A Virginia woman was furious that the city of Norfolk won’t pay to repair damages after a sanitation truck wrecked her car.
Five months after the crash, she was still waiting for the city to take accountability.
One local business stepped up to help the single mom who wanted to give the car to her teenage daughter.
Chavonne Grant’s neighbor witnessed the trash truck ride down their street before ramming into her 2007 BMW 328i. The car, which was parked outside of the owner’s home, was hit so hard the truck got stuck, and the back of the car was totaled, WAVY reported.
“There’s a gaping hole right here, the whole tire rod, the tire was flattened. The bumper was pushed up, but the bumper was on the ground. It’s completely cracked. … The hood had to be pushed down,” Grant said while describing the damages done to her car on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.
The driver was “extremely apologetic” and took responsibility for the crash, according to the woman.
“He came out, he explained that he was covering a shift and he was moving too fast and over or underestimated my car,” Grant said.
After extending his apologies, the truck driver assured her the damages would be covered by the city’s insurance, and the two made a police report regarding the accident.
However, the city has not.
Grant says she waited for weeks to hear back from the city, but no one would respond to her.
In an effort to push through red tape, she contacted her city councilman, who later sent a third-party adjuster to look at the car.
Two weeks later, Grant finally heard from the city. In a letter, officials said the city of Norfolk has sovereign immunity in circumstances like hers and told her the repairs would not be fixed on its dime.
The single mom said the accident has disenfranchised her and now she is “extremely frustrated” and “overwhelmed.”
