I was stopped at a traffic light, it was the early afternoon and I was pulled up behind a cop in his squad car, anways, out of nowhere, I hear a loud "thump" and next thing I know, my car goes flying into the back of the police car, glass is breaking around me and I'm hearing tires screeching. When I realized that my car had been rear-ended, in turn, rear end the cop, I got out to see the damage. The cop, who was mad, but not hurt, was getting out of his car... Found out, the person who rear ended me was a 47 year old man who arguing with his 25 year old wife about if she was cheating on him, he took his eyes off the road and when he looked again, he was about to plow into me and could not stop in time. He admitted this to the cop and was ticketed, but then I was ticketed as well becuase the cop said I was pulled to close to his bumper when I was in traffic and had I not been so close, I would not have hit his police car!! Does this sound fair? Do I have a snowball's chance fighting?
2007-02-01 08:34:13 · 15 answers · asked by Nyema 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
BTW, I was more shook up than anything, but my 17 year old dependable chevy was totaled. Apparently this guy was not speeding, but he was going fast enough to mess my car up and push me into the cop's car and cause damage. Now I'm on the bus system and I have a ticket! Thiss don't seem fair at all. Any ideas? I live in North Carolina?
2007-02-01 08:37:07 · update #1
I'm a prosecutor and if you called me with these facts, I would contact the officer who issued the citation. If he confirmed the same facts, I would immediately dismiss the ticket and have a long talk with that officer and a shorter one with his superior.
2007-02-01 16:58:33 · answer #1 · answered by snowdrift 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
its true, legally you are supposed to be 4 car lengths in most states(which is way too far back) away from the front vehicle.
However, I would still fight it. I dont' know what state you are in, if you are in a strict liabilty state etc... but your liabilty can be reduced or even cancelled, depending on the amt of negligence the court finds the other driver to be in. Also, the other policeman should not have been the one to ticket you for this, seeing as he is impartial. He should have called for another officer to oversee this. Odds are if you claim you weren't given a fair chance on the ticket because the policeman is an impartial witness, the judge will throw it out. Also, your previous driving record will be take into acct.
2007-02-01 08:42:44 · answer #2 · answered by Chrissy 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The rule is to stop one car length behind the car in front of you.
But look around, who does that?
everybody stops about 3-4 ft behind
suppose when you stopped (one car length behind) you where blocking a driveway to a home or business and somebody wanted to enter/exit. You would
A. Ignore them and pretend to fiddle with the radio
or
B. Pull forward so that person could enter/exit
if you chose B. then you would be "to close" to the car in front of you
If you can afford to take the time off of work to battle this
then fight the ticket and have Car#1 (you being Car#2 cop=Car#3)
pay for your damages
you are also entitled to wages lost
2007-02-01 08:53:29 · answer #3 · answered by Çlïgér4™ ♂ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well if i was you i would take it to court and fight it.
it is illegal to be stopped to close to another vehicle
When i was 16 this lady just decied to stop on a high traffic road i hit my brakes and missed her then i got rear ended and pushed into the lady infront of me
i still got a ticket for following to close which i wasn't but that is how the law looks at it (messed up and unfair i know) anyway i took it to court the ticket for me was dropped and the lady in front of me and the guy who rear ended me had to pay for my vehicle.
so there is hope just take it to court.
that is what you pay taxes for.
good luck
GET A LAWYER
2007-02-01 08:45:48 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
I'm sure the coper was just pissed that his car got hit in the first place and needed to make himself feel better about it by giving out tickets. Yes, you should fight it and you will probably win.
In my state you should be 1 car length behind the car in front of you. And unless you left skid marks on the ground, he can't prove that you weren't that far away.
2007-02-01 08:43:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Al Franken. He does have a honest threat of winning. he's stable sufficient, he's clever sufficient, and doggone it, human beings like him. a nicely-typical professional wrestler (Jesse Ventura) grew to become into at the instant the governor of Minnesota. Arnold (Terminator) is the governor of California. Clint Eastwood has been the mayor of Carmel, CA Celebrities have an interest in the international they stay in and in many cases have the clout to get issues executed, or replaced. i think of maximum get in to make our international a greater valuable place. hundreds of thousands of peons are surpassed over for the main area, yet whilst a action picture star brings out the certainty, lawmakers tend to hearken to carefully.
2016-11-23 21:05:25 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would absoutley no doubt fight that one, cop sounds like he was just mad he got hit. You were pushed into him by another driver that got a ticket for the accident. No way should you be in trouble for that. That's just terrible, I am sorry for you. Good luck.
2007-02-01 08:44:25 · answer #7 · answered by Steffy 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yes you stand more than a snow balls chance in hell actually.
Ya'll were at a full and somplete stop at a stop light.. there is no (at least in my state) requisites for bumper to bumper space at a stop... (unless yer state varries, traffic laws varry from state to state.. but I doubt yer gonna find a Vehicle code on that situation in any state LOL) Distanc laws generally apply to specific to MOVING traffic based on speed..
Def go to court and fight that one.. (I'd love to have that one happen to me IN CA.. I'd find it entertaining.. and I need a hobby)
2007-02-01 08:44:00 · answer #8 · answered by darchangel_3 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yes you have a tremendous chance to win that one. Call his bluff, he was just mad and sounds like an idiot. I would love to hear his side in a court room.
2007-02-01 08:40:10 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Get a lawyer, sounds like this is mayberry and the sheriff is driving his own car, you do have a snowball's chance!!!
2007-02-01 13:08:48 · answer #10 · answered by silver lining 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