and assess the situation. Repeatedly spinning the tires can dig the vehicle in deeper, damage the tires or drivetrain, and make recovery more difficult.
- Turn on your hazard lights.
- Put the vehicle in park and apply the parking brake.
- Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt.
- Stay inside with your seat belt fastened if you are near fast-moving traffic.
- Do not stand downhill from a vehicle that could slide or roll.
- Do not crawl beneath a stuck or unstable vehicle.
- Note your location, direction of travel, nearby exits, and visible landmarks.
If Your Vehicle Is Stuck in Snow or Mud
If the vehicle is on level ground, safely away from traffic, and only lightly stuck, you may be able to free it by:
- Straightening the wheels
- Clearing loose snow or mud from around the tires
- Using sand, traction mats, or another safe traction aid
- Applying the accelerator slowly and gently
Stop if the tires continue to spin, the vehicle sinks deeper, you smell something burning, or the vehicle begins sliding in an unsafe direction.
Do not attach a chain, rope, or tow strap to a bumper, suspension part, trailer hitch ball, or another point that is not approved for recovery. Improper attachment points can break and cause serious injury or additional vehicle damage.
If Your Vehicle Is in a Ditch
Do not attempt to drive out if the vehicle is on a steep angle, close to traffic, against an object, or at risk of rolling. Even if the vehicle appears stable, accelerating can cause it to slide farther down the ditch or overturn.
A professional recovery operator can evaluate the vehicle’s position, identify safe attachment points, stabilize it, and use controlled winching or lifting equipment to return it to solid ground.
Tell dispatch whether the vehicle is upright, on its side, or overturned and whether it is against a tree, barrier, utility pole, or another vehicle.
If Your Vehicle Is in Water
Never drive into a flooded roadway or around a barricade. Water may be deeper or moving faster than it appears, and the road beneath it may be damaged or completely washed away.
If your vehicle is stuck in standing water that is not rising, call for professional assistance and avoid restarting the engine. Attempting to start a water-damaged engine can cause additional damage.
If the water is moving, rising, or entering the passenger compartment, call 911 immediately and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Move to higher ground when it is safe to do so. If you cannot exit safely and water is rapidly rising, move to the highest point of the vehicle and call for emergency help.
When to Call for Professional Recovery
Call for professional recovery when:
- The tires continue to spin without moving the vehicle
- The vehicle is in a ditch, down an embankment, or off the roadway
- The vehicle is tilted, overturned, or at risk of rolling
- Mud, snow, sand, or water is deepening around the vehicle
- The vehicle is close to moving traffic
- The wheels, steering, suspension, or undercarriage may be damaged
- The vehicle is carrying a heavy or shifted load
- A standard tow truck cannot safely reach or move the vehicle
Describe the situation as accurately as possible when you call. Photographs may also help dispatch understand the vehicle’s position and determine what equipment is needed.
Recovery, Towing, or Both?
A simple winch-out may be enough when a vehicle is upright, undamaged, and only lightly stuck. More complex situations may require stabilization, lifting, multiple winch lines, or specialized recovery equipment.
After the vehicle is recovered, it may also need to be towed if it has mechanical damage, water exposure, damaged tires or suspension, or cannot be driven safely.
Recovery for Vehicles of All Sizes
Goch & Sons Towing provides light-duty and heavy-duty lifting, recovery, and towing for vehicles of nearly any size, including:
- Motorcycles
- Passenger cars
- SUVs and pickup trucks
- Vans and delivery vehicles
- Motorhomes and recreational vehicles
- Buses
- Commercial trucks and trailers
- Tractor-trailers and big rigs
- Construction and specialized equipment
Our fleet includes light-duty tow trucks, heavy-duty wreckers, rotators, winches, lifting equipment, and specialized recovery vehicles. This allows our team to handle everything from a car stuck in snow to an overturned commercial vehicle or heavy truck down an embankment.
Call Goch & Sons Towing
Goch & Sons provides 24-hour winch-out, vehicle recovery, lifting, and towing services throughout Detroit, Downriver, and Southeast Michigan.
Call (313) 382-2727 for assistance. Tell dispatch where the vehicle is located, what it is stuck in, its approximate size and weight, and whether it is upright, tilted, submerged, or carrying a load. These details help us send the right equipment for the recovery.
