KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Clearing side streets has been a constant concern this winter, and the job gets even harder with cars parked on the streets. One Kansas City, Kansas woman learned that lesson the hard way.
Tracy Allen is dealing with two damaged cars after she says a Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK snow plow struck both cars early Sunday morning.
"One of our vehicles that’s currently out will end up being totaled. The other vehicle is still drive-able, but the back driver-side door no longer can be opened and they’re going to have replace an entire side of it," Allen said.
KCK Police Chief Terry Zeigler tweeted about the incident and said the cars were parked legally on Elizabeth Avenue.
Allen said the issue is the road's width.
"It’s such a narrow street, and there’s really no way you can go about it because you either park on the curb and you get tickets over and over again or you park onto the street and take the possibility of getting hit," Allen said.
Edwin Birch, a Unified Government spokesman, released this statement to 41 Action News:
"The safety of our residents and property are always a top priority when crews are dispatched to treat streets during and after a snow storm. We will be reaching out to the resident following a review of the police report and an internal investigation as it relates to the circumstances leading up to the accident. We will take the appropriate action pending the outcome of the investigation."
James Roswold, an attorney at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, weighed in on the circumstances of Allen's case.
"They should say it’s on us whenever they make a mistake and if negligent, and that would include that circumstance," Roswold said. "What they would worry about is a flood of claims and so that’s why anyone like the city or the bus company will sometimes take a hard line."
He added that while snow plows are not emergency vehicles, they do get some leeway in the courtroom.
"A snow plow driver can’t see you with the same kind of visibility that a normal driver has, and often times they’re working late, they’re fatigued or under extreme conditions and they’re trying to get the job done," Roswold said.
Allen wondered if she could go back to parking on the curb, but a UG spokesperson said that's not allowed.
