Woodbridge – As parents chatted and watched the Bethwood Softball League’s Woodbridge Purple Panthers on a fine summer’s evening at Center Field in Woodbridge. A small drama played out in the crowded parking lot. Joanna Cooper’s car was hit by a vehicle which then left the scene of the accident.

The offending vehicle did not have a license plate on the front, but a witness in the parking lot chased the vehicle down the driveway and managed to get the license plate information. The police were contacted and a helpful member of Woodbridge’s Police Department inspected the damage and spoke with Ms. Cooper and witnesses.

Fortunately, the damage was minor and there were no injuries. Other parents in the stands were willing to give the driver the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they did not even realize they had scraped up against the Cooper’s vehicle.

Yet the important part of the story is not about the damage to the car, or perhaps even what might have been going on in the mind of the driver leaving the accident. The real story, a common story that does not get told often enough, is about people in a community caring about and looking after one another.

Back on the field, the players finished out their game without ever knowing what had happened in the parking lot. In the Bethwood Rookie League, they don’t keep score. Instead, they work on improving their game, having fun, and playing nicely together. It provides a good example to others about how games should be played and a nice parallel to community members coming together in the parking lot.
(Cross posted in the Woodbridge Citizen.)