Hit and Run?

[fedex123]

Colorado

A couple of months ago I backed into a parked car. It was later in the evening and the owner was not around. I left a note on his car with my name, phone number and what happened. I also gave a resident a note to pass to the owner if he happens to discover the owner of the vehicle (in case the note on the car became lost). The next day the owner of the vehicle called and I explained what happened. He got an estimate, less than $500 dollars and I agreed to pay the amount. (At the time of the accident my insurance had lapsed, I told the owner of the other vehicle this.)
At the time of the incident I was recovering from a serious financial hardship that had left me homeless. I had just moved into a place three weeks before this accident and was working to improve my situation. After speaking with the gentlemen about the estimate I realized I would not be able to pay him for another three weeks. the gentlemen told me that until it was fixed he would not be able to drive at night due to the broken headlight. I was so embarrassed to tell him I could not pay for three weeks that I didn't. I just stopped taking his calls. (I am very embarrassed by this behavior). I instead decided to just pay him when I received my bonus.
Ironically, on the day that I received the bonus I also got a voice mail from a police officer who said that they need to talk with me about a hit and run possibly involving my vehicle. I did not want to receive any tickets and did not believe that talking with the police would help my situation. I also believed that it was my right to remain silent. I decided to wait an additional two weeks before giving the owner of the vehicle his money as I now suspected that he had invented a story to achieve his goals - a story that could find me facing some unknown criminal charges. The time, I wrongly believed would keep me out of more trouble. I instead decided to pay the individual anonymously with money orders made out to him in the amount of the estimate at the end of two weeks.
A short time after the call from the police, I was leaving a downtown building when I realized that my car was missing. An individual walking through the parking lot informed me that a car matching my description had been towed and that the police were present when the vehicle was towed.
I called the police to ask if they had towed my car. They were not upfront with me and explained that they didn't see it in their records and that they would have to send someone to speak with about it. They then asked where I was. I was leaving for work and told them that I would have to take care of it later. Calls to the impound lot revealed that the car was being held in the investigation of a hit and run. I believe that the police intend to arrest me.
Could they arrest me for the events that I have described, or is it more probable that the owner concocted an untrue story to meet his agenda? I thought that besides driving without insurance, the matter was a civil one. ( I currently have insurance) Can anyone give me some advice. I realize that I have made some critical errors in judgement for which I have no excuse and am thoroughly embarrassed by. What can I do now.
As a side note, I do not believe the owner of the vehicle is aware that I spoke to one of his neighbors.

[Indiana Filer]

Originally Posted by fedex123

Colorado

A couple of months ago I backed into a parked car. It was later in the evening and the owner was not around. I left a note on his car with my name, phone number and what happened.

Good idea. This might help you in your criminal case.

I also gave a resident a note to pass to the owner if he happens to discover the owner of the vehicle (in case the note on the car became lost). The next day the owner of the vehicle called and I explained what happened. He got an estimate, less than $500 dollars and I agreed to pay the amount.

This is good, but then you decided not to pay the guy!

(At the time of the accident my insurance had lapsed, I told the owner of the other vehicle this.)

Not only will you get arrested for a hit and run, you're also going to get cited for operating without insurance. If you don't have insurance, park the darn car! I don't care what excuse you have, such as no money, you never drive without insurance. You're also going to lose your license for a while.

At the time of the incident I was recovering from a serious financial hardship that had left me homeless. I had just moved into a place three weeks before this accident and was working to improve my situation.

The police and Court will not care. You should not have been driving without insurance. If you didn't have money for insurance or for a place to live, you should have sold the car, not continued to drive.

After speaking with the gentlemen about the estimate I realized I would not be able to pay him for another three weeks. the gentlemen told me that until it was fixed he would not be able to drive at night due to the broken headlight.

So you wanted to possibly cause him to lose his home, job, lifestyle because of your poor decision-making abilities?

I was so embarrassed to tell him I could not pay for three weeks that I didn't. I just stopped taking his calls. (I am very embarrassed by this behavior). I instead decided to just pay him when I received my bonus.

Yeah, you're self-centered enough that you didn't care if he lost his home, job, lifestyle because of your poor decision-making abilities.

Ironically, on the day that I received the bonus I also got a voice mail from a police officer who said that they need to talk with me about a hit and run possibly involving my vehicle.

