Got rear ended but driver didn’t stop

y_p_w

y_p_w

Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
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Location
San Francisco Bay Area
I checked the damage and it wasn’t enough to be worried about with an older car with a lot of existing scratches.

The situation was a divided road in a semi-rural area. I saw a car from the other direction just swerve into my lane, so I braked hard to avoid a head on collision, but not where the ABS kicked in nor did the tires screech. Noticed that there was a guy in a motorcycle stopped on the other side, so that’s probably what triggered the swerve. But then I got hit from behind. Not too bad. More a love tap more than anything where it doesn’t look any worse than a parking lot bump. I think the driver did brake, but not in time. It was a newish BMW compact SUV. Didn't notice any serious damage from my rear view mirror, but there was a plug (kind of diamond shaped) on the bumper cover that came off. Can’t figure out which one, but not a newer X3. Maybe an X1. Then the driver who hit me honked. I found a place to stop and wait to maybe discuss the situation, but then the driver just drove off.

Didn’t have any dash cam or rear cam, so if it ever comes to proving anything I’m not sure what I can do other than my kid was in the front seat and saw a car swerving into our lane. My worry is that maybe the driver who rear ended me reports it to an insurance company. As far as I’m concerned, nobody was injured and the amount of damage on my end is maybe touch up paint. But at the very least I was wondering why that driver didn’t even stop after just to at least see what the damage was even if it was to just decide it wasn’t enough to report and go on our separate ways. I’ve been hit before where I clearly stopped but the driver who rear ended me took off.
 
Sorry to hear. Glad everyone is ok.

So he rear ended you, and he didn't stop. I am pretty sure he won't be calling insurance unless he is a moron since that sounds like 2 broken laws to me - the latter- leaving the scene - being pretty serious in most places.

I had a similar hit and run scenario where a guy clipped me - broke a tail light and messed up the bumper but nothing else, and took off. It was actually in a really good part of town too. I now call it the Charleston hood - only half jokingly.
 
As luck would have it - Amazon Prime day is tomorrow, and a Vantrue N4 Pro will again drop south of $300 as it does every time. Hardwire kit is $20-ish.

And if you're concerned about the driver's behavior - go to the preccint and report it. Not with the hope of them finding the driver, but to have a written statement of what you claim happened, preemptively.
 
goblin said:
As luck would have it - Amazon Prime day is tomorrow, and a Vantrue N4 Pro will again drop south of $300 as it does every time. Hardwire kit is $20-ish.

And if you're concerned about the driver's behavior - go to the preccint and report it. Not with the hope of them finding the driver, but to have a written statement of what you claim happened, preemptively.
Click to expand...

Not sure where to report it if I had to. Unincorporated area in a regional park. Could be the county sheriff’s station a good 10 miles away. A lot of the unincorporated bits and pieces near me have poor response times, other than one that has its own police department. But traffic is usually the responsibility of the California Highway Patrol. The regional parks have their own police.

https://www.ebparks.org/public-safety/police
 
I once, back in France, as an adult, beat the bejesus out of two 12-yrs olds, in the middle of the day, on a busy intersection, in front of probably 50 cars.

Why - because 30 seconds before I started beating them I had seen one of them (they were at least 60ft away) flashing what looked like a gun then hiding it, 20 seconds before I started beating them I thought these kids nowadays, the toys they have, they look realistic - then I looked at the red light, and 10 seconds before I started beating them I felt something painfully stinging me under my left eyeball, in the soft tissue, between my eyball and the edge of my eyesocket.

So I just gunned my bike towards the two little cute cherubs, threw it on the ground still iddling, and said "Give it to me" - once.

They replied "Give what ?!?", and I started kicking them with no further explanations. Eventually one of them took the gun out and threw it to his pal, who ran away.

Then I kicked that first cute creature one last time, told him he could have left me blind, and let him go. Then I finally took the pellet out (which was still stuck in my soft tissue that whole time), and realized that I had beaten two little kids, in front of half the city, with details only me and them two knew about.

The others had seein an adult (uniform with company coordinates and everything) barging in the middle of an intersection, throwing his bike on the crosswalk and beating the crap out of two little kids who were peacefully crossing.

So I gathered what I had left of my brain, drove straight to the closest preccint, and explained that if they get reports of someone beating little kids on the street - it was me, for a very specific reason (I love my eyesight in both eyes), and I showed them the pellet.

They basically scoffed and shook my hand, but still wrote a long and detailed report which they told me will be useless to them, but might be very useful to me. I ended up not needing it, as there was no development to that story, but I know to keep my i's dotted and t's crossed ever since.

I would just find the physically closest preccint to where you got hit, I guess. Not sure what value it would have. I am not a lawyer however, so I'm just sharing an opinion. Don't take my word for it. It's just what I would do.

PS: Yes, I know, even if their life depended on it, those kids wouldn't have been able to ace that shot the way they did, from the hip, if they died trying. They were just "lucky".
Later on a friend told me that I was even luckier, as this pellet could have made it through the soft tissue into my brain, leaving a minuscule hole. Just a motorcyclist dropping dead at a red light.
 
Last edited:
y_p_w said:
I checked the damage and it wasn’t enough to be worried about with an older car with a lot of existing scratches.

The situation was a divided road in a semi-rural area. I saw a car from the other direction just swerve into my lane, so I braked hard to avoid a head on collision, but not where the ABS kicked in nor did the tires screech. Noticed that there was a guy in a motorcycle stopped on the other side, so that’s probably what triggered the swerve. But then I got hit from behind. Not too bad. More a love tap more than anything where it doesn’t look any worse than a parking lot bump. I think the driver did brake, but not in time. It was a newish BMW compact SUV. Didn't notice any serious damage from my rear view mirror, but there was a plug (kind of diamond shaped) on the bumper cover that came off. Can’t figure out which one, but not a newer X3. Maybe an X1. Then the driver who hit me honked. I found a place to stop and wait to maybe discuss the situation, but then the driver just drove off.

