My husband and I were driving through an intersection and a guy ran a red light and almost ran into us. Thank god we just got new brakes and we barely avoided hitting him. At the next red light my husband caught up to him, parked the car beside him and went out of the car. He wasn't sure if he had any damage so he wasn't going to let the guy get away. He left the door open, went up to the guy's window, and told him he ran a red light and almost hit us and what was he thinking etc. The guy just looked at him and listened. All of a sudden he back up his car and then drove it right into the open door. He then backed up again & repeated, causing the door to bend. He then ran up the street going the wrong way. I got the plate number, called the police, filed a report. I highly doubt they will find the guy since there were no injuries & he has Florida plates & we're in NYC.
Anything else I could do to get this guy caught?
Can my insurance help if I only have liability coverage?
2007-10-31 17:41:42 · 8 answers · asked by nyyankeesg1rl 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
If you got the license plate number, the police will find the owner of the car. Your insurance company will contact the other owner's insurance company for a claim. How much you want to bet the car is either uninsured or stolen?
Your husband turned an "almost accident" into a deliberate Hit & Run. The first incident left you both shaken but unhurt and undamaged. Your husband's Macho Act could have gotten him, and possibly you, hurt. It certainly got you some serious and expensive damage to deal with.
2007-10-31 18:00:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sadly - - I do not believe your insurance will cover it...
However, do you have "vandalism" insurance? That is quite inexpensive...and although normally a vehicle-to-vehicle collision would not be covered by this...I think with a police report of your official statment (and your husband's, if possible - the more witnesses on the report, the better) should be enough for you to plead your case with your insurance company.
Check to see if you have vandalism...it's usually fairly inexpensive. It may even be standard. Not sure.
Anywho........about catching this guy...
*I am a 4th year Criminal Justice Student, and have done an internship over the summer for 360 hours of ride-alongs...and my father has been an officer all of my life...so please take this to heart...*
FILE A POLICE REPORT! NOT JUST A COMPLAINT! Make sure an officer actually COMES TO YOUR HOUSE, and OBSERVES THE DAMAGE, and speak to him specifically about what happened. Make sure he writes down notes and gets your names, and of course the license plate and vehicle description of the other car involved. Pictures are not absolutely neccessary, but some departments may choose to do this, others won't.
ALWAYS INSIST politely that they take your complaint seriously and that they consider all the information they give you. Do not say present yourself with a "well, I don't really expect you'll catch them, but thanks for trying anyway" attitude... Often times [unintentionally] the officer's reaction and dedication to a case will be based on how serious and sincere the victim is with them, and how much faith the victim places with the officer for them to ensure justice gets carried out.
FOLLOW UP! The officer will likely give you a report number, and a phone number where you'll be able to call and speak with a detective in the following days. Don't expect them to absolutely drop everything and focus on your case alone...but it definately WAS a VERY SERIOUS crime. Make sure the detective also hears your case, and will try to look into it. Make sure s/he has a call-back number for you, and ask him/her to call you back when new information is available relating to your case, or if you can help him/her further with their investigation.
*Note: They probably CAN catch this guy! If you have the full license plate, all they have to do is run that plate through a computer system (LEIN...not sure what it stands for) and it will show the owner's information (address, age, eye color, etc etc etc) WITHIN SECONDS!
This works for ALL license plates. Out-of-state plates can be looked up too, as long as you know which state it was from.
*Do NOT brush off this occurrence. If you were in the car while he rammed it (as that's how I interpreted it, assuming you were in the passenger seat still), that can be something similar to "assault with a deadly weapon" which is a felony, depending on what state you live in.
That was a TERRIBLE thing for him to have done, and you cannot let it go by easily. Please follow the steps I listed above, and GOOD LUCK!
2007-10-31 18:04:59 · answer #2 · answered by suezzle 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
WOW- I HAVE HEARD NYC PEOPLE ARE CRAZY BUT THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE. THANK GOD IT WAS A FLORIDA PLATE AND NOT A NYC PLATE?
OK--NOW YOU SAY:
PULLED UP BESIDE HIM----HUSBAND GOT OUT TO CHECK DAMAGE--HE LEFT THE DOOR OPEN --THEN THIS GUY PULLED OUT AND BACKED UP THE CAR AND DROVE RIGHT INTO THE DOOR. BACKED UP AGAIN AND DROVE INTO THE DOOR AGAIN. CAUSING THE DOOR TO BEND?
IF HE BACKED UP THE CAR INTO THE DOOR, HE WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE FORWARD, TO BE ABLE TO BACK UP AGAIN TO DO THIS SAME ACT?
EVEN IF HE DID BACK INTO YOUR DOOR, IT WOULD NOT BEND THE DOOR. THE DOOR WOULD HAVE CLOSED AND THUS A BEND WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE. A DENT MIGHT BE MORE ACCURATE.
IF HE WAS FROM FLORIDA? FLORIDA HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND WILL BE LOOKING FOR HIM IF HE IS COMING BACK TO FLORIDA. MIGHT BE A STOLEN CAR?
NO LET THE POLICE DO THERE JOB. YOU HAVE DONE ENOUGH ALREADY NOW.
DO NOT LOOK FOR INSURANCE TO HELP.
2007-10-31 18:22:52 · answer #3 · answered by ahsoasho2u2 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Maybe they'll find him, maybe not. But here is some advice. This day and time it is dangerous to approach a stranger for something like that. The guy could have been a lunatic and shot your husband. If they hit you and leave, let it go. It's not worth your life.
2007-10-31 17:48:05 · answer #4 · answered by Shubunkin 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NEVER go up to someones car after a hit and run!!!!!! If you got the plate number they will get the guy unless it was stolen. Turn it over to you insurance and let them go back after the guy.
2007-10-31 18:24:59 · answer #5 · answered by Steven C 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is your husband a cop? If not, he should stop trying to act like one. He is very lucky that he didn't get shot.
To answer your question, no: the guy will probably not get caught, your insurance does not cover your damages, and this never would have happened if your husband hadn't succumbed to road rage.
2007-10-31 18:00:25 · answer #6 · answered by wuxxler 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
firs tof all, the police should and probably will be trying to find this guy, because thats aggravated damage of property and he could have hurt someone. the best thing for you to do is to turn this over to your insurance company. i gaurantee, THEY wil be itnerested in finding this guy and have almost as many resources as the police for finding him
2007-10-31 18:52:47 · answer #7 · answered by shightfuhk 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd almost say that you got exactly what you deserved.
Luckily for you, the guy didn't shoot your husband to death when he approached his car window.
What were you even thinking chasing him down and confronting him for "Almost" hitting you. You stated that you had avoided hitting him, so why look for non-existant damages. That was just plain stupid.
2007-10-31 17:50:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