If you had paid earlier, you would probably have gotten away with driving without insurance and committing a hit-and-run.

I did not want to receive any tickets and did not believe that talking with the police would help my situation.

By not having insurance and leaving the scene of an accident, and then ignoring the owner, you pretty much guaranteed that you screwed yourself over.

I also believed that it was my right to remain silent. I decided to wait an additional two weeks before giving the owner of the vehicle his money as I now suspected that he had invented a story to achieve his goals - a story that could find me facing some unknown criminal charges.

Umm, you had the money and still didn't pay? Why would he need to invent a story? The truth is more than enough to have criminal charges filed against you?

The time, I wrongly believed would keep me out of more trouble. I instead decided to pay the individual anonymously with money orders made out to him in the amount of the estimate at the end of two weeks.

You do realize, don't you, that you might not be able to prove you paid him since you paid "anonymously with money orders"? I will bet that the Court is now going to order you to pay to fix the man's car since you haven't paid yet. The guy you hit was lucky enough that some anonymous person sent him money, but you haven't paid. You might get credit for what you sent, if you did, but don't count on it. All the guy has to say is that he didn't get any money from you.

A short time after the call from the police, I was leaving a downtown building when I realized that my car was missing. An individual walking through the parking lot informed me that a car matching my description had been towed and that the police were present when the vehicle was towed.

Busted! The police investigated and found the criminal who committed a hit-and-run. They took the car for evidence.

I called the police to ask if they had towed my car. They were not upfront with me and explained that they didn't see it in their records and that they would have to send someone to speak with about it. They then asked where I was. I was leaving for work and told them that I would have to take care of it later. Calls to the impound lot revealed that the car was being held in the investigation of a hit and run. I believe that the police intend to arrest me.

I think you may have finally figured out how to use a bit of deductive logic.

Could they arrest me for the events that I have described, or is it more probable that the owner concocted an untrue story to meet his agenda?

The owner's story, if it matches what you've told here, is more than enough to get you arrested on a criminal charge.

I thought that besides driving without insurance, the matter was a civil one. ( I currently have insurance)

Your failure to pay the guy led to the criminal charges. He does have a civil demand of you for the cost to repair his car, which YOU haven't paid (even though some anonymous person felt sorry for the man and sent him money). He could sue you civilly, or he could just allow the Court to order restitution in the criminal case against you.

Can anyone give me some advice. I realize that I have made some critical errors in judgement for which I have no excuse and am thoroughly embarrassed by. What can I do now.

I can't believe anyone with more than a 5th grade education would think it was OK to not pay the guy as soon as possible. Your critical errors in judgement are criminal errors.

As a side note, I do not believe the owner of the vehicle is aware that I spoke to one of his neighbors.

You should have called the police, not a neighbor. Even if you had gotten a ticket for driving without insurance, you would be a whole lot better than you are now. Sticking your head in the sand is never the way to fix a criminal act.

[ecmst12]

Avoiding the police because you hoped the situation would just go away was idiotic. Avoiding the guy's calls because you couldn't pay him for a couple of weeks was also idiotic. Paying him "anonymously" was monumentally idiotic because now you have NO PROOF that you paid him, no signed release of liability from him, and you very likely could end up having to pay him again! I have no more words.

[fedex123]

Originally Posted by ecmst12

Avoiding the police because you hoped the situation would just go away was idiotic. Avoiding the guy's calls because you couldn't pay him for a couple of weeks was also idiotic. Paying him "anonymously" was monumentally idiotic because now you have NO PROOF that you paid him, no signed release of liability from him, and you very likely could end up having to pay him again! I have no more words.

Money orders come complete with a receipt. As the holder of these receipts for cashed money orders I believe that upon a poponderence of the evidence in a civil case it would be it would be difficult for the other party to claim that I had not made restitution for the broken headlight.

There is a reason that you have a right to remain silent - and a reason why you have the right to have an attorney present when being questioned. I could not afford an attorney - I did not hope that the situation would go away - I just believed that talking with the police would not benefit me.

Thank you for your well though out response.

[fedex123]

Originally Posted by Indiana Filer

Good idea. This might help you in your criminal case.



This is good, but then you decided not to pay the guy!




