What Happened to That Stranded Rental?
Thrifty Car Rental vehicle stranded for more than five weeks in Olympic National Park has been recovered.
A rented Chrysler PT Cruiser that was stranded in Olympic National Park by flooding has been recovered, the Associated Press reports.
The park installed a temporary bridge over a washout last week and a flatbed truck from Thrifty Rental picked up the car, originally rented from Sea-Tac Airport for a camping trip by Claude Hite of Tampa Bay, Fla.
The rental had been ringing up fees for more than five weeks. Hite's wife Pat says they are still negotiating with Thrifty for the total bill.
Hite did not purchase a waiver to cover loss or damage ($28.50 per day, including taxes) that exceeded the daily rental cost, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported in November.
The park says the Hoh River road should be open to the public by the end of February.
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