A city-owned car belonging to Valerie Radu at the Family Justice Center was found in a police parking lot with a motorcycle handle protruding from the side. Radu was cited for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries. The woman who heads Chattanooga's Family Justice Center was cited for leaving the scene of a crash on Wednesday after she hit a motorcycle on North Market Street and drove away with one of the bike's handlebars stuck in her car door, according to police.
Valerie Radu is the director of Chattanooga's new Family Justice Center, designed to cater to victims of domestic violence by offering a variety of services - from legal advice to health care - under one roof near the Eastgate Town Center. Radu works closely with police as part of her position.
The crash happened around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday at 100 North Market Street, according to police. The driver of the motorcycle called police after he was struck by a car that did not stop.
The motorcycle driver couldn't say exactly what had happened, but shortly after police responded to the wreck, other officers noticed a white Ford Taurus parked at the Police Services Center across town on Amnicola Highway.
The Taurus had a motorcycle handlebar wedged in the passenger side door, according to police. Officers pulled Radu out of her meeting with police. When questioned, Radu said she had not realized she hit another vehicle.
"She said she felt a bump and thought that was strange," Officer Joseph Warren wrote in the report.
Warren said he did not believe Radu could have truly been unaware of the wreck and cited her for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.
"I felt that she was well aware that she was involved in a crash and failed to report it or stop to render aid to the motorcyclist," the officer wrote.
The driver of the motorcycle was also cited for failing to yield the right-of-way.
The city's human resources department is investigating and may recommend disciplinary action against Radu, city spokeswoman Lacie Stone said. Radu was driving a city-owned vehicle during the crash.
Radu did not return a message left on her cell phone by the Times Free Press.