A Dallas driver has criticised the police response after a white Mercedes SUV hit her vehicle and left the scene of a hit-and-run, despite footage capturing the collision.
The crash happened on Monday, September 7, at the junction of South M Wright Freeway and Al Lipscomb Way in Dallas. Dashboard cameras in the driver’s vehicle recorded the Mercedes striking her from behind.
The impact detached the Mercedes’s bumper. The SUV is then seen driving away about 20 seconds later, leaving the damaged bumper behind.
The driver said she called 911 immediately but was told Dallas Police would not send an officer because nobody had been injured and the airbags had not deployed. She said a police cruiser passed her vehicle several minutes after the crash, although it is unclear whether the officer knew what had happened.
“I didn’t feel like anyone was helping me out at all,” she said.
Although the damage to her own vehicle appeared limited to scratches, she said she was frustrated that the incident was not dealt with at the roadside.
“This person just committed a felony, and I’m being told that nothing’s going to be done, basically,” she said.
Dallas Police said officers had advised her to submit an online report. The department said its response to hit-and-run collisions depends on the severity of any injuries and the extent of the damage.
Police said the online reporting system is intended to reduce waiting times for members of the public and allow officers to attend higher-priority calls.
The driver has since filed a report and hopes the footage, along with the Mercedes’s detached bumper, will help identify the person who left the scene.
