After a long day of instructing, the last thing a teacher wants is to walk out to his or her car and find it damaged. Car accidents in the teacher parking lot have become a growing problem.

Special education teacher Kim Jacobs’ car was hit in early December in the teachers’ parking lot by an unknown vehicle, which then immediately left the area without note or notice, causing thousands of dollars of damage.

Jacobs’ car was parked inside the teacher parking lot when it was hit and the damage was centered on the left side near the rear of the car. Security monitors believe whoever hit Jacobs’ car rushed into the spot next to her car, hit it and then rushed off and parked somewhere else in the teachers’ parking lot. The security camera for that section of the parking lot could not see that space and the accident was not documented.

“Someone must have rushed in and just hit it,” said Nancy Banks, lead security monitor. The security office has been unable to identify the vehicle or the driver, and without the security cameras actually observing the accident the only way they could ever find out is if someone would confess to committing or witnessing the accident.

Meanwhile, Jacobs is left with paying for the damage to her car, something she had no chance to prevent and repairs which will cost her about $4,000, she said.

“I’m not upset that they hit my car,” Jacobs said. “I’m just frustrated that they didn’t accept the responsibility for it.”

This is the first accident in the teacher’s parking lot that was deemed hit and run, and while the majority of accidents committed in the teacher’s parking lot are by students, all students either were caught on camera or confessed, Banks said.

Students witness “almost accidents” every day as they enter and leave school. Reckless driving is a common sight on campus.

“I think everyone tears through the parking lot and they should be more careful,” said Avery Fricker, a senior.

In September alone, there were three student-committed accidents in the teachers’ parking lot, Banks said. In one case, a staff member actually witnessed the accident take place.

“We tell students not to park in the teacher parking lot, so when they cause an accident in the teacher parking lot it’s a double no-no,” Banks said.

Jacobs says if someone does confess to her she would not be upset, but instead disappointed that they did not come forward sooner.

“I’m just bothered that there is someone out there getting away with this,” Jacobs said. “I mean it’s not like I have $4,000 just laying around that I can throw at this problem.”