Florida Woman Arrested for Hit-and-Run. Her Victim Was a Tree

A Florida woman learned the hard way that not all hit-and-runs involve people or cars; sometimes, the victims are trees.

Yanelly Guzman said she was pulling into a parking spot at T.J. Maxx ahead of her Christmas Eve shift when she felt an unusual bump.

"I feel like something was making pressure on my car, so when I do that, I back up," Guzman told local news. "Then, I decide to park in another spot."

She soon realized she had hit a low-hanging tree branch but wasn't sure what to do next.

After consulting with her manager and others, she was advised to report the incident to the Cape Coral Police Department. But when Guzman met with an officer weeks later, the situation took a turn.

"Instead of doing my incident report, he took me to jail for that, for hitting and run," she said.

The officer allegedly told her she should have left a note on the tree with her name, registration, and phone number. She was then arrested, booked, and had to pay $150 bail.

While the state attorney has dropped the charges for insufficient evidence, Guzman still faces nearly $4,300 in legal fees and car repairs.

"I don't think that it was fair what they did to me. They ruined my life," she said. "I know that a lot of police officers are wonderful person, but I'm scared. That's how I feel right now."