Strut an axle

I had a strut break on my car (04 tiberoun) I was able to drive it to a friends house an park it. I had it towed to a shop. (When car was parked it was still able to start up and be moved). When it arrived at the shop off the tow truck the wheel was hanging off an the axle was out of the transmission. Is this do to the way the car was towed since they didnt have the key to the car when towed? Or is this something that happened when the the strut broke seein I know that the car wouldnt have been driving if the wheel was off an the axle completely out of the transmission.