NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The frigid weather has complicated things for the dozens of Nashville residents whose car windows were smashed in by thieves.
Authorities have responded to around two dozen break-ins already this year, and now many are racing to get repairs done.
“Low Price Auto Glass, can I help you?” Steven Madanat says when he answers the phone to many customers.
Madanat told News 2 he’s been in the glass repair business for 25 years and saw an uptick after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he added that lately, more and more people have needed repairs.
“For the last couple months, it’s started to get real bad — real, real bad. I’ve never seen it like these kind of break-ins,” Madanat added. “They go and bust I believe like over 150 cars a night. It’s just crazy.”
It’s why his crew has been working around the clock to fix windshields and windows ahead of Tennessee’s possible severe winter weather this week.
“They are really frustrating for everybody, but the way we treat customers — we make them feel good,” Madanat said. “It is what it is. It’s something you got to deal with.”
Car break-ins haven’t slowed down even as temperatures continue to plummet. Just last week, News 2 reported nearly two dozen cars were broken into at a Bellevue apartment complex. However, a similar scene has been caught on cameras across Middle Tennessee. Many victims have raced against the harsh weather.
“It’s too cold,” Madanat said. They can’t drive in this kind of weather without windows.”
With the cold weather ahead, experts said extreme weather conditions like snowstorms can further “exacerbate the situation”:
- Snow can enter your car, filling your seats and floorboards
- Driving without windows can make driving treacherous
- Snow can obstruct your vision, which can compromise your ability to keep control of your vehicle
The shop is racing to fulfill requests to making sure everyone, no matter how far they have to drive, stays warm. Low Price Auto Glass is trying to make sure everyone who needs to be serviced can be, even if it means staying open late.
