I've been charged with a "Hit and Run"

So, a couple months ago, I was leaving the grocery store, and in the process of backing out of the parking space, some little kid driving his friends around (past midnight), backs into me. My car wasn't even in gear when it was hit, and I had my foot on the brake at the time. I get out of the car, look at the damage, and while my vehicle was barely touched, his whole back fender got pushed in. We're standing outside, and after looking at my car, I tell him that I don't see much damage to my car, so I wasn't going to make a claim, or file any charges in the incident.

The little bastard doesn't say anything for a moment, and then says something to the effect of "well, somebody's gotta pay for this..." (pointing to his fender). At this point, I tell him that he needs to talk to his fucking insurance company for that, and get back into my car to leave. Of course, at that point, he's got his little teenie-bopper friends coming up to my car telling me that it's my fault (I was backing up in a stall farther 'behind' the one he was backing out of, and wasn't even moving when the cars hit each other). I kindly inform them of where they can go and what they can do with themselves when they get there, and drive away.

So, I get a letter in the mail a few days ago (to a PO Box that the car is registered with, not a home address), informing me that my car has been implicated in a hit and run, and that I'm now on 'the list' of potential hit and run offenders, and that I may be subject to being stopped if spotted on the road. They want me to fill out a form giving out all my information, and submit it to the investigation team.

Now, I'm just curious what that means. If I get stopped for speeding, what the hell are they going to do when they see that shit on the screen after running my plate? As far as I'm aware, on any 'accident' on private property, the police are limited in their jurisdiction.

Honestly, how far will they pursue this, and what should I do? It's none of that bastard's business who I am, etc., and I'll be damned if I let all those kids try and say it was my fault.

 

Call the number on the report and inform them that the kid didn't want you to call the police cause his parents would find out and that he took all responsibility for the damage. That it happened in a parking lot and you were not moving at the time your car was struck.

Then it will be a he said she said.

 

Will it matter that he had a car full of 'witnesses' to the event?

I think he actually worked at the business, because three employees that were hanging out in front of the store quickly came to his defense as I was starting to drive off...

That is a good idea, though...

 

Have Grim use his P.I. skills to trackdown the where abouts of the kids making the claim then abduct their family pet and dissengage it's head put it on the front door knob of the house then various other body parts at different locations to include the torso in front of the guys work place.

I doubt you will hear from the punks again.

 

Yea, I think grim is right, you are an adult, somewhat, and the judge will know that the kids friends probably got together and concocted the story. If the store has cameras in the parking lots, like the ones here do, then just tell them to pull the tape. If you werent moving, and he backed into you, then it will be clearly shown.

"He told me that he didnt want to call the police because his parents would ground/whoop/kill him if he came home with the car wrecked up, I told him that I understood how parents could be, and since my vehicle didnt show any damage we parted ways"

But check to see if there are cameras in the parking lot, and remind the judge what time it was, and if your city is like mine, there is a curfew for minors. 11PM here, its not enforced, but if the po-po want to be asses they can bring it out.

 

Don't lie. Contact them by phone and tell the truth. You were in a parking lot and the damage was in the back of both vehicles. The little dick is just going to have to turn it into his insurance and they will have to cover it or if he isn't that covered, he will have to drive it around that way. Stupid fucking kids. You know he told his parents some sob story...

 

Lie

 

Yes if they try to implicate you in a pet slaying lie. Say you were home that night in bed taking a shower.

This will distract them.

 

Just tell the truth.

 

You better be kidding. I don't know why someone would do something like that. I can see killing their family members, but animals are off limits!

 

Just leave out the part about telling them where to go and all. If the judge, or anyone else, hears that they wanted you to stop and you didnt, you look guilty.

If you throw in, 'they were surrounding my car and I feared for my life' and that is why you left they may be okay with it.

If they were acting all crazy you should have said, "Hey lets just call the cops and let them sort it out" unless you were drunk, high on hgh, or wearing your pink bunny house shoes.

 

I'd tell them everything. You just don't lie to cops and shit. They don't want to deal with it, can see through it and it'll only come back to bite you in the ass.

 

You must be a mouth breather. This is an Adult verse some random bullshit teens. He has the upper hand no matter how many people the kid had in the car.

Keep the story simple and to the point, The judge and the parents will believe you when you say the kid told you he didn't want the cops there. In fear of getting more trouble with his parents.

After all it's the parents who are making him do this and I bet he is already in hot water for not doing the proper thing. So if you even put a shade of doubt in their mind then you win.

The judge will be easier to sway cause most Judges hate teenagers the kid will end up with Saturday Driving School and a ass reaming from the judge. You will walk off scott free. I doubt the tape is still around if it's like most stores they record over tapes every 30 days.

 

yega leistren tsi maohja he kwos all abnotr trubel

 

OK... I still haven't decided exactly how to pursue this... Whether or not to fill out the form, call the lady's number on the form, or completely disregard the whole thing.

I probably won't be owning the vehicle for much longer, so if all they've got is a license plate, I'll be happy to pass that onto the dealer when he accepts my trade-in.

I just wonder what the hell is going to happen the next time I get pulled over for a burned-out headlight or taillight... The cops are anal on the street where I work because they want to catch people with warrants.

What's the worst that could happen, honestly?

 

All they need is a plate. The plate goes back to you not just the car. So it's been tagged to your DL.

They could suspend your DL and not notify you and the next time you get stopped you will be arrested.

A lot of things could happen.

 

Yeah, I would say that it wouldn't be good.

It wasn't like you killed a cop. It was a little bumper on bumper action. Call the number before you put anything in writing. Act stupid at first to 'feel them out'. Maybe someone with a similar license plate hit someone and they wrote the number down wrong? Then just tell them the story. It was a parking lot. You're not entitled to call the police. You could have exchanged insurance info which is all that woman might want anyway. I would think his insurance will pay for his and you don't have to claim anything. By the sounds of, "Well, someone is going to have to fix this..." he was probably underinsured.

You didn't do anything wrong, so you don't have anything to worry about. Just call and get it over with. The longer you wait, the worse it will look.

 

Lomo - What Naueseus said. Do it.

 

Texas driving law:

Here's the laws I found... The damage to his vehicle was well under $1000, and my bumper is negligible. Why is there even an investigation?

 

Then why are you fighting it? Jesus, Larry! Just call and get it over with so you will quit driving yourself crazy.