'I smashed through her fence to get my daughter to the ER and now she wants me to pay. AITA?'
"I smashed through her fence to get my daughter to the ER and now she wants me to pay. AITA?"
I (37f) was at home with my daughter last week when the absolute worst happened. She has a severe allergy, and she accidentally came into contact with something she should not have. She started swelling up and having a really hard time breathing. It escalated so fast.
We live super close to the emergency room, literally a 3 minute drive, so I grabbed her, grabbed my keys, and ran out to my car. Waiting for an ambulance would have taken way longer and we did not have time.
When I opened the garage, I realized a woman had parked her giant SUV directly across my driveway, completely blocking me in. She was standing right next to it, chatting on her phone and watching her dog go to the bathroom on the curb.
I panicked, I strapped my daughter in, rolled down the window, and screamed that it was a life or death medical emergency and she needed to move her car right this second.
The woman literally just held up a finger at me, told the person on the phone to hold on, and said, "You need to calm down and wait, I'm on a very important call. I'll move in a minute."
My daughter was wheezing in the back seat. I did not even think. I put my car in reverse, backed up as far as I could, and then drove my car straight across my own front lawn, smashing right through this woman's wooden fence next door just to get around her SUV and into the street.
I got my daughter to the ER in time and the doctors were able to treat her.
She is totally fine now, thank God.
But now, the woman is furious. She got my info from another neighbor and is demanding I pay for her broken fence and the landscaping I ruined. She even tried to file a police report for destruction of property. The cops did not arrest me because of the documented medical emergency, but they said it is a civil issue now.
My husband is just glad our daughter is safe, but he thinks I went totally crazy. He said you should not have panicked and destroyed someones property. He thinks I made a terrifying situation even worse by causing a massive property dispute. AITA?
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
NTA. It doesn't take anything to hop in your vehicle and move it. Not only that, it's pretty ignorant to block a driveway. Laws exist for a reason. I'm glad your daughter is ok, but how would've neighbor reacted if she wouldn't have been ok, and it's due to her ignorance of blocking you in? Let her take you to court, and tell hubby to take a breath. Today is tomorrow's yesterday.
Technical_Resident58 (OP)
Thank u so much for saying this. Honestly, I was shaking the whole time and seeing my daughter struggle to breathe was the scariest moment of my life. I did not care about a fence or a lawn, I just needed to get her to the er before it was too late. Its hard to believe someone would prioritize a phone call over a child's life.
Of course. I can't imagine the fear you were going through for your daughter. Items and property are replaceable your baby girl is not. The fact that lady is too jaded to understand that, speaks volumes beyond belief.
Absolutely not the jerk. That woman put her phone call above your kid's life. You did what any parent would do. Let her sue you - any judge will laugh her out of court.
Technical_Resident58 (OP)
Its so hard because she’s now telling the whole neighborhood Im unstable even though she was the one blocking a driveway during an emergency. I’d smash that fence a hundred times over if it meant getting my daughter to the er in time. Thank you for this.
NTA, might need to split the cost of the fence. Do you have a video camera in your driveway to show the conversation? Does she park in your driveway regularity, is it normally tolerated or was this the first time?
Of course you couldn’t wait "one minute“ in that situation because it’s never just one and you gave her a warning beforehand, but might could’ve told her what’s about to happen. Most important thing is that your daughter is ok.
Technical_Resident58 (OP)
Thank u, she is doing much better now but it was the scariest moment of my life. I actually do have a ring camera that caught the whole thing, including her holding up her finger to hush me while my kid could not breathe.
I did not have time to explain what i was about to do because every second mattered. I honestly don't feel like i should pay a cent since she was the one creating a dangerous situation by blocking a clear exit.
NTA. Her phone call was not more important than your daughter's life.
Technical_Resident58 (OP)
Thank u. Honestly, in that moment, I did not even see a fence, I just saw a path to save my kid. I would do it a thousand times again if it meant getting her to the er. Its scary how some people value a phone call over a literal life.
I bet your husband would wish you had done exactly as you did if you had waited for your neighbor to move her illegally parked car and your daughter had a bad outcome. NTA, but your neighbor is.
Technical_Resident58 (OP)
Thank u so much. Honestly, that is exactly what I told him. I would rather pay for a thousand fences than spend a single second wondering what if because i waited for her to finish a phone call. It was the scariest moment of my life and I just acted on pure instinct to save my kid.
Definitely NTA! I think she's lucky you didn't run over her!
Technical_Resident58 (OP)
Thank u for saying that. Honestly, when i saw my daughter's face, I did not care about anything else. Im glad she is okay now but I still cant believe that woman thought her phone call was more important than a child's life.