Can I get a witness?

Take pictures of the car - close- ups. Were you informed ahead of time that they would be doing this? If not, you at least have grounds for a complaint, IMO. In my town when they are going to do such things, they warn everyone a week or so in advance and ask them to move their cars.

Write a letter of complaint to the department in charge of the road repair, cc copies to your local city council and anyone else who you can think of. Re-read the letter in the morning and edit out all the 4-letter words, then mail the letter and photos off. It may not do any good, but at least you won't have gone down without a fight, and writing the first draft of the letter might prove cathartic. I'm not sure what a SWMBO is, but you might consider replacing her, if possible.