Target 8: Red light camera tickets the wrong person, Thonotosassa woman charged in Miami

THONOTOSASSA, Fla. (WFLA) – There are arguments for red light cameras. Lily Crow, 73, of Thonotosassa has an argument against them.

“I don’t want my record ruined. I don’t want my insurance to go up,” Ms. Crow explained.

Lily Crow got a ticket in the mail in late July informing her she made an illegal turn at a red light in Miami.

“I’ve never been to Miami. Now I don’t even want to go to Miami. I don’t even have a desire to go to Miami,” she said.

But, Miami wants her money.

According to Ms. Crow, when a small red car made an illegal turn on July 18th at the intersection of NW 37th Avenue and NW 77th Street in Miami, she was at a hospital in Zephyrhills taking care of her sick daughter.

The car in question has a similar tag as hers.

And like Ms. Crow’s, the vehicle is red.

“Well it’s not mine,” Ms. Crow insisted. “Mine’s a Juke, that’s a Mazda.”

The notice of violation came from Miami. She had to send a check for $158 dollars to Ohio, but questions were to be directed to a toll free number in Arizona.

Ms. Crow contacted America Traffic Solutions in Arizona, the red light camera company. She was stopped before she got started.

“They said that all I can do is pay it,” stated Ms. Crow.

She even tried the Dade County Clerk of the Court.

“The lady told me, ‘all I can tell you to do is set a court date and come down here,'” said Ms. Crow. “I don’t know what to do.”

Lily Crow contacted Target 8.

We reached out to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to ask about phony duplicate plates in Miami, a problem Target 8 uncovered months ago.

Target 8 also contacted American Traffic Solutions.

In less than two hours, American Traffic Solutions Vice President Charles Territo sent an email stating: “The violation is dismissed. It looks like a mismatched plate. I’m trying to figure out what happened when she called. It should have been dismissed then. I will send verification of the dismissal.”

“That’s why I called you guys, you came to my rescue and I’m grateful,” Ms. Crow said.

If you have something that you think should be investigated, call our Target 8 Helpline at 1-800-338-0808. Contact Steve Andrews at sandrews@wfla.com.