Hit and Run?

[OPP]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington state

I took a corner too fast at an intersection, slid up onto a curb damaging the engine of my vehicle and immobilizing it. The incident happened about a block away from my home, so I walked there in order to charge my phone and call my insurance for towing services. After hours of being transferred and on hold, I finally booked a tow truck which was said to arrive an hour and a half later. I walked back to my car to leave my keys under the mat for them, and went back home to sleep.

Apparently the police found the car parked up on the curb and came looking for me. I'll also add the fact that it was not obstructing any roadways. At this point I was asleep and completely unaware of this, and my roommate took care of them. The cop then proceeded to get my car towed before my tow truck was SUPPOSED to be there. The next morning I woke up to a voicemail by the cop. I returned his call and explained the circumstances. Then two weeks later I get a hit and run charge in the mail...

Why is this considered a hit and run? I did not hit or damage any public or private property. The only thing that was damaged was the engine of my car. Also, I've been told by local police that there is no law here requiring you to be present in your vehicle after this type of incident.

I'm just confused about the charges and feel they're incorrect. Any information would be helpful!

 

[HighwayMan]

What do you mean parked on the curb? On the sidewalk? You said you weren't blocking the street - so your car was completely out of the street?

 

[OPP]

What do you mean parked on the curb? On the sidewalk? You said you weren't blocking the street - so your car was completely out of the street?

Yeah, my car was parked on the sidewalk. Well, that's where it was stuck. And yes, I was also completely out of the street. And apparently in the police report the cop said I hit a tree, which is 100% untrue. It's a super frustrating situation.

 

[ecmst12]

You did get in an accident and abandon the vehicle. And the police had to charge you with something, seeing as you managed to get out of the DUI charge which you more than likely deserved.

 

[davew128]

You did get in an accident and abandon the vehicle. And the police had to charge you with something, seeing as you managed to get out of the DUI charge which you more than likely deserved.

No kidding. Seriously OP, you damaged your engine curbing the car? Uh huh. You needed to go home to charge the phone? Mmm maybe but thats a lot of coincidences. Hours to get a tow company? Might be a while before one arrives, doesn't take more than a few minutes to get hold of one. And I've ALWAYS waited by the car for it arrive. No exceptions.

 

[CdwJava]

Yeah, my car was parked on the sidewalk. Well, that's where it was stuck. And yes, I was also completely out of the street. And apparently in the police report the cop said I hit a tree, which is 100% untrue. It's a super frustrating situation.

Yo should have remained at the scene or returned when you contacted a tow (and no one will believe this tale of many hours on hold ... though I suppose you can produce the phone record to prove it, right????)

You might want to consult legal counsel and consider yourself lucky they cannot prove the DUI.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.52.020

 

[RRevak]

Yo should have remained at the scene or returned when you contacted a tow (and no one will believe this tale of many hours on hold ... though I suppose you can produce the phone record to prove it, right????)

You might want to consult legal counsel and consider yourself lucky they cannot prove the DUI.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.52.020

I was also going to say me thinks the reason Op didn't want to wait around for LEO is because he was well aware he was not in a position to operate a vehicle. Went home to "sleep" after "hours" on hold? My 11 yr old comes up with better lies than that about whether or not she's brushed her teeth and adjusted her mouth appliance

 

[CdwJava]

There are two stories we often hear with these abandoned vehicle fables: "My car was stolen," or, "I was in a crash, had to walk home, and was so upset I downed a bottle of booze." (or tales similar to those)

The reality in most of these instances is that the driver crashed while impaired and fled the scene to avoid detection.

 

[OPP]

Wow... thanks for the support and useful information everyone. And also, thank you for assuming I'm a male and was drunk, lol. Guess you're all kind of implying that men are more inclined to be drunken idiots who get behind the wheel. I left out several pieces to the story to stay brief. One of them was the fact that I had just bought this car, which is a manual, one I'm unfamiliar with. Another piece was the fact that I had walked back and forth to my car to check on it several times while I was, in fact, on hold with my insurance. And yes, I do have phone records that prove that. I was not trying to avoid police, I didn't even think about them to be honest because I was pretty ****ing preoccupied with the damages to my car and trying to get a tow truck. If I was really trying to abandon the scene, why would I walk from my house to my car so many times and make sure it was okay? Really though, put yourself in my shoes. This cop is accusing me of hitting a tree which is completely false, and he lacks evidence showing this ever happened (because it didn't). My car got ****ed up on a curb which I confess and owe to my lack of paying attention. ****, I'm human right? I was upset that my new car got damaged so quickly, especially since I've never even been in a car accident. Going back to the incident, had I known some dick cop was going to report false information on me, I would've called them in the first place. And also, now that I've experienced the terrible service from my insurance, I will be calling a towing service directly in the future. Maybe that'll work faster. What I was hoping to achieve out of this post was some understanding and some legal advice, seeing I have to go to court for HITTING A ****ING CURB. Instead I've received more false accusations and ignorance, just like from that **** face cop. So thanks again everyone.

