Single mom fights city after police car wrecks her SUV

PLAINFIELD, N.J. (WABC) -- The young mom told Eyewitness News she's lucky to be alive. According to a police report, a Plainfield cop blew a stop sign, totaling her car and sending both drivers to the hospital with bumps and bruises. But when it came to compensation for her smashed SUV she says she was left stranded.

"You're coming north and the police comes this way. And did they stop?" asked Nina Pineda, 7 On Your Side.

"No," said Ana Nieto, the driver. "They just skipped the stop sign and hit me."

Eight months later, Nieto is still traumatized. She was picking up her daughter, had the right of way at this intersection.

"All I saw was this car already on top of me. I didn't see it coming," Nieto said.

The police car had no lights flashing - no siren - no warning. "Before I know it, I'm spinning," Nieto said.

She wound up getting knocked into the passenger seat. Ana's 13-year-old car was totaled. "My mechanic said repairs were about $5500," Nieto said.

That's money this young mom raising a daughter on her own didn't have. And the claim she filed last April against the City of Plainfield, she says, went unanswered by their insurance company.

"I left messages no one would call me back. When I called back, no answer," Nieto said.

Months went by, her claim was stuck in neutral. Finally, her landlord ordered her to tow her totaled SUV.

With no money for another car, she took cabs, and paid a friend $60 a week to drive her daughter to and from school.

"It's been hard," Nieto said.

The day 7 On Your Side got Ana's call we called Plainfield's attorney. He said he knew nothing about the problem but followed up with the town's insurer.

And just days later: "I got my check, $7,331," Nieto said.

Plainfield paid the price of the repairs plus reimbursed all the rides the car-less mom paid for.

"So what's the first thing you're going to do with this? Eyewitness News asked.

"I'm going to go get a car," Nieto said.

The insurance company apologized for the problem. Nieto's claims representative had left the business and it slipped through the cracks.

Before filing any claim first detail and then document any costs you've incurred and hang on to all your receipts to prove it.

Here, Nieto kept calling the town insurances, she should've been bugging the city. The city stepped up and paid her back for all those taxis and rides.