The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Hit and Run

My 51 took a pretty hard hit last night.(2-14 to 2-15)

I had it parked in the street in front of the house it its usual spot. I was taking my youngest to Kindergarten this morning when I glanced at the 51 now sitting askