OKC Metro Man Foots Bill After Vehicle Is Hit On Private Property

A metro man found out the hard way that the rules are slightly different for accidents on private property.

A hit and run driver recently slammed into Shaun Santino’s car in a business parking lot, but now he is footing the bill.

Santino has two more weeks before he gets his car back.

“It's a really bad situation to be in,” Santino said.

The workers at Car Craft Auto Body are working their magic, but damage like this takes a while to fix.

“I think everyone needs to be aware of these things because it can happen to anybody,” Santino told News 9.

His car was in a small Oklahoma City business parking lot when he returned to find it gashed along the driver's side.

“It's been a very frustrating two weeks of trying to figure this all out, and it's either go to civil court or just suck it up and pay the thousands of dollars myself,” Santino explained.

Due to state law, oftentimes police will not work a crash on private property.

On a public roadway, police are required to work an accident if there are injuries, if it is a hit and run, if it involves a DUI or drunk driver or if the vehicle damage is in excess of $750.

However, these rules do not always apply to parking lot crashes.

“If it's something that you feel strongly about, if you are involved in a minor accident certainly you can ask the officer to make the police report,” Oklahoma City police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said.

Santino even tracked down the pickup driver who parked next to him that day, but there were no witnesses and there is nothing he can do.

“We as working Oklahomans spend probably 40 or 50 hours a week at work and it's private property and if we get hit there, we can't do anything about it,” Santino said.

Oklahoma City police said if it is a more serious accident in a parking lot involving DUI or injuries, officers will go ahead and work those without you requesting it.