> For a car to be impounded it already was somewhere it shouldn't have been or the driver themselves impaired in some way. Of course they need to be able to search trunks in such a case.
It could simply have been in a car accident and its driver taken to hospital. It may even have been off the road by the time it was towed to the impound. I see this happen several times a week.
I parked an old beater that was full of my personal belongings (finishing up a move) a few years ago in front of a family members house. I accidently left the keys in the ignition but off. The police impounded it within hours claiming they thought it was abandoned; letting them skip their usual 48 hour wait time for nuisance vehicles.
I would have not been happy if that was searched and inventoried.
It could simply have been in a car accident and its driver taken to hospital. It may even have been off the road by the time it was towed to the impound. I see this happen several times a week.