24 hour towing on River Road in Piscataway, NJ: along the Raritan after the rain, past Johnson Park and the bridges

Heavy rain raises the river and fills the lowest parts of the road near the park. Water that looks shallow at night can be deep enough to flood an engine.

If you drove in and the engine quit, do not restart it. Move to higher ground, call, and the driver will check the depth before backing the rollback toward your car.

Traffic from New Brunswick crosses the river at the Landing Lane bridge and the Route 18 crossing and meets River Road. Late at night that means students, hospital staff heading home and delivery vans.

A breakdown near either crossing leaves little room to pull over. Get to a side street or a lot if you can, or turn on the hazards and tell dispatch which crossing you are near.

The stretch past the Colgate-Palmolive center is long and lightly lit after the offices close. A flat or a dead battery here usually happens far from the nearest open business.

Stay in the car with the doors locked and the hazards on. The driver phones when he is close so you know the lights behind you are ours.

In autumn the trees along the river drop leaves that turn the road slick after rain. A car that slid onto the shoulder or into the grass is a winch-out first.

Once it is back on the pavement, you check the steering and brakes. If they are fine you drive home; if a wheel is bent, the tow is priced on the spot.