A Fleeing Suspect Totaled A NY Woman's Car. Here's Why Her Insurance Policy Left Her Holding The Bag

If someone running from the cops smashes into your parked car while you're not even in it, that's certainly not your fault, so insurance should cover it, right? Not necessarily, as Katherine Scaglione learned the hard way. WGRZ tells the unfortunate story of how her totaled Chevy Impala has fallen through the cracks, and nobody will cover the damage.

Two Buffalo, New York, police officers stopped for a break at the 7-Eleven on Prospect Avenue, and just happened to walk into an armed robbery in progress, according to another WGRZ report. The suspect, who police identified as Dejuan Williams, fled the scene as officers pursued on foot, carjacked a passing vehicle, and sped off, only to crash into three unoccupied parked cars some distance down the road. Scaglione's Impala took the brunt of it.

Unfortunately, Scaglione only had liability insurance. She bought her Impala from a family member and didn't finance it, so full coverage was not required, and she couldn't afford it anyway. That means her insurance only covers personal injury liability. Liability insurance is required by law to register and operate a motor vehicle in New York. Collision insurance, on the other hand, is not required by law, though most drivers choose it for exactly this reason. 

Scaglione could certainly go after Williams for compensation for her totaled car, but she might not get very far. 

"At this point, I feel like it's a lost cause, because if the gentleman's taking over a 7-Eleven, he probably doesn't have enough food for himself, let alone good insurance," Scaglione told WGRZ.

While pointless police chases are deadly, Williams was not being pursued at the time of the crash. He'd outrun the officers chasing him on foot, and other officers had not taken over yet. Besides, while many pursuits are not worth the additional danger to public safety they create, even New York's proposed ban on most pursuits makes an exception "where a driver's conduct threatens immediate, severe bodily harm or death to themselves, bystanders, or officers," which seems to be the case here. All this leaves Scaglione with no recourse and a wrecked car.

If I don't laugh, I might cry. But, you know, it's just, I learned now that I won't be parking on the street. I'll find a way to park in the back more, and I won't be putting myself at risk. And probably when I get a different insurance, I'll read the fine print and make sure I have proper coverage.

A situation like hers is a one in a million chance, but that still doesn't mean it can't happen. It's no wonder she's looking for new insurance.