Yellowknife (Mar 05/04) - Just few months after buying a brand new Dodge Neon, Leighann Chase pulled into Wal-Mart last November to pick up a pair of socks.

A late model Ford Truck in the spot beside her was parked on an angle and Chase worried the driver, if they weren't careful, might clip her bumper while backing out.

"I decided to just leave it because I was only going inside for five minutes," said the 22-year-old Yellowknife resident.

"I learned my lesson."

When Chase returned to her car, part of her front bumper was laying on the ground and the Ford was nowhere in sight.

Chase describes the next few months as a "nightmare" of credit card debt, hamstrung investigations and now a court battle.

Experiences like Chase's aren't uncommon, said RCMP Sgt. Daryl Key.

He suggested victims try and get the license plate of the would-be hit-and-run driver and corral witnesses for extra ammunition.

While police will investigate, it is sometimes hard to link a car with an accident, especially if it isn't much more than fender bender, he said.

"For the more serious accidents, we do have (investigators) capable of matching the damage on one car with the damage on another," he said.

In Chase's case, a witness saw the late-model Ford smash into her Neon.

The witness provided Chase with the license plate number of the truck, but didn't want to leave a name.

Police were able to track down the alleged culprit, but couldn't find any conclusive evidence linking him to the accident.

He denied responsibility for the incident, leaving Chase grasping for evidence.

"It was extremely frustrating," she said.

Chase even took out an ad in the newspaper in an attempt to track down the witness.

"Hit and runs are a poor reflection on the community," said Chase, who moved to Yellowknife in May, 2003.

She is determined to take the man to small claims court, but in the meantime she had to cover the repair bill.

The damage to her car was estimated at around $1,700 and Chase put her $1,000 insurance deductible on her credit card.

"I'm still paying it off, bit by bit," she said.

"I've got my own bills and student loans so it's hard."

Chase said from now on she's going to park at the back of lots, far away from other cars.

"I can't help but be frustrated by the situation," she said. "All you have to do is park at Wal-Mart to be out $1,000."