Inquirer graphic by John Overmyer
On May 5, 2010, while stopped at a red light on Lehigh Avenue, my car was hit in the rear. I was in a state of shock from the unexpected impact and my hands were shaking as I exchanged information with the driver who hit me.
Police officers were standing outside of their police car which was parked about 25 feet in front of the accident scene. Two police officers were standing outside chatting with some guys hanging out in front of a shop. When I approached the officers to ask for assistance, an officer called out to me, “Is this about the accident?” He then informed me that police were no longer allowed to write up accident reports. Although I read about this new policy, I was shocked that police who were already at the scene refused to assist me. When I asked how they could refuse since they witnessed the accident I was told, “We didn’t see it, we just heard it.” The policeman then informed me that I would have to file a report.
Doubly shocked by the impact and the refusal of police to assist me, I briefly examined my car which, surprisingly, didn’t appear to be damaged and briefly exchanged some information with the driver who hit me and drove off. When I reached my destination, I noticed that there was a small gap between my rear bumper and the body of the car and that the bumper was loose. I stopped at an auto body shop and learned that the bumper’s steel reinforcement bar was dented in the center, where I was rear ended. I called 311 to find out how to file a report and was given the number of the 26th police district. I called and filed a police report.
The driver of the other car requested that I call him rather than his insurance company if there were damages. When I telephoned him from the body shop he accused me of “holding him up” and screamed at me and also raged at the body shop owner who assessed the damage. I had the other driver’s insurance policy number and called to let the insurance company know what happened. The insurance company had their adjustor look at my car and his estimate was higher than the estimate I got from the body shop. When I called the insurance company and asked them how to proceed, I was shocked to hear that they would not pay for the damages because the insured had a different version of what occurred.
The other driver’s story was that he was stopped behind me at the red light and I backed up into him. The insurance representative suggested I file a report with my own company. Had the police, who were 25 feet from the scene when the collision occurred taken a report, the other driver would not have had the time to concoct his ridiculous story and the police may have gotten some names of witnesses.
At the time of the accident I was too shaken up to interview witnesses. I also did not feel comfortable doing my own investigation in what I consider a high crime area. So despite being rear ended when my car was stopped at a red light, I will have to pay for my car to be repaired. I have a $500 deductible on my insurance and don’t want to risk my rates going up.
As a lifelong Philadelphia resident and taxpayer I feel I was betrayed and abandoned by the Philadelphia police at a time when I needed assistance. The quality of life in this city has deteriorated and I am seriously thinking that it’s time to move away. Thanks for bringing attention to this horribly flawed policy and for taking the time to read this account.
I’ll tell you all what I emailed back to Gail: This is emblematic of everything that is wrong with the policy, policing in Philadelphia and common courtesy in general.