For the first part of this story, check my previous post.
We left off with a woman who had back into my truck without regard to my part Ford Ranger’s bumper. Apparently, she also was more concerned with what in the world I was doing behind her than she was whether or not I was ok.
Her reaction when she got out of her van after crashing into me. “What were doing back there!?”
I should’ve said, “Um……let me think, DRIVING! LIKE A NORMAL PERSON! What were YOU doing??!”
But I didn’t I politely asked her if she was ok, assured her that I was fine and that we should pull off the side of the road so we could exchange insurance information. We pull off a side road, both get out of our respective vehicles to exchange info.
She comes around the passenger side of her van and proceeds to tell me that she is unsure of her insurance information.
This is not 100% accurate, but the conversation went something like this.
Me: “Do you have an insurance card with a policy number?”
Her: “No, I don’t think so. I don’t know it.”
Me: “Do you have know who you have insurance through?”
Her: “I don’t know, just give me a second, I’m really medicated, I just came from the doctor.”
At this point, I began to think, “What am I in the middle of right now?” I probably should’ve started looking for candid cameras or Ashton Kutcher to come out screaming “YOU JUST GOT PUNK’D!” But…no such luck.
She then tells me to hang on while she gets the number of her insurance company. Then she opens up her sliding passenger door to the van to reveal…..
A mattress.
Yep, you read that correctly. A mattress laying in the back of the van. No seats, just a mattress.
Surrounding the mattress…several plastic totes for storage. Inside those totes, clothes and books.
She pulls out the tote closest to her and whips out a phone book. I am now completely blown away. I am starting to think this woman has some serious issues and I want to just get away from the situation.
Because of all the craziness that’s going on, I realize it’s probably a good idea to get her license plate number, just in case. So, in my best private eye, investigator sort of way, I have my pen and a slip of paper and step back and jot down her number. I know, I know…brilliant. Thank you very much.
She opens the yellow pages to an All State page and points to an agent and says, “That’s her, that’s my agent.”
So…trying my best to handle this situation correctly (And also not wanting to have to pay for an accident that wasn’t even CLOSE to my fault) I call the number in phone book….
(Again, not 100% accurate, but it’s close)
Me: “I was just in an accident with a woman that says she has insurance with you…”
Agent: “What’s her policy number.”
Me: “She doesn’t know.”
Agent: “Oh, what’s her name.”
Me: (i tell her)
Agent: “Ok, let me check” (takes a moment)
About this time, the woman starts to panic and tells me not to call the cops because she shouldn’t be driving!
The agent comes back:
Agent: “No one by that name carries insurance with us.”
I’ve hit the wall. I have no choice but to call the cops because I have to file a report or I am going to have to pay for everything.
The woman looks at me and says, “I have to go, I can’t stay here, I have a doctor’s appointment to get to!”
Didn’t she just come from a doctor’s appointment?
I tell her that she can do what she has to do, but I have to call the cops and file a report.
I go through the whole process: police station, ride with cop to scene, he gets statements from the gentleman in the parking lot that the woman started waving to, files report…la dee da dee da.
Thankfully, somehow, the cost of the repair is covered and I don’t have to pay a deductible and my insurance rate didn’t go up. I have no idea how that actually happened because we still have no idea what insurance she has.
The police officer keeps in touch with me over the next few days and informs the following: (you’re not gonna believe this)
Cop: “Yeah, we found out who it was…she lied about her name.”
Andy: “Oh yeah?”
Cop: “Yeah, also, I want to encourage you to stay away from her. She’s slightly crazy and has a very long rap sheet. She’s known by all the cops.”
Andy: “Oh…thank you.”
Cop: “D’you get everything figured out with your truck.”
Andy: “Yeah, thanks for everything.”
Cop: “Do me a favor and if you ever see her again, give us a call and let us know when and where.”
Andy: “Will do.”
So there you go. That’s my story. I got backed into on the main street, by a crazy woman apparently spending some time living in her van, who happens to have a rather long rap sheet and is infamous in our area with the local police officers.
Oddly enough, I saw the same blue van at a corner store about a week later…and *dun dun dun* there she was.
She didn’t recognize me. It might have been that her pupils were dilated.
