wgrz.com - An Orchard Park couple, their young son and the family dog had a long walk to their home last month after police mistakenly impounded their car.
Linda Gedeon was the mom, and she says she has a clean driving record. "I've never had any traffic infraction in my life," she says.
But at 8 p.m. July 25, Orchard Park Police pulled her over on Milestrip Road, her husband in the passenger seat, her son and their little dog in the back seat. "He said my husband didn't have his seat belt on," she tells us of the officer.
"About 15 minutes later," her husband Tom Block says, "he came back and told us her car registration and license plate were suspended."
Linda continues, "So I got out of the car and he handcuffs me because my plates are suspended."
Linda asks how and when the registration was suspended. "I believe the word was 'shut up,'" she tells us. "It's hard to recall exactly because it was last month, but he told me the less I talk the better."
A tow truck arrives and hooks up to her car. "The tow truck leaves," says Tom, "she's released, and I say, 'how are we supposed to get home?' and he says, 'that's not my problem.'"
Rich Kellman repeats, "That's not my problem?"
"Right," Tom replies.
So there you are on Milestrip Road, your car's been towed, you're with your spouse and seven-year-old child and the family dog, six miles from home in Orchard Park and it's nine o'clock at night. What do you do?
"We walked home," says Linda, "more than six miles. We started after nine o'clock, and it was 11:30 when we got home."
Wow! This is incredible. Not only did they have to walk home, but the poor kid is probably traumatized because not only did he have to see his mother handcuffed but also saw a cop - someone that children are taught are supposed to be good people - be as rude as possible to his family.
The extent of this child's understanding is probably something along the lines of the fact that the policeman was mean and then his family had to walk for 2- 1/2 hours. Turns out a glitch in the DMV computers caused the whole thing, but this child doesn't understand that.
Sorry that this post is babbling and rambling; I had too many beers at a grad party I went to and I'm very tired, but I couldn't resist this story. Read the rest for yourself here.
By the way, this is just heresay, but I was told by somebody that the law enforcement of this town (Orchard Park) for some reason doesn't like outsiders and gives them grief whenever possible.