The Hinesville Police Department has acknowledged its officers “fell short” during a traffic stop last month.

A disabled couple, including one who is an amputee, were forced to leave their car and had to wait by the roadside for a ride in the middle of the night after they were pulled over and the officer told them their insurance was not up to date.

“Specifically, insufficient consideration was given to the occupants’ age, medical conditions, and the late-night circumstances surrounding the encounter,” the HPD said in a social media post. “Under those circumstances, supervisory consultation should have taken place before the traffic stop was concluded.”

HPD leaders have met with the couple and apologized for the hardship experienced. The HPD also is reimbursing the couple’s towing expenses and has dismissed the citation for not having insurance after a check through the Georgia Crime Information Center showed the vehicle’s insurance coverage was current.

The couple, both in their 70s, attempted to show they had auto insurance. HPD Assistant Chief Terranova Smith and patrol division commander Capt. Franklin Gallob reviewed the officer’s body cam footage, along with the department’s policies, state law and the incident’s circumstances.

Their review determined the officer acted in compliance with state law and the HPD’s standard operating procedures regarding issuing the couple a citation and the towing of the vehicle as uninsured. The officer independently checked the vehicle’s insurance status through the state Department of Revenue and provided the driver a printout of the verification.

Under state law, insurance companies are required to transmit policy information electronically to the state Department of Revenue. This system was established, according to the HPD, to provide law enforcement and the state “a more reliable method of verifying insurance coverage” than paper cards or digital cards, which the driver could keep in their possession after a policy has expired or been cancelled.

Even if a driver presents an insurance card of proof of insurance electronically, if there is no record of valid coverage in the Revenue Department’s database, an officer still may take action consistent with the law and department policy, the HPD said. Such actions can include issuing citations, charging uninsured motorist violations where applicable, and making vehicle impound decisions when authorized.

But the HPD also said the situation following that should have been handled better.

“Most importantly, we acknowledge that we should have done more to ensure the involved parties had safe and reliable transportation before clearing the scene,” the HPD said.

As a result, the HPD will have more guidance and clarify policy for officers so they may take more reasonable steps to ensure drivers have safe transportation or other accommodations following an enforcement or towing action.

The woman involved told the HPD she wanted the incident to serve as a learning and training opportunity for the department to prevent a similar situation from taking place, and the HPD agreed with her sentiment.

“The Hinesville Police Department takes ownership of those shortcomings,” department leaders said. “While officers are entrusted to enforce the law and follow departmental policy, we also have a responsibility to exercise common sense, compassion, sound judgment, and reasonable care for the well-being of the people we encounter. In this instance, we recognize that responsibility was not met to the standard our community expects or that we expect of ourselves.”