HPD patrol car crashes into parked vehicle in Third Ward, vehicle now being fixed
HOUSTON - UPDATE: A woman's parked car hit by a Houston Police Department patrol car is getting fixed.
Kimberly Davis was contacted by the city, and we're told her car is headed to the dealership.
She's also been contacted by local attorneys.
We're going to keep following this story.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
Kimberly Davis was finishing up a day at work at her office on Emancipation Avenue on Feb. 20 when her car was involved in an accident - and she wasn't driving.
A surveillance camera shows her 2016 Mercedes E-Class Sedan parked in the office's parking garage when a Houston Police Department patrol car crashes into the back of it.
"The security came into our office and stated that they needed to see me in the garage," says Davis. "I came outside, and I found the police officer's car straight in the back of mine."
The unit can also be seen on camera rushing down to the bottom of the garage, following another patrol car. Some employees at the building tell FOX 26, officers typically park there during the day.
The patrol car is seen taking a wide turn, leaving skid marks still visible on the pavement Wednesday afternoon. Davis says the commanding officer was called to the scene and apologized to the woman on behalf of his officer. Officers then applied a bungee cord to the trunk, which can no longer close due to the damages.
"The officers that caused the incident or the accident rather, they got out of the vehicle laughing," says Davis. "When their supervisor got here, they were still laughing. He told me to cut her some slack, that this was her first accident, and that her laugh was a nervous laugh. I was annoyed."
Documents show the driving officer stated the brakes locked up before the accident, which they say caused the crash. Kimberly believes that the officer was just trying to mimic the preceding officer's driving, and lost control.
"Our facility, we see patients that are 65 and older," says Davis. "Those parking spots nearby our handicapped parking spots. What if one of my patients was walking on a cane or in a wheelchair, and you came flying around that corner?"
Kimberly's been to three Mercedes dealerships to receive quotes on the extensive damage to the rear doors, panel, glass, and bumper, one estimate is as high as $13,000 - suggesting the car be totaled. HPD told Davis it may take up to three months to see any repairs done. She was given a claim ID document in case she was stopped by police for the busted light and trunk. She's tells FOX 26 she's already been stopped four times since Feb. 20 while driving to and from Port Arthur for work.
"I got stopped so many times that I decided to go ahead and park the car and get a rental car, and so now I'm driving a rental car that I'm paying for out of pocket."
Houston police tells FOX 26 the case is still under investigation by the vehicular crimes division. It's unknown if the officer suffered any injuries. Kimberly is now contacting her own insurance company about the crash.
"You have to be more mindful of the decisions that you make. This is a small space, this is a small garage," says Davis. "For you to be flying around here, like you're in the Indy 500 is not acceptable."