After Hit-and-Run Damages Pat Miller’s Truck, Yates Automotive Steps Up
"I said, 'Boy, I don’t remember parking that way. That looks a little funny,'" Miller recalled.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — What began as a frustrating hit-and-run incident for Alexandria Living Legend Pat Miller quickly turned into a story about community kindness.
On a snowy Tuesday evening in Del Ray, Miller left a meeting at Los Tios Grill and noticed something unusual about her 2005 Toyota Tacoma. The truck appeared slightly out of position.
“I said, ‘Boy, I don’t remember parking that way. That looks a little funny,’” Miller told The Zebra. “The back end was close to the curb and the front end was poking out.”
Then it dawned on her: someone had struck her parked truck and driven away.
Miller believes a driver may have attempted a U-turn, hit the vehicle, and left without stopping.
“I think what happened is someone did a U-turn, hit my truck, and then just took off,” she said. “It’s so unthoughtful to hit a car and then drive away without leaving a note.”
Looking for help, Miller called her friend Gayle Reuter, who immediately went to work.
Reuter contacted Jason Yates of Yates Automotive, and the response was swift. Yates offered to repair the damage at his auto body shop and return the truck looking as good as new—at no charge.
In other words, if you ever find yourself in a bind, having Gayle Reuter on your side may not be a bad idea.
At the time Yates Automotive spoke with The Zebra, the truck had not yet arrived at the shop, but Jason Yates Jr. said the decision to help was an easy one.
“We’re waiting to get the car now,” Yates said. “She’s done a lot for the community. We’ve got to give back.”
Miller said employees at a nearby Chinese restaurant did not hear the collision, and police were checking to see whether the incident had been captured on security cameras.
While she hopes whoever was responsible is identified, Miller said she remains deeply grateful for the generosity she received from friends and neighbors.
“I can’t thank him enough,” she said of Yates. “It’s amazing.”
Sometimes the best stories are not about what happened, but about how a community responds when it does.
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