Officer could have eased mother’s mind

Recently, my 17-year-old daughter was on her way home at 1 a.m. It was her second day in her new “used” car. She was on Third Avenue SE approaching downtown, when her headlights went out. A policeman stopped her. She was flustered and stated how the lights had just gone out and how she had just bought the car. After checking her ID, he asked if she was heading directly home. She said yes. He said that she would probably be stopped one or two more times on the way home. She put on her hazard lights; he left.

While she was stopped at a red light a block or two later, a young white male tried to get in her car. She yelled at him to leave her alone. As he walked around the back of the car to approach the other side, she ran the red light and sped away. When she arrived home (less than five minutes later) she was crying and very upset.

Why did the policeman not follow her home? It was a short distance. As

a mother, all I could think of is “what if that man had gotten into the car ...”

Kris Wright

Cedar Rapids