When we first met with the other driver, she asked us not to show her face or use her name. Now, though, the police report is out and her name is public. But she still worries about going public somehow coming back to haunt her.
Allison Kerlegon's car suffered damage from a fender bender on October 25
"I jerked forward and I jerked back pretty heavily, and I got some whiplash," Kerlegon said.
She was traveling westbound on the Katy Freeway service road near Brittmore, when she stopped, she says, for a stalled truck. That's when she was hit from behind, according to police, by a car driven by Houston City Councilwoman Helena Brown. They pulled over and started to exchange information. That's when Kerlegon claims Brown refused to give details on her insurance.
"At that point she's telling me it's my fault, "I'm the reason she rear-ended me," Kerlegon said. "She becomes belligerent."
According to Texas law, each party must share their "...motor vehicle liability insurer ..." and must "...remain at the scene of the accident until the operator complies ..."
KTRK legal analyst Joel Androphy said, "The statute is very clear in Texas. You have to provide proof of insurance. It's not optional."
Kerlegon says she called police, but Brown left before they arrived. She says Brown has never given her the information.
Brown refused to return our repeated calls over the last week about this, referring us to her attorney who on Tuesday sent us what he claims is proof that she did have insurance on the date of the accident. He wouldn't say why she wouldn't want to share that with the woman in the other car.
Brown has not been cited. Police say the case is still under investigation. Brown's attorney says Kerlegon's story has changed repeatedly since the day of the accident, and that she's been giving supposedly false and misleading statements about what actually happened.
Her attorney added, "Councilmember Brown has made a personal choice not to exploit insurance benefits in a situation where she can afford to pay for minor repair costs."
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