Davis Hammond got a fine in the mail. A traffic camera had caught him running a red light. The only problem? In the photo, Hammond wasn’t behind the wheel. He didn’t even have his truck—it had been stolen. But the city still wasn’t about to offer any mercy.

One dreary day, Hammond came out of work in Denver, Colorado. His truck wasn’t where he’d parked it. He wondered if he’d made a mistake, so he walked all the way around the block. No lifted Ford F-150. That’s when he realized his rig had probably been stolen.

Hammond found another way home and immediately filed a police report. He waited with fingers crossed. Then, six days later, his baby was recovered. The truck had been abandoned in Commerce City, Colorado. When Hammond got home, a nasty surprise waited for him: a ticket from Commerce City—for running a red light. During the week his truck was stolen.

Adding insult to injury: Hammond required to pay truck thief’s ticket

He reached out to the city and explained his truck had been stolen for a few days. Commerce City essentially said, “Nice try, bub. Prove it.” How to prove it? Paperwork. Lots of it.

Hammond had to send multiple documents, including his police report and other records. He dutifully shipped everything off. Then he got a second notice. It was a late fee for the red light ticket.

Outraged, Hammond called the local news station. The news team thought there might be a story there, so they contacted Commerce City for a comment. You might be surprised to hear—Hammond’s ticket magically disappeared.

At the end of the day, it’s nice Hammond doesn’t have to pay. That said, he now has a picture of at least part of the thief’s face. So hopefully Denver can catch the guy. One ticket would be a small price for justice. Perhaps the truck thief shouldn’t have sped under traffic lights. But if he were smart, he’d probably be in a different line of work. You can see Hammond interviewed in the video below: