Thank you to everyone who responded. I'll clarify a few things:
You didn't indicate what you were cited for. It's quite possible that without the witness, the state has no case against you. On the other hand, rear-ending a parked car is pretty damning evidence for many charges.
My offense stated on the citation was a local ordinance violation: "Driving too fast for conditions, or failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident"
2) Was the "super cool" person the owner of the car? Because it is the owner of the car that would matter here.
I'm unsure. I'm safely assuming he is the owner. He brought up past accidents his car had been involved in and the courses he took to remedy them. According to his insurance information, both he and his mother are insured on the vehicle.
Unless the other party witnessed the accident he is no more useful than a cop is at a trial. He would be a witness to what he observed upon coming onto the scene or was told but nothing more. He is not needed to convict the op.
The ops statements to the cop and the cops observations of the scene are adequate to convict the op.
I'm aware that the officer has sufficient information to be able to testify against me if I were to attend a court hearing (which, again, I'm not required to go to according to the citation). What made me question my ability to get the charge dropped was the officer's mere mention of me attending court if I so chose and, provided the other party isn't also at the hearing, getting the fine and charge dropped at that time. This is ultimately what I'm trying to figure out. The officer said this in front of me and the other party involved. Immediately after, the other party told me he would not be appearing in court. This made me believe by attending court, I can expunge the charge and fine. What if the officer who issued my citation is there, however? What should I expect if I choose to go to court with the intentions of getting the charge expunged?
No, it was far from a "silly" mistake. I'd say it was a pretty serious mistake to be so distracted that you struck a non-moving object. What if it was a pedestrian?
Most people are concerned about their driving records because of insurance issues. However, in this case whether you get convicted or not, your insurance will be involved and certainly know what you did. The ticket is the least of your worries.
I only said it was a "silly" mistake because before I struck the car, I was parked in a parking space directly behind it. My foot slipped from the brake to the gas, and the damage to both cars is minimal. I understand this is still a mistake that could've injured someone, but in the grand scheme of things, it's about as harmless as an auto accident could be. As soon as I reported the accident to the local PD, I submitted a claim with my insurance company on my phone. I'm not concerned with the charge affecting my insurance, I've already accepted it will. I'm concerned with the incident appearing on my record for employment reasons. Ironically, I'm pursuing a career in law enforcement, and I'd prefer it not to be a point of discussion or mention in every single application or interview going forward. It would be an inconvenience, but I acknowledge it's a consequence of the mistake I made, and I have no problem disclosing or discussing the event if it comes up in a future application or interview. I've already owned up to my mistake, but if I can help it, I'd rather have the charge off my record. The only reason I'm giving this consideration is because of what the officer told me at the scene.
Any further clarification is greatly appreciated. Thanks again!
