A Chicago couple is being forced to pay for a red light violation even though the camera snapped the wrong vehicle, WGN9 reported.
Steve and Celeste Galizia received a $100 fine four months prior for a supposed red light violation. The couple, however, says the traffic camera misread the plate. When zoomed in on the picture the plate does not match theirs, with the first two letters being CE, not CL, the outlet reported. (RELATED: ‘Crime Is Skyrocketing’: 66 Year Old Says Cops Ticketed Her For Driving 37 In A 35)
The car in the snapshot also showed a football sticker on the bumper, “It’s clearly not ours,” Steve Stallings said, ““We weren’t there or nothing. It’s got a Kansas City Chiefs decal on it and we wouldn’t own one of those.”
City of Chicago forces suburban couple to pay red light violation that isn’t theirshttps://t.co/WO5CckttrZ
— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) March 29, 2023
The couple has been trying to appeal the ticket, only to have their efforts halted by a city judge. Following this, the pair took extra steps by mailing in proof to the Chicago Department of Finance that the vehicle and plate in question is not theirs. This letter was subsequently declined and sent back, according to WGN9.
Since originally being issued, the fine has doubled and been passed on to collections. “We’re completely innocent, yet they want us to jump through hoops,” Scalling stated. Celeste also expressed her frustration saying, “We’ve proven to them that this was not the license plate, yet nobody’s responding,” she went on to say“But this case should be closed, and we should not have to pay the fine.”
WGN reached out to the Chicago Department of Finance for comment, which promised to investigate the situation. The department has since not responded.