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American Morning

Cars Recovered From Ground Zero

Aired February 12, 2002 - 09:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: About 1,000 people will be getting word about something of theirs that was recovered from ground zero, but as CNN's Jason Carroll reports, it wasn't quite an $11 million (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cars covered in dust, but still intact. Others burned or crushed beyond recognition. This is what many vehicles below ground zero look like. They won't be here for much longer.

(on camera): How many cars have you pulled out of this section?

LT. BRIAN TIERNEY, PORT AUTHORITY POLICE: We pulled about 320 out of this so far.

CARROLL (voice-over): Lt. Brian Tierney is trying to rescue these cars.

(on camera): Is it surprising to you that you have been able to find cars intact at all?

TIERNEY: No, because we knew from the first day, when we searched through this whole area, this whole area had survived in a sort of crescent shape.

CARROLL (voice-over): Some 1,000 vehicle owners will soon see the results the efforts by Tierney and his team. They will soon get this letter from the city, saying their cars have been found and answering such questions as How do I clean the interior of my car?

(on camera): Your car was over on this direction over here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pretty much in the north direction over there.

CARROLL (voice-over): Dilgilio Rodriguez (ph) is a federal reserve officer, and like many other law enforcement officers, he was called in for September 11.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I decided to come down with my own personal vehicle. It was also filled with all of my personal property because I was in the process of moving. CARROLL: Rodriguez (ph) took these pictures of his Ford Explorer just days afterward. It was salvageable, so he thought he would get it back soon. But for weeks, he couldn't find out where his car had been taken. Finally, he hired an attorney.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's been pretty much of a nightmare trying to get my vehicle back.

CARROLL: This is where Rodriguez's (ph) Explorer and other vehicles damaged in the Trade Center have come, the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island. Here, investigators have searched the cars for evidence and are now releasing them.

But Rodriguez (ph) learned he needed that letter and an appointment to get his car, not a lawyer.

ROBERT TOLCHIN, ATTORNEY: We saw one car. They wouldn't let us see the others.

CARROLL (on camera): How about Mr. Rodriguez's (ph) car?

TOLCHIN: They wouldn't us see that.

CARROLL (voice-over): Rodriguez (ph) isn't sure what his Ford Explorer will look like, but his attorney has sued the city, seeking compensation for Rodriguez (ph) and others for the damage to their cars and lives.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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