Didn’t have any dash cam or rear cam, so if it ever comes to proving anything I’m not sure what I can do other than my kid was in the front seat and saw a car swerving into our lane. My worry is that maybe the driver who rear ended me reports it to an insurance company. As far as I’m concerned, nobody was injured and the amount of damage on my end is maybe touch up paint. But at the very least I was wondering why that driver didn’t even stop after just to at least see what the damage was even if it was to just decide it wasn’t enough to report and go on our separate ways. I’ve been hit before where I clearly stopped but the driver who rear ended me took off.
Click to expand...
You are in California where that happens all the time. It’s a big problem in your state.
 
I guess I got the terminology wrong. It was a two lane undivided road. But yeah I could understand that the driver in the other direction wanted to avoid hitting the guy on the motorcycle. I didn’t get a good look at when/why the motorcycle stopped, but certainly they can stop faster than a car. But it could have been stopped for at least a few seconds where the driver behind didn’t notice and swerved. I’ve always been told since drivers ed in high school that a safe following distance should allow enough time to avoid hitting someone ahead who slams on their brakes. Not sure if that was the case in the opposite direction, but I’m thinking the driver behind me was following too close and wasn’t paying enough attention.
 
Today I’m watering plants and hear “wham” - a Camry just rear ended an Expedition - both around 2010’s … checked on the Drivers - but neither speak English - both get on their cell phones …
Lots of “help” arrived - we are a mile from the new PD/FD/EMS facility
The Toyota was a mess - crushed badly - coolant/oil running out.
It was winched to a flat bed - the Ford was driven away …
Not even a broken taillight …
 
4WD said:
How do you know that - that Toyota folded like a cheap suit …
Click to expand...
Well - because the Toyota folded like a cheap suit :giggle:

Enough energy to fold the Toyota - two players in the game.

Not saying that the Ford took as much damage as the Toyota or anything. Just that the fact that it left with little visible damage is not enough. Might be a wrinkle or two underneath now, that didn't come stamped from the factory.
 
y_p_w said:
I checked the damage and it wasn’t enough to be worried about with an older car with a lot of existing scratches.

The situation was a divided road in a semi-rural area. I saw a car from the other direction just swerve into my lane, so I braked hard to avoid a head on collision, but not where the ABS kicked in nor did the tires screech. Noticed that there was a guy in a motorcycle stopped on the other side, so that’s probably what triggered the swerve. But then I got hit from behind. Not too bad. More a love tap more than anything where it doesn’t look any worse than a parking lot bump. I think the driver did brake, but not in time. It was a newish BMW compact SUV. Didn't notice any serious damage from my rear view mirror, but there was a plug (kind of diamond shaped) on the bumper cover that came off. Can’t figure out which one, but not a newer X3. Maybe an X1. Then the driver who hit me honked. I found a place to stop and wait to maybe discuss the situation, but then the driver just drove off.

Didn’t have any dash cam or rear cam, so if it ever comes to proving anything I’m not sure what I can do other than my kid was in the front seat and saw a car swerving into our lane. My worry is that maybe the driver who rear ended me reports it to an insurance company. As far as I’m concerned, nobody was injured and the amount of damage on my end is maybe touch up paint. But at the very least I was wondering why that driver didn’t even stop after just to at least see what the damage was even if it was to just decide it wasn’t enough to report and go on our separate ways. I’ve been hit before where I clearly stopped but the driver who rear ended me took off.
Click to expand...
I once was not watching stop & go traffic and lightly hit the car in front of me. I pulled into a parking lot and he took off. Wonder what was his problem? I was in a beater so if did not matter to me.

Not everyone on the road has a license or insurance.
 
So they didn't go to the next exit? Nothing within miles? I would NEVER pull over on a HW for a fender-bender - too dangerous for all parties involved. Good luck I would report to the Police and file a report. You never know what the BMW drivers is going to report in the coming days , they prob. have your tag written down - since he tagged you. - Good luck - Arco
 
I've been the victim of a hit and run once though it was a more serious matter. A drunk woman sped out of a gas station without looking and hit me and my FIL head on. She then fled with one tire flat and canted inward, the front bumper and hood pretty mangled, and spewing coolant. A guy traveling the other direction witnessed it and followed her until her engine seized ~4 miles down the road. She was arrested and charged with fleeing the scene, DUI (3rd in <2 years), open container, and driving on suspended license. She was also on probation for an incident surrounding her 2nd DUI. Between her rescinded probation and added time for this incident, she was sent to prison for 9 years.
 
Years back wifey was rear ended; the young man stopped. He did not have a license but had insurance papers.
Minor damage. Sue took a pic of the front of his car. a well used Mazda. The insurance papers were for a 90's Camry.

I have a great paint and body man. In the big scheme of things, I have bigger fish to fry. It could have been much worse.
 
goblin said:
Well - because the Toyota folded like a cheap suit :giggle:

Enough energy to fold the Toyota - two players in the game.

Not saying that the Ford took as much damage as the Toyota or anything. Just that the fact that it left with little visible damage is not enough. Might be a wrinkle or two underneath now, that didn't come stamped from the factory.
Click to expand...
Our 2017 Tahoe was hit way harder - $9600 of harder - the bills were for sheet metal and safety kit - Zero frame damage per GM dealership - 24 year shop manager …
 
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