 

[HighwayMan]

Alrighty then. I can only imagine what kind of a driver you are after reading your censored and inappropriate rant.

 

[LdiJ]

I am 58 years old, do not drink and drive, and I cannot say that I would not have done the same thing that this OP did if I was only a block away from home and did not do any damage to anything other than my car. Now, I would have known that I needed to call my own tow truck and get reimbursed by my insurance later, but in my younger years I wouldn't have necessarily known that.

I would also be quite seriously upset if I got a hit and run ticket under those circumstances, and I certainly would be even more upset if the police report said I hit a tree when I didn't.

I also can understand why people might assume (and why the cops probably assumed) that the OP was intoxicated and left the scene to avoid a DUI. However I do not understand why some police officers make things up or exaggerate things because they are ticked off that someone who might have been intoxicated (or other issues) left the scene in a case like this one.

Lets pretend for a moment that this is a young woman who has just had her first accident, she is upset and discombobulated and handles things not quite right. Lets also assume that this is her first direct involvement with the police. What is her opinion going to be of the police going forward? Is it good for the community or bad for the community that she has that kind of opinion of the police? Multiply that by other citizens in the community and what are the results?

The results are a Ferguson.

I hate it that the actions of a few police officers effect the opinion of a community of all of them. I have good friends that have been or are officers of the law. I hate that the good that they do is tainted by the actions of others.

In my state, the state police are universally respected by just about everyone. However the police in my city deal with a very hit and miss situation because of the actions of some of their own. I personally trust individual officers but distrust the system in my city as a whole...and I have never committed a crime, nor been suspected of a crime, nor had a valid traffic ticket in the last 20 years.

 

[davew128]

Wow... thanks for the support and useful information everyone. And also, thank you for assuming I'm a male and was drunk, lol. Guess you're all kind of implying that men are more inclined to be drunken idiots who get behind the wheel.

Yeah, uh no. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzOmt9OKU-w

 

[davew128]

I am 58 years old, do not drink and drive, and I cannot say that I would not have done the same thing that this OP did if I was only a block away from home and did not do any damage to anything other than my car. Now, I would have known that I needed to call my own tow truck and get reimbursed by my insurance later, but in my younger years I wouldn't have necessarily known that.

I would also be quite seriously upset if I got a hit and run ticket under those circumstances, and I certainly would be even more upset if the police report said I hit a tree when I didn't.

I'm a generation younger than you and have been either an outright member or carried family member of AAA since I could drive and have known enough since I could remember to call for a tow when necessary. Never once needed insurance for it, nor would I carry it as coverage since its superfluous.

 

[ecmst12]

First of all, why would you buy a car that you didn't know how to drive properly?

Second of all, even if you're telling the truth about everything that happened, I can assure you that the police officer who issued that ticket thought the same things as we did. Hence the need to charge you with something because he believed you got away with a DUI. And the charge will likely stick because you did indeed abandon your vehicle after the crash and you did not call the police to report it yourself.

 

[LdiJ]

First of all, why would you buy a car that you didn't know how to drive properly?

Second of all, even if you're telling the truth about everything that happened, I can assure you that the police officer who issued that ticket thought the same things as we did. Hence the need to charge you with something because he believed you got away with a DUI. And the charge will likely stick because you did indeed abandon your vehicle after the crash and you did not call the police to report it yourself.

I understand the message you are trying to convey here, but the officer did not "need" to charge the OP with anything. The officer desired to charge the OP with something because the officer believed that the OP got away with a DUI.

I am also uncertain as to whether or not its required to report a single car accident that resulted in no damage or bodily injury to anyone else.

I also doubt that a hit and run is going to stick. A victim is needed for a hit and run. Who is the victim here? I believe that the OP needs to consult an attorney.