Got my first ticket and court date yesterday

[HermDogg]

Uh, yeah. I think the rule is NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER admit to anything. EVER. Apparently you didn't have enough ever's memorized, 'cuz now you're screwed if the cop wrote it down in the report. I don't care what "the lady" bullied you into, NEVER admit anything!

 

[Platypus]

Get a lawyer.

 

[JulesMaximus]

So, nobody saw the "accident", you are sure you didn't hit his car but there is a mark on his bumper where your bumper and the bumper of every other car on the road would meet his? I'd go to the judge and tell them that you did not hit the car, you were bullied by the cop into admitting that you did and that you maintain your innocence. How can they claim you hit and run when you didn't leave? This should be thrown right the fvck out of court.

 

[Mojoed]

Originally posted by: allisolm
Even if you disregard the plastic bag thing, how could the other driver be both "leaning on the trunk of his car" and " in one of the stores in the strip mall" when this happened? How on earth could you get your right front bumper near his right rear bumper during a back-up and repull-in? :frown:

Detective allisolm!

allisolm for Elit... Oh wait a minute...

Seriously though, the other car must have backed in to his parking spot.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: CarlKillerMiller

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: CarlKillerMiller
I'm pulling into the parking lot of great clips to get a haircut, and notice that I'm a little close to the other vehicle. I back up, and pull in at a more comfortable distance. In the lot, my front right bumper is near his rear right bumper. At this time, I felt no impact. I get out of the car, lock it, and look back. There's a plastic bag in my front grille. At this time, I notice that the other driver is leaning on the trunk of his car.

I get into the greatclips, get my haircut, and return to find out that this guy called the cops on me for hitting his car. Now, I'm nervous as hell, as I'm 18 years old and have had no prior tickets. The cop shows me the mark on both cars, and it looks like I had hit his car. She basically bullied me into admitting that I hit this car and flat out didn't believe me when I told her otherwise. When I asked where the other guy was when the impact happened, he said that he was in one of the stores in the strip mall.

So, because I did not leave info when the impact happened and just went in to get a haircut, I was tagged with a hit and run. My court date is the day before I leave for college (thank god).


What a sad day.

EDIT: The plastic bag thing was just something I noticed as I looked back when i was locking my car. Not very important at all.

Look, I'm not an idiot. If I had really wanted to get away after I hit that car, if I had really noticed an impact, and if I really didn't care that I had committed a hit and run, I would have just driven away. Instead, I strolled to the haircut place, got a haircut, and came back.

Should have said he hit you...

/the end

Well, I appreciate the "Should have said", but it does me no good.

By the way, I've never been to traffic court. Do I get a chance to tell my side of the story at all? Or do I just go up there and say "guilty"? I've heard that traffic court isn't really a court at all, just a mockery.

You are probably screwed, but just say that you were blindsided and not thinking properly and they coerced it out of you.

 

[KarenMarie]

well, i believe you.... not that you did not hit him, but that you are not guilty of hit and run. cause i believe that if you were aware that you bumped his car, you would have not just left your car there and went for a haircut.

i think if you did hit him and knew it, you would have either moved your car to another spot, or left a note on the windshield. and i think if the other guy was leaning on his car and saw you hit him, he would have said something to you right then and there, and not waited until you left to call the cops.

something just seems strange here... and i dont believe that you would be foolish enough to hit a car, stay parked next to it and then just go get a haircut.

this sucks for you, and you will probably get hammered on insurance for a long time... hopefully you can plead down before appearing to something else.

 

[tami]

Originally posted by: allisolm
Even if you disregard the plastic bag thing, how could the other driver be both "leaning on the trunk of his car" and " in one of the stores in the strip mall" when this happened? How on earth could you get your right front bumper near his right rear bumper during a back-up and repull-in? :frown:

my thoughts exactly.

also, why are there marks on both cars? how significant are they? why did you notice a plastic bag and why did you mention it in the story if it's not important at all?

