February 23, 2008
Carbondale Police Department
Bob Ledbetter, Chief of Police
610 East College Street
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
Chief Ledbetter:
I, Fred Nance Jr., am writing this letter in response to how Officer Dee Cross #1937 handled an accident report on August 14, 2007. In addition, my daughter went to your police station to talk to Officer Cross and my daughter reports Officer Cross kept interrupting her when she was attempting to explain the auto accident to her.
I asked my daughter to get Officer Cross’ badge number, and it appears every time she requested it she was given the runaround. When my daughter asked your representatives for Officer Cross’ badge number, they have told her it is the Carbondale Police Department’s policy not to give out officers badge numbers. Officer Cross has even told my daughter she was too busy to talk to her and when she briefly did talk to her, Officer Cross told my daughter she was not going to change anything about her report, even though there are errors on her report.
On August 14, 2007, at approximately 3:34 pm in Schnucks Grocery store parking lot, at 915 West Main Street, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, my car was hit by another car. My car was backing out from a parking space when another car was speeding around the corner in the parking lot and hit my car.
My daughter, Randi Nance who was driving the car at the time, told this story to Officer Cross upon Officer Cross’ arrival to the scene of the accident. My daughter reports “I got in my car and looked both ways. I didn’t see anyone. As I continued to back out the rear of my car was half way out the parking spot. I paused, and unit 2’s car came speeding around the corner and hit me on his driver’s rear door, my driver’s rear bumper.”
Officer Cross wrote the following. “Information obtained at the scene: Driver of unit #1 stated she was backing out of a parking stall and did not see unit #2 traveling south behind her. She struck unit 2 in the rear driver’s door/rear quarter panel with the bumper of unit 1. Driver of unit 2 stated he was traveling south through the lot when unit 1 backed out of a parking stall and struck unit 2 with the bumper of unit 1.” Officer Cross did not issue any tickets.
I am questioning Officer Cross’ Illinois Crash Report and her statement above. Officer Cross identifies the color of unit 1 as Maroon. Unit 1’s color is Plum, almost purple. Officer Cross identifies unit 2’s color as “lite purple.” Unit 2’s color is silver. Officer Cross’ Illinois Crash Report states as a contributory cause(s): Primary #30 (improper backing) and Secondary #18 (unable to determine). There was no “improper backing” from unit 1. Unit 1 informed Officer Cross “…I got in my car and looked both ways. I didn’t see anyone….”
On the Illinois Crash Report where it requires a diagram, Officer Cross wrote “not required.” Why didn’t Officer Cross draw a diagram of how my car was “improperly backing” out of a parking space or how my car hit the other car or how the other car came speeding around the corner and hit my car. Officer Cross’ Illinois Crash Report has her badge number on it, which is 1937. Why didn’t Officer Cross provide my daughter with her badge number when she asked for it in the police station? What was there to hide? This number is not on Officer Cross’ Illinois Motorist Report given to my daughter at the scene of the accident nor is Officer Cross’ analysis of the situation written on the Illinois Motorist Report.
Officer Cross’ report was transmitted to AAA/Members Select, my auto insurance company, who paid out a claim against me in the amount of $2,190.00. This claim against me drives my auto rates up. This claim against me should not have been paid by my insurance company. This claim against me is “charge ability” with my insurance company and any other insurance company, suggesting my car was at fault in this accident when it was unit 2 who caused the accident by speeding in a parking lot.
I have talked the claim’s manager of my insurance company, Mr. Ryan Elarton. Mr. Elarton reports they paid this claim out because of Officer Cross’ report. Of course, I challenged the payout because I requested of the claims adjuster, Ms. Mary Linda McCall, to inform me of the documentation she received before making a final decision in this matter. I also challenged the payout because of the lack of investigation. I gave AAA a lot of documentation to substantiated my innocence in this matter.
Nevertheless, because of Officer Cross’ biased and prejudiced decision-making in this report, I have suffered injury. Officer Cross’ report must be rescinded. Please respond to this writing.
Respectfully submitted,
Fred Nance Jr., ABD, MA, CADC, NCRS
cc: Ryan Elarton, Claims Manager AAA/Member Select Auto Insurance
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