Having good quality video footage can come in very handy when trying to solve a whodunit, as a West Trail family recently found out when someone hit their parked car and fled the scene.
WATCH: Trail family seeks help to identify errant driver
This story began to unfold the night of Thursday, Jan. 2, just after 10 p.m.
That’s when Chantelle Drouin’s surveillance camera, which is directed away from the family home toward the 1800 block of Topping Street, captured a blatant hit and run.
Caught on tape is an unidentified driver of a white single-cab F150, described as a ’92 to ’96 model, crashing into the driver’s side of Drouin’s parked Hyundai Sante Fe.
While the licence plate of the truck is not identifiable, the video clearly shows the driver circling around and sliding down the roadway right into the family car, then backing up and taking off.
Drouin shared the video with the Trail Times on Friday morning asking if it could be posted to help identify who was behind the wheel.
Because the fact is, if the vehicle owner was not identified, the family would have had no other recourse than to pay a $750 deductible to fix the damage.
“We have two little girls right after Christmas, and it is tight,” Drouin said. “We would really like to find the driver responsible to have it go through their insurance.”
Fast forward to Monday, and the Trail police confirmed the driver had been identified and fined $363.
Sgt. Mike Wicentowich says the offending motorist was issued two tickets under the BC Motor Vehicle Act. The first was a $196 violation fine for Failing to Stop after a Collision with Unattended Vehicle and the second, a $167 fine for Speeding Relative to Conditions.
“We would like to send a huge heartfelt thank you to our community for taking the time to share our story,” Drouin said.
“The driver and the vehicle have been located and RCMP have issued him a ticket. While our family is relieved that the incident itself is over, we are currently working with an adjuster through ICBC in regards to the damage to our vehicle,” she shared.
“As a mother of two young children I can’t stress enough for drivers to take extra caution in bad weather conditions, and if consuming alcohol or other substances, find a safe ride home, do not endanger yourself or others.”
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