Pizza delivery leaves Wilson driver with totaled car and insurance denial

WILSON, N.C. (WTVD) -- It was supposed to be just a simple job of delivering pizzas. Instead, it left Samantha Arrington with a totaled car and her insurance company denying any coverage.

For the past five years, Arrington has worked for a popular pizza chain in Wilson. She's an assistant manager at the store but sometimes will deliver pizzas.

"Normally in the morning, there are no drivers, so I have to take the deliveries," Arrington said. "We got the call that there needed to be a delivery going to this address, and like normal, I came thinking nothing of it."

The order was placed around lunchtime. She arrived at the home where the caller wanted the pizza delivered and she got out of the car to walk to the front door. All of a sudden, she heard her car door open.

'It was a setup'

"When I turned around, there was a gentleman in all black and a hoodie getting in my car," she recounted. She tried to stop him, but he took off in her brand-new car. "He almost ran over my feet. No one at the house was home. So no one at the home actually ordered the pizza. It was a setup."

Her cell phone was in her stolen car, so she ran down the street and found a resident who let her borrow his phone to call 911. Since Arrington's car was equipped with GPS tracking, it helped police track down the suspect, but she got the bad news soon after he was arrested.

"He ended up running over something and crashing into a ditch," Arrington said.

When she learned her car was totaled, she reported the crime to her insurance company and received even more bad news.

Insult to injury

"Come to find out, I didn't have the business clause on my insurance policy, which stated that I was delivering, so my insurance company decided that they were not going to cover my damages," Arrington said.

"To make matters worse, with no coverage, she still owes more than $20,000 in car payments.

"I have four kids. So it is pretty devastating. I'm trying to find other ways to make money," she said.

It is a financial setback that Arrington is sharing in hopes of educating others not only about the risks of delivery jobs, but to make sure you have the proper insurance coverage.

"Get the business clause put on your insurance policy. That way, if anything happens like a car accident, or in my case a robbery, make sure that it's covered by your insurance company," she said. "That way if it's a total loss, if there are any damages to your car, then the insurance company will pay for it."

Since so many people are now using their cars to make money, before taking any job where you need to use your car or even your home as part of your job, call your insurance company and check to see if you need any additional coverage.

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