BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Thursday Bret Mandell, of North Buffalo, told 7 Problem Solver Michael Schwartz about his SUV that he had been missing for a month. He abandoned his Nissan Murano on the NY-198 during the first night of the blizzard. In the days after the blizzard, he wasn't able to find it in one of the lots where the City of Buffalo and Erie County towed vehicles.
"We went to every single place that we were told to," said Mandell.
Schwartz contacted the City of Buffalo, and Erie County on Thursday. Both had no record of Mandell's vehicle being towed.
Less than 20 hours after thestory first aired on Thursday night, a 7 News viewer, named Michelle, commented on the article's Facebook post.
She said: "There are a few stranded still in the employee lot behind Sisters Hospital!"
Schwartz texted that to Mandell, along with other viewer suggestions.
Mandell went to the employee lot of Sisters Hospital on Friday morning.
"I didn't want to get too much hope up," explained Mandell. "So I started pulling back some snow, and I was like 'Oh my God this is it."
Mandell finally found his vehicle! It had a few dents in it, and fluid leaking from underneath, but overall just as he left it exactly five weeks ago. Buffalo Police told him no vehicles were supposed to be towed to the hospital after the blizzard.
"It's amazing," exclaimed Mandell. "It's great to know people around the city have your back, as do I to them."
Mandell is grateful he no longer has to rely on rides to get to work and school anymore.
"It's a great feeling there's a place you can go to when all else has failed, and you've tried every lot that they told you to go to," said Mandell. "That there's actually an ace in the hole and you can call channel 7."
If you have a consumer issue you need help solving, email Michael at 7ProblemSolvers@WKBW.com
