(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. -$500 is a lot of money any time of year, but being hit with an unexpected bill for that amount one week before Christmas is enough to bury many local families.
Ariel Vail said she was driving Monday night on Appleway when a barrel of deicer flew off a truck and slammed into her car. The driver took off.
"It's sad," she said. "I'm at a minimum wage job. Insurance is asking for a $500 deductible. We just don't have that kind of money."
She said the whole thing was devastating.
"It's just not very nice," she said. "Especially around the holidays. Things are tight."
"We were driving from Stateline to Liberty Lake right there on Appleway, when we took the corner right before the freeway entrance," Vail said. "This flatbed truck was taking the same corner."
That's when Vail felt something hit her jeep.
"This giant 50 gallon barrel of deicer flew right off his flat bed and smashed right into my Jeep," she said. "We saw him hit his brake lights, but we didn’t get a license plate."
She's holding out hope someone who knows something about the incident will come forward and do the right thing.
"It's my only vehicle to get me to and from work," she said. "If they were to come forward, I wouldn't have any hard feelings. I just want them to pay for the damages."
The truck was white, but it happened to fast for Vail to get any further description. If you know anything, call Crime Check at 509-456-2233.