[Tee]

The weekened before Memorial Day, I headed out on calls as I usually do. It was about 8:30 in the morning and I started my trek to Dighton using the correction line from 110 road going west. I toodled on past the landfill road about a mile in my brand new Pacifica when ALL OF SUDDEN BANG! SMACK! CRASH! a dump truck passed me and showed me with rocks and gravel. I thought I was being shot at!! Many of the large pebbles showered my windsheild causing minor cracks and pits. I quickly did a u-ee and proceeded to follow the dumptruck out to the landfill, at a safe distance of course, because he was loosing his load. I couldn't help but notice this fairly new dumptruck with a heaping load of sand, rock and gravel which was equiped with a built in cover which was not in use. It was rolled up tightly all the way to the cab. As I kept flashing my lights, the driver continued onto the landfill and went over to the north side to dump his load. I went into the landfill office to report him and to call the police. The staff at the landfill said the duptrucks (from JAG construction) are hauling the loads from Howell to fill an area at the landfill and that they have been at at for quite sometime. They also expressed their dismay that none of the trucks were using there builtin covers to cover their loads.

Now for the clencher of the story.... I called the dispatcher requesting an officer and advised that I had been in an altercation with an uncovered dumptruck that damaged my new vehicle- she said she'd promptly have a sherrifs officer call me back. The phone rang a few minutes later... It was Deputy Schrader calling to get the specifics of what had occured. I explained to him that I encountered one of what has turned out to be a steady stream of dumptrucks with uncovered loads and the dumptruck showered me with gravel, damaging my paint, the frontend, the headlight bezels, the front tag trim was broken and the windsheild was ruined. The vehicle is speckeled, chipped and even one small dent-pit from the front to the back on the drivers side and on the roof. I told him they were all JAG construction trucks. He said he would need to talk to his supervisor and call me back. He called me back and told me that he would not be able to respond and that there was nothing he could do, regardless of the fact that the dumptrucks were breaking the law at this current moment. I pleaded with him to come up and at least write a report but he refused. I explained to him that there is a steady stream of trucks coming from Howell with uncovered loads (all JAG trucks) and that since it is blowing to the north at 25-50 mph and they have heaped loads of gravel that it is important that they get them stopped to avaiod any further damage to other vehicles. He still refused. I asked to talk to his supervisor. He put me on hold then came back and said there was no supervisor available to talk to me. Furious, I called the Garden City Highway Patrol. They were as purplexed as I was about the situation. They couldn't understand why the Sheriffs Office would not respond as it is clearly a violation to haul uncovered loads that spill onto the roadway and onto other vehicles. They promptly dispatched one of their officers- Officer Mosely responded and quickly took charge of the situation. He wrote up a report and detained the truck. While I was waiting for him, I called JAG and they sent up a fellow as well, Ken Braley to inspect my vehicle. both the officer and Ken inspected the damage on my vehicle. Then Ken witnessed the steady stream of uncovered loads and started hollering at the drivers for not using their built-in covers. The officer told him in my presence that he was going to park at the entrance and start handing out tickets to all the trucks entering with uncovered loads.

Oh, the dumptruck driver (Bob) tried to explain his neglegence by surmising that the sand "was wet" when he picked it up, and even though the load is heaped over the top, the temperature is over 90, and the wind is blowing towards oncoming traffic at record gusts, and he was soaring down the road at highway speeds, there could be no way the gravel would dry and leave the truck from a trip from Howell. It would stay put. OOOOOOOOOkaaaayyy.......?*&^@%#$!! At first, the driver even tried to say that I never encountered him, but then later fessed up when he was caught in a lie.

I am still waiting on JAGs insurance company to take care of my damages, but that is a whole nuther saga. I am trying to work directly with JAGS insurance company but so far am getting stonewalled. I have contacted my insurance company and given them a statement but have yet to actually file a claim with them as they advise me that doing so will result in a premium increase, regardless of fault. Not to mention I have a $1000 deductible which they would eventually subrogate against JAG's insurance. But I am worried about the premium increase so am holding out to see if they pay. The estimates came to around 3600.00 for the repairs, not including rental car (while the car is in the shop) and some damage was overlooked in the estimate. The high intensity light bezels retail for $800 each - ouch. I was going to file a suit on Monday, but since I finally got a call from Eric @ JAG yesterday, I decided to wait until Friday to file suit. If I do file suit, I will be claiming everything; the overlooked damage, the costs of a rental car, a complete paint job (so the paint matches) legal fees and filing fees. I may have to also figure in the fact that I am comprimising a baked on paint job for a chemical dry paint job and figure in an extra thousand for that as well, since the paint will not last as long as factory paint, especially on such a new vehicle.

The thing that bothers me is...
Why wouldn't the Ford County Sheriffs Dept respond? Is JAG so powerful in Ford County that there are above the law?