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Post by naill on Jul 21, 2012 6:45:40 GMT -5
I was rear ended while sitting on a traffic light Tuesday. I got out of the car and the obviously intoxicated or drugged person appeared to have no idea they had hit me.
Hurriedly I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote to write down the tag number before he started his get away. I also noticed he had a shirt and name tag from a national hotel chain.
I got a police report and the tag was associated with a black car rather than the blue one that hit my car.
I decided to Google to see if one of the chain hotel locations was close by and found one about 3 miles away. I called the hotel but they said no one worked there fitting that description.
The next morning I cruised the parking lot of the hotel and the blue car was not anywhere around.
The next morning I decided to go inside. The person working the desk said a co worker had said they were involved in two accidents on Tuesday. I finally got a name which matched the one associated with the tag.
My HR person went to a web site and pulled the person's mug shot which indicated prior arrests and suspended driving privileges.
I learned that this person drives three different cars, black, blue, and white.
I told the police that I am going to go after the person to get them off the road to which the officer explained that I was not going to get them off the road..!! Anyway, I think its the right thing to do. If I can slow them down perhaps someone will not be hurt, killed, or suffer property loss.
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Post by thedude on Jul 21, 2012 7:03:56 GMT -5
That's an impressive investigation, but you need to let the police do their job. If you want to make a stink, make one with the guy's employer by writing letters to the company.
Also, are the cops going to pursue the investigation of the hit and run?
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Post by naill on Jul 21, 2012 9:01:43 GMT -5
That's an impressive investigation, but you need to let the police do their job. The police would not have done the investigation that I performed. My inital movtivation was because GEICO contacted the person and they denied responsibility which resulted in me having to pay a deductible to have the car repaired. GEICO needs a police report connecting the person to the accident and since it was hit and run, it was my word against his from the insurance companies perspective. GEICO could not use the person linked to the tag to determine if he were insured inorder to activate the uninsured motorist provision. I told the police I was going to press charges late Thursday and have heard nothing to date. If they can get the person to confess, it should be over. Also, are the cops going to pursue the investigation of the hit and run? Not without me saying I will press charges and picking the person out of a lineup. I told the officer that I had pulled his mug shot off Mugshotworld.com and the hotel connection. Like you, they told me to let them do their job or I could get charged with harrassment. |
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Post by Holy Schist on Jul 21, 2012 9:08:10 GMT -5
I'm glad you're OK and my suggestion is to expedite matters with the police and insurance companies before being your own cop. Also be very reasonable with the police.
I do know how it can be frustrating. We had a similar experience but might have had more damage because the drunk was coming at us. The car was damaged more because we went right to ditch to avoid head on. We followed him enough to get the plate but weren't going to wreck the car more or risk personal contact.
I used to drive a lot more and had two bad experiences with out of control drivers. It plus the aftermath are not fun so hang in there and make sure you present yourself to authorities and insurance companies in a way that doesn't make their job any harder.
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Post by thedude on Jul 21, 2012 9:08:20 GMT -5
I meant you shouldn't harass the guy. You don't want to get yourself in trouble or hurt, or anything like that. Good idea to harass the cops, though.  |
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Post by naill on Jul 21, 2012 9:15:04 GMT -5
I meant you shouldn't harass the guy. You don't want to get yourself in trouble or hurt, or anything like that. Good idea to harass the cops, though. Absolutely, you are correct. I just knew that if I did not pursue the lead from what the person was wearing, no one else was. The really sad thing is that this person was so drugged or drunk that if he had run over someone, they would have had no recollection. Apparently this is so common the police cannot investigate all the incidents. This all makes me wonder about the healthcare bill. What motivation does this person who hit me have to purchase healthcare because the government says so? You and I are still going to be paying for his sins. Perhaps this is the situation that would satisfy Herb's question about the innocent paying for the wrongs of the guilty...!! |
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Post by thedude on Jul 21, 2012 9:18:44 GMT -5
If it really does turn out to be your word against his, just be prepared to lose this time. It totally sucks and it's outrageous, but don't do anything you'll regret.
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Post by naill on Jul 21, 2012 9:49:29 GMT -5
If it really does turn out to be your word against his, just be prepared to lose this time. It totally sucks and it's outrageous, but don't do anything you'll regret. I won't and thanks for the advice. |
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Post by naill on Jul 21, 2012 9:54:58 GMT -5
It plus the aftermath are not fun so hang in there and make sure you present yourself to authorities and insurance companies in a way that doesn't make their job any harder. I honestly think the police are very pleased with my involvement. They asked me to retrieve the driver's cell phone number from GEICO which I did. I also provided the work schedule of the driver which they said they would use. I am out of it except to show up to ID if they request. Initially I thought of doing nothing, but later I felt it was my obligation as a responsible citizen. |
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Post by sordello on Jul 21, 2012 20:49:40 GMT -5
Glad you're unhurt.
Had this happened in London England, it would have been caught on half a dozen surveillance cameras!
(But the spy drones are coming your way, so you may not need to do so much research in the future.)
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Post by donalgdon on Jul 21, 2012 22:21:43 GMT -5
Maybe next time, God forbid if there is one, the spy cam can just execute the guy on the spot. I'm sure the Obama administration will have no problem with that, nor will hardly anyone here by the response the thread has received.  |
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Post by naill on Jul 22, 2012 5:08:53 GMT -5
Speaking of camaras, I wish it had occured to me to use the cell phone and take some photos. I would not be concerned now about the police being able to find the blue car or asking what make and model it was. I think it was a Pontiac Grand Prix circa 1990.
What's funny it that it apparently does not matter that I got the tag number that identified the driver or that I located a person by the same name who works at a hotel chain three miles away by the branded name tag they were wearing, the blue car whose tags were from the car associated with the tag number is the essential peice of evidence.
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