Got Into An Accident

[tasmanian]

Tonight I hit a 2003 Chrysler. I was at a T turning left onto a 4 lane road *2 lanes in each direction*. I checked to make sure I have enough time to make the turn and I thought I did. However when I was just finishing the turn a car popped out of no where and I hit them in the rear panel. There is no damage to my car and only a minor dent and plastic marks on theres.

So we pull over and trade information when an officer pulls up. She then proceeds to take our stories down and takes my information. Then she returns and gives me an infraction for negligent driving second degree. Now this ticket is for $550 which seems a bit crazy. Also I have been looking up other people who got this and it seems for speeding. I see no reason why I should have been charged since i wasn't speeding or driving dangerously.

If it makes any difference I was driving a 2006 f150 and this is my first ticket/infraction.

I'm thinking of pleading not guilty and either asking for failure to yield or failure to merge. This is in a small town and this officer is a real asshole. She pulled over someone for going 27 or 28 in a 25 going uphill.

Any thoughts or suggestions.

Update: If anyone cares the ticket got dropped at court. Woot.

 

[Capt Caveman]

If you were completing your left turn, how did you hit someone in their rear panel? Were they coming towards you as you were taking a left?

Sounds like you're at fault and be glad that it was a minor accident.

Definitely appeal the ticket and see what happens.

 

[Fear No Evil]

You should have been ticketed for driving a Ford. /Thread.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: tasmanian

I see no reason why I should have been charged since i wasn't speeding or driving dangerously.

You hit another car. Sounds pretty clearly like "negligent driving" to me.

You might have luck getting it reduced since it was such a minor accident though.

 

[tasmanian]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
If you were completing your left turn, how did you hit someone in their rear panel? Were they coming towards you as you were taking a left?

Sounds like you're at fault and be glad that it was a minor accident.

Definitely appeal the ticket and see what happens.

Yes it was my fault. Its a long truck so it sometimes sways into the adjacent lanes while making turns.

I like my F150. Now I like my friends Tundra more but they cost about 3x as much as I paid for mine.

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: tasmanian

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
If you were completing your left turn, how did you hit someone in their rear panel? Were they coming towards you as you were taking a left?

Sounds like you're at fault and be glad that it was a minor accident.

Definitely appeal the ticket and see what happens.

Yes it was my fault. Its a long truck so it sometimes sways into the adjacent lanes while making turns.

I like my F150. Now I like my friends Tundra more but they cost about 3x as much as I paid for mine.

Sways into adjacent lanes? You aren't waterskiing, a car is easy to control, The truck isn't swaying, you are.

Don't mean to sound like a dick but I've been cycling a lot lately and the people who swerve into the shoulder and nearly hit me really piss me off.

 

[Slew Foot]

Haha, sounds like you need driving lessons.

 

[theblackbox]

long truck? we spent seven months in our 27' class c with a wrangler toad and didn't manage to sway into any lanes and hit anyone. learn to drive.

 

[RichardE]

Sway?

If you can't turn without putting your car or trucks ass into the other lane you don't need to drive.

 

[tasmanian]

Sway as in the trucks front end may go a foot or less over. Its not a regular occurrence but every now and then I under steer.

 

[BlancoNino]

Anytime an accident report is filled out by an officer, they have to write a ticket. I think it should be a judgement call by the officer. Since you were both nice about it and it was minor and everything went smoothly, I wouldn't have nailed you with a ticket if I was the officer. I'd leave that to your insurance company lol.

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: tasmanian
Sway as in the trucks front end may go a foot or less over. Its not a regular occurrence but every now and then I under steer.

You should watch that since if it becomes a habbit and you need insurance to cover it when it happens they will drop you

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: tasmanian
Yes it was my fault. Its a long truck so it sometimes sways into the adjacent lanes while making turns.

You own and operate a vehicle you freely admit you cannot even control or drive properly.

And the car you hit did NOT "pop out of nowhere."

You fail miserably on all accounts.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: tasmanian
Yes it was my fault. Its a long truck so it sometimes sways into the adjacent lanes while making turns.

You own and operate a vehicle you freely admit you cannot even control or drive properly.

And the car you hit did NOT "pop out of nowhere."

You fail miserably on all accounts.

OP, this is a tough crowd when it comes to driving. GL with your ticket!

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: skyking

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: tasmanian
Yes it was my fault. Its a long truck so it sometimes sways into the adjacent lanes while making turns.

You own and operate a vehicle you freely admit you cannot even control or drive properly.

And the car you hit did NOT "pop out of nowhere."

You fail miserably on all accounts.

OP, this is a tough crowd when it comes to driving. GL with your ticket!

For a long vehicle (I don't know trailers so I'm not about to advise about those) simply go straight a little further and then sharpen the turning radius to minimize the quarters from bearing about excessively.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
You should have been ticketed for driving a Ford. /Thread.

Why? Because it's the only domestic automaker that can stand on it's own feet (unless one of the others goes down and drags Ford down, too) ?

Originally posted by: RichardE

Originally posted by: tasmanian
Sway as in the trucks front end may go a foot or less over. Its not a regular occurrence but every now and then I under steer.

You should watch that since if it becomes a habbit and you need insurance to cover it when it happens they will drop you

If you are taking a turn on a public road fast enough to experience understeer, then you are doing it wrong.

 

[KLin]

Definitely need a satellite pic of said intersection with paintbrush drawings of what happened.

 

[tasmanian]

Originally posted by: KLin
Definitely need a satellite pic of said intersection with paintbrush drawings of what happened.

Provided.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
You should have gotten a free pass since you were driving a Ford F-150. /Thread.

I fixed that for ya...

 

[Howard]

That's not the intersection where that happened, is it?

 

[tasmanian]

Originally posted by: Howard
That's not the intersection where that happened, is it?

Yes it is.

 

[FDF12389]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
Anytime an accident report is filled out by an officer, they have to write a ticket. I think it should be a judgement call by the officer. Since you were both nice about it and it was minor and everything went smoothly, I wouldn't have nailed you with a ticket if I was the officer. I'd leave that to your insurance company lol.

No they don't have to write a ticket every time they file a report.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Wow, people on ATOT really are assholes.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: tasmanian

Originally posted by: Howard
That's not the intersection where that happened, is it?

Yes it is.

You have clear sight to your right for at least a quarter mile.

 

[tasmanian]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: tasmanian

Originally posted by: Howard
That's not the intersection where that happened, is it?

Yes it is.

You have clear sight to your right for at least a quarter mile.

Yeah I know. The car was where I drew it. With a 25 mph speed limit I thought there was no way the car could make it in that distance by the time i passed 4 lanes. I was wrong. Or another car appeared in my blind spot.