Cars towed from Miami Gardens Walmart amid heavy traffic during Hurricanes-Hoosiers game
As heavy game day traffic surrounded Hard Rock Stadium during the Miami Hurricanes vs. Indiana Hoosiers championship matchup Monday night, several drivers said they returned from shopping to find their cars had been towed from the Walmart parking lot along Northwest 27th Avenue.
Multiple tow trucks were seen lined up behind the Miami Gardens Walmart as frustrated customers searched for their vehicles. One woman told CBS News Miami that her car was towed while she was inside the store shopping. She showed a bank statement confirming she made a purchase at Walmart during that time but said she was still required to pay $145 to a tow truck driver to get her car back.
All Ways Towing confirmed to CBS News Miami that it was towing vehicles belonging to drivers who left the Walmart premises amid the congestion tied to the game.
Walmart told CBS News Miami that two vehicles were accidentally towed and said those cars were returned to their owners at no cost. The store sits directly across the street from Hard Rock Stadium, where traffic was heavily backed up as fans arrived for the Hurricanes-Hoosiers game.
Separately, authorities reported a street takeover connected to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day "Wheels Up, Guns Down" initiative in the area. Police said it was quickly shut down.
The intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue and Northwest 199th Street was set to remain closed until 1 a.m. Tuesday. The same closures apply to Exit 2X on the Florida Turnpike, affecting both northbound and southbound traffic.