Imagine getting in a car accident and then getting a bill from PennDOT.

It happened to former Allentown City Councilwoman Gail Hoover. She's being billed for a guardrail she said she didn't damage.

Hoover was driving down Tilghman Street in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County on January 12 when she was involved in an accident with a semi-truck.

"The tractor trailer drifted into me and hit my driver rear panel," said Hoover. "It pushed me into a guardrail."

The Berks-Lehigh Regional Police Department didn't fault either driver, but a few days later, Hoover got a surprise in he mail.

"I got a bill for $1,200, saying that they were going to replace some guardrail," said Hoover, who added that her car didn't damage the guardrail.

But there is damage roughly 200 feet away from where the accident happened. Hoover said she thinks it's possible PennDOT is billing her for someone else's damage.

"If she can prove that, then we will revoke the bill," said Ron Young, PennDOT spokesman.

Young said PennDOT relies on police reports to identify guard rails involved in accidents, but he said not all accidents are reported.

Young said the guardrail in question was inspected. A 50-foot section is now scheduled to be replaced.

Billing drivers for damage to guardrails is nothing new. The bill says people who don't pay up will end up in court.

"It's similar to if you are driving down the road and you hit someone's house or someone's fence," said Young. "They would want you to pay to fix that fence or that house. In this case, it's guardrail owned by the state."

Berks-Lehigh Regional police said the diagram on the accident report isn't to scale, but officers used GPS points.

Chief Michael Weiser said the officer involved will meet with Hoover and PennDOT to determine if her insurance company will be writing out a check or it the matter will be written off.

If you'd like to voice your comments, you can leave a message for 69 News at 610-871-0074.