Woman Claims Laws Protect Criminals Not Victims

Wednesday, October 10th 2007, 5:00 pm

By: News On 6

A Broken Arrow woman claims some laws protect the criminal more than the victim. Someone slammed into her house and has yet to be arrested or charged. The man who most likely ran into her home was probably drunk at the time, but because he took off, no one can prove he was drinking. News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports that records show the man has previous convictions for DUI and leaving the scene.

Shawna Potterâ€™s home in Broken Arrow had just undergone a serious remodel, new granite countertops, cabinets and fixtures. It had only been on the market 12 days when someone drove through the homeâ€™s garage. It appears the driver first hit a mailbox across the street, jumped the curb, tore across the lawn and slammed into the garage. Paint cans were inside, so white paint outlines the tire tracks as the driver backed up and left.

"They told me the house had been hit by a vehicle. They knew it was a Hummer, because the Hummer had left car parts at the scene," homeowner Shawna Potter said.

Shawna asked neighbors if they knew of a champagne colored Hummer in the area and one of them pointed to a house nearby, where a woman told police her boyfriend does drive one, had left after midnight and had been drinking. When police called her boyfriend, they got nowhere.

"Police said, where is your vehicle? And the guy said, it's not with me, and police said where is it if it's not with you? He said, somewhere else. Police said, don't play games, where is it? And he hung up on them," said Potter.

No one has been able to find the vehicle, and records show the man suspected of running into the home has previous convictions for impaired driving, DUI and leaving the scene. The problem is, people who drink and drive and do crashes like this know that legally it's better to leave the scene, because then no one can prove they were drinking and the punishment isn't as severe.

"It tore up the garage and parts of the dining room, but what if this was a child's bedroom? What if this wasn't a garage? What if it was my son's room?" homeowner Shawna Potter said.

Police also get frustrated when they believe they know who committed a crime, but don't have enough to prove it.

Shawna, who is stuck with $20,000 in damages, hopes anyone who saw the crash or has seen the damaged Hummer, will call the Broken Arrow crime line at 259-1111.

Watch the video: Woman Seeks Justice After Someone Crashes Into Her House