 

[Mojoed]

Originally posted by: tami

Originally posted by: allisolm
Even if you disregard the plastic bag thing, how could the other driver be both "leaning on the trunk of his car" and " in one of the stores in the strip mall" when this happened? How on earth could you get your right front bumper near his right rear bumper during a back-up and repull-in? :frown:

my thoughts exactly.

also, why are there marks on both cars? how significant are they? why did you notice a plastic bag and why did you mention it in the story if it's not important at all?

Read carefully.

The OP saw the man leaning on the trunk of his car.
The man claimed he was in one of the stores in the strip mall, when asked by the police.

I think the reference to the plastic bag was put in to help prove he really did look back. Just a small detail.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: ducci

Originally posted by: Ktulu
what does the plastic bag have to do with anything

Because it was the most beautiful thing he ever saw.

dancing and twirling

ITS JUST A FRICKIN BAG!!

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW COMPLICATED YOUR CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IS!

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: KarenMarie
well, i believe you.... not that you did not hit him, but that you are not guilty of hit and run. cause i believe that if you were aware that you bumped his car, you would have not just left your car there and went for a haircut.

i think if you did hit him and knew it, you would have either moved your car to another spot, or left a note on the windshield. and i think if the other guy was leaning on his car and saw you hit him, he would have said something to you right then and there, and not waited until you left to call the cops.

something just seems strange here... and i dont believe that you would be foolish enough to hit a car, stay parked next to it and then just go get a haircut.

this sucks for you, and you will probably get hammered on insurance for a long time... hopefully you can plead down before appearing to something else.

His story just doesnt line up...

He hit the car while pulling in.... never saw a guy

15 seconds later he is walking into great clips, and turns around for no apparent reason other than to check to see if he did any damage by hitting the guys car, or to his front bumper

he sees a guy leaning on his trunk suddenly? thats odd, did he poof there?

the guy tells the cops he saw it from a store there, and then ran all the way to his car, and then casually leaned on the trunk? I would figure he could have told the cop which store the OP went into, and it would have proceeded from there rather than when the OP walked back out





Basicaly the OP pulled in, bumped the guy, thought 'doh', repulled in, looked around , didnt see anyone, glanced back at his car, didnt notice a scratch or the "mark" and thought he was g2g


Ive done the same thing before, except I checked closer and saw there was no mark and that the 1mph i bumped the other bumper at was inconseequential

 

[PingSpike]

Never admit anything. Even if you did it.

 

[KK]

what are the provisions with the accident happening on private property? My father had someone run into him at home depot and the police wouldn't file any report and said that since it happened on private property that they'd have to settle it in small claims.

 

[CarlKillerMiller]

A bump for some advice from the night crew.

 

[OFFascist]

Originally posted by: CarlKillerMiller
The cop shows me the mark on both cars, and it looks like I had hit his car. She basically bullied me into admitting that I hit this car and flat out didn't believe me when I told her otherwise.

You done fvcked up by admitting anything to a police officer. Even if you have done nothing wrong its best not to not even tell them anything then and there because they will always try to get you to incriminate yourself.

EDIT2: WHat I'd really like would be advice on how to conduct myself at traffic court. I've never been there, and I don't know how it works. The cop said that I would probably get "Supervision" for a year, but I think that the whole hit-and-run thing was bullcrap to begin with.

I dont know where you live and I dont know what traffic court is but if its an option I would plead not guilty and request a trial by jury.

FWIW if you do actually do live in one of the states that doesnt deprive you of your right to a trial definately get the cop and also the guy who accused you of hitting your vehicle on the witness stand and cross examine them.

Bring up the deal about the guy not even being in a store and not even witnessing the incident, if he didnt see it happend, and he doesnt have any witnesses saying they saw it happend then anybody could have done it.

 

[Medea]

Originally posted by: OFFascist
You done fvcked up by admitting anything to a police officer.

Yep, this will sink you. Make sure you ask for copies of all of the cop's paperwork (which you're entitled to) before your court appearance, for example: 1) a copy of the Police Report, 2) a copy of the document that reflects your "admission" (even though it may be in the Police Report, there also may be a separate document), and any other documents he has.

Call the court and ask the court clerk for instructions in filing a Request or Demand (whichever term they use) for the paperwork.