CHARLES CITY – A Charles City woman blamed her her beloved canine for causing he to lose control of her van and smash into a parked car, leading to a ticket from cops.
The incident took place on the afternoon of March 31, 2020. At about 2:22 PM that day, officers with the Charles City Police Department investigated a two vehicle accident in the 300 block of 9th Street.
A red 1992 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by Ashley Helfter, age 18 of Charles City was eastbound on 9th Street when, according to police, her dog got into her lap, causing her to loose control of her vehicle. As a result, she rear ended a grey 2015 Chrysler 300 owned by Angella Gurule, age 23 of Charles City, that was properly parked and unattended at the time. Helfter was cited for failure to maintain control, a simple misdemeanor. There were no injuries as a result of the accident. Police say estimated damage to Helfter’s vehicle was $600, while estimated damage to Gurule’s vehicle was $2,000.