Convoy of more than 50 tow trucks honors gas station owner

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A convoy of more than 50 tow trucks left a Minneapolis gas station to send the son of one of its founders on his final journey.

Steve Williams was the son of Bobby Williams, a co-founder of the Bobby and Steve’s Auto World chain, and owned several franchises in the family business. He died July 6 at age 58 after an 11½-year battle with cancer.

On Friday, tow trucks and flat-bed rigs from towing companies across the Twin Cities area lined up bumper-to-bumper for a trip from the downtown Minneapolis station to his memorial service in suburban Excelsior. They rolled out just before 10 a.m. with lights flashing, escorted by Hennepin County deputies.

Bobby Williams and Steve Anderson founded Bobby and Steve’s in 1978. There are now eight locations.