Towing in Somerville, Raritan and Branchburg, NJ: the county seat, the Circle and the roads west

Somerville's Main Street is a walkable downtown with restaurants, the county offices and the courthouse a block off. Parking is on the street, in municipal lots and near the station.

Jump starts and lockouts are common here and cost one flat price. For a tow on a narrow downtown block, the driver sizes up the space before choosing the truck.

The Somerville Circle, where Routes 202, 206 and 28 meet, is one of the most crash-prone spots in the county. Merging traffic and quick lane changes produce steady fender-benders.

If the car still moves, pull off the Circle onto a side road or a lot before calling. If it does not, stay clear of the car and tell the dispatcher which exit of the Circle you are near.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset sits on Rehill Avenue, with visitors and staff parked around the clock. Dead batteries after a long shift are a regular call.

TD Bank Ballpark, home of the Somerset Patriots, sits along Route 28 at the Bridgewater edge of Somerville. Game nights bring heavy traffic and the odd car that will not start in the lot afterward.

Raritan runs along Route 28 and Somerset Street west of Somerville, and Branchburg extends past it with Raritan Valley Community College, business parks and long stretches of Route 22 and Route 28.

Branchburg is a bit farther than Somerville from our yard. The dispatcher gives the real window, and a scheduled pickup is easy when the car is parked safely.