Couple’s belongings abandoned after moving truck crash in Arizona

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz.(InvestigateTV) — Family heirlooms abandoned on the side of the road, picked through and rained on before the owners ever found out.

In the summer of 2025, a couple ready for retirement made a cross-country move from Hawaii to Florida, only for the truck carrying all of their belongings to crash in Arizona.

An investigation uncovered the company they hired is not authorized to transport household goods across state lines and has several customer complaints claiming deceptive business practices.

A military family said they lost everything after a moving truck carrying all of their belongings crashed.

The moving truck crash

Bert and Alejandra Wing paid $12,250 up front and trusted what was advertised as a “professional moving service” to help them kick off retirement.

“And they’ve been a nightmare from the start,” Bert Wing said.

Everything they own was picked up in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 10, according to the contract, emails and texts with AMS Transport LLC. The company promised delivery to their new home in St. Johns, Florida within four to eight weeks.

But their belongings weren’t loaded onto a ship until Sept. 17. It reached the Los Angeles port on Sept. 26.

On Oct. 6, a text said their belongings were in a warehouse in Las Vegas, Nevada. That same day, a Penske truck was rented in Decatur, Georgia by a different company.

Two days later, that truck ended up in Prescott Valley, Arizona, towing the couple’s personal belongings.

Around 9:40 a.m. on Oct. 8, the truck crashed at a Maverick gas station off State Route 69. According to the police report, the driver was going too fast around a curve and slammed on the brakes. That caused the truck to flip over and the top to break open.

All of the moving boxes spilled out onto the dirt.

Belongings left on roadside

Anthony Solano lives in Prescott Valley and has been working in the moving industry for three decades. He saw the boxes abandoned near the highway and heard they were rummaged through for over a week.

“Who takes a 700-pound piano from the side of the road?” Solano said.

The Wings had no idea until days later when they got a call from the police.

Irreplaceable possessions, family heirlooms dating back centuries, military awards and photo albums were seemingly lost forever.

“I mean, you just wiped out an entire family history” Alejandra Wing said. “I’m really sad that I don’t have anything to give to my son now because it’s not there anymore.”

“I can’t express the anger, I mean, pure hate I feel,” she said.

Company not registered

Moving companies that operate across state lines are required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. AMS Transport LLC is not registered.

A spokesperson for AMS Transport LLC ignored questions about the wreck. The company claimed “the load has arrived in Florida and is scheduled for delivery.”

“There’s no way AMS Transport cannot know what’s going on at this point. It’s impossible,” Bert Wing said.

“Companies like that give every moving company a bad name,” Solano said.

Attorney general advice

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes advises people who are planning a move to always pay with a credit card, avoid large deposits and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement right away.

“We’re seeing all too often these situations where people’s lifelong belongings are ending up in very strange places or basically in the pockets of these thieves,” Mayes said. “Do your homework. Make sure you cross-check them with BBB. Make sure you Google them and any sort of red flags that pop up. Make sure you insure your load.”

Police said the driver of the truck did get a citation but did not show up for his first court date.

Penske said that since the crash, it has not been able to get in touch with the driver or the third party company that rented the truck.

The Wings said a couple of gas station employees in Arizona shipped them some of their belongings.