July 9, 2023
The driver for the rental store was looking at a truck that had pulled into the gas station parking lot while he was in the store. It was parked on the right side of the lot near the exit lane. On the left side was the hut where the gas station attendant was located if you were just purchasing gas and not going into the store. A concrete pole was at the corner of the hut as a barrier to prevent it being hit.
The driver decided he could probably make it through the opening to exit the lot. Alas, he could not. He missed the truck parked to his right, but his truck caught the top corner of the hut, lifting it up off the ground and turning it to the side. A hole was gouged into the side of the rental store’s truck where it met the top corner of the hut. In an odd turn of events, he did not hit the concrete barrier since the top of the hut extended over the pole.
The owner of the truck parked to his right came out of the store and pulled away as the driver for the rental store got out to survey the damage. Had he just waited a few more minutes, the rental store driver would have been able to exit the lot without incident. Sometimes it’s good to wait.
This item, provided by ARA Insurance, Overland Park, Kan., contains safety tips and is intended to help readers better understand and manage risk. For more safety and risk management information, customers of ARA Insurance can log on to ReSource. Access is free, so if you haven’t signed up yet, contact your agent or call 800-821-6580.
