As the fingerpointing continues over the Highway 13 snowstorm debacle, the towing company involved in the mess is speaking out.

Mike Burstall of Burstall Towing said his company was called at 7 p.m. Tuesday to move an 18-wheeler that jackknifed at the southern end of Highway 13.

Because of the heavy snow and traffic it took the tow truck an hour to arrive, at which point the driver of the 18-wheeler refused to let the tow truck driver move his rig.

"It's a practice that's pretty common. I wouldn't say all the time, but it's a problem that we have because who wants to get towed and who wants to pay for the towing," said Burstall.

At that point the tow truck driver followed standard protocol and called the Sureté du Quebec for assistance, since police can order the tow to go ahead.

Police did not show up until 1 a.m.

"No SQ, they can't get through, I understand their problem," said Burstall.

"The MTQ (Ministry of Transportation) they're not there. Snow removal, they're not there and we're there alone working which I think is terrible."

The Sureté du Quebec said on Thursday that it is investigating the possibility of recommending criminal charges against the truck driver for refusing to allow his vehicle to be towed.

Marc Cadieux, president of  The Quebec Trucking Association blamed the police for failing to divert drivers, and the Ministry of Transportation for failing to clear snow.

"This situation would not have occurred if proper intervention would have been made," he said.

Cadieux said neither driver is a member of the association but he confirmed that exclusive towing is not negotiable. 

By the time police arrived at the crash site, so much snow had accumulated in the hours since that even with the truck removed other vehicles in the kilometres-long stretch between Highways 20 and 40 could not move.

Two separate investigations are now examining everything that took place.

The motorists stranded on the highway for hours have launched a class action lawsuit.

Meanwhile two people -- one SQ officer and a civil servant with the Ministry of Transportation -- have been suspended.