Not only will you get arrested for a hit and run, you're also going to get cited for operating without insurance. If you don't have insurance, park the darn car! I don't care what excuse you have, such as no money, you never drive without insurance. You're also going to lose your license for a while.



The police and Court will not care. You should not have been driving without insurance. If you didn't have money for insurance or for a place to live, you should have sold the car, not continued to drive.



So you wanted to possibly cause him to lose his home, job, lifestyle because of your poor decision-making abilities?





Yeah, you're self-centered enough that you didn't care if he lost his home, job, lifestyle because of your poor decision-making abilities.



If you had paid earlier, you would probably have gotten away with driving without insurance and committing a hit-and-run.




By not having insurance and leaving the scene of an accident, and then ignoring the owner, you pretty much guaranteed that you screwed yourself over.



Umm, you had the money and still didn't pay? Why would he need to invent a story? The truth is more than enough to have criminal charges filed against you?



You do realize, don't you, that you might not be able to prove you paid him since you paid "anonymously with money orders"? I will bet that the Court is now going to order you to pay to fix the man's car since you haven't paid yet. The guy you hit was lucky enough that some anonymous person sent him money, but you haven't paid. You might get credit for what you sent, if you did, but don't count on it. All the guy has to say is that he didn't get any money from you.



Busted! The police investigated and found the criminal who committed a hit-and-run. They took the car for evidence.



I think you may have finally figured out how to use a bit of deductive logic.



The owner's story, if it matches what you've told here, is more than enough to get you arrested on a criminal charge.




Your failure to pay the guy led to the criminal charges. He does have a civil demand of you for the cost to repair his car, which YOU haven't paid (even though some anonymous person felt sorry for the man and sent him money). He could sue you civilly, or he could just allow the Court to order restitution in the criminal case against you.



I can't believe anyone with more than a 5th grade education would think it was OK to not pay the guy as soon as possible. Your critical errors in judgement are criminal errors.



You should have called the police, not a neighbor. Even if you had gotten a ticket for driving without insurance, you would be a whole lot better than you are now. Sticking your head in the sand is never the way to fix a criminal act.

Thank you Idiot! You are obviously not a lawyer, or if you are your terrible. You are obviously just a person that sits around making them feel better about themselves by pointing out others failures. Your golden - jack ass

[ecmst12]

Originally Posted by fedex123

I just believed that talking with the police would not benefit me.

Obviously you were wrong about that.

[Indiana Filer]

Originally Posted by fedex123

Thank you Idiot! You are obviously not a lawyer, or if you are your terrible. You are obviously just a person that sits around making them feel better about themselves by pointing out others failures. Your golden - jack ass

No, I'm a probation officer who deals with criminal offenders on a daily basis.

Have a nice day.

[KimInNY]

Originally Posted by fedex123

Thank you Idiot! You are obviously not a lawyer, or if you are your terrible. You are obviously just a person that sits around making them feel better about themselves by pointing out others failures. Your golden - jack ass

So... your mad he was right, and YOU, at every turn had fkd up?

I mean not being able to pay the guy and whatnotis one thing, ignoreing thre cops is never ever ever a good Idea.

why didnt you just leave the scene, without mentioning it? then you could have just been on your merry way with no problem at all.

dummy.

[KimInNY]

Originally Posted by fedex123

Money orders come complete with a receipt. As the holder of these receipts for cashed money orders I believe that upon a poponderence of the evidence in a civil case it would be it would be difficult for the other party to claim that I had not made restitution for the broken headlight.

There is a reason that you have a right to remain silent - and a reason why you have the right to have an attorney present when being questioned. I could not afford an attorney - I did not hope that the situation would go away - I just believed that talking with the police would not benefit me.

Thank you for your well though out response.

they hadnt arrested you,or charged you. you have a right to remain scilent and have an attny with you when under arrest and charged.. which you were neither. , and if at some point they did arrest you ( probably for being un coopertive for example) the judge in the morning can give you a public defender. which wouldnt have benifited you either. it was your fault, you said so you had no insurance and you should have paid the guy whatever/whenever you could. so in the end the result is the same, you have to pay him and if you did... that is that.

By the way they would probably would have just ticked you for leaving the scene. Which you could have argued, you left him and his neighbor your contact info.


Of corse it wouldnt have benifited you, it would have kept you from more trubble. Which is better in my oppinion.

You asked for it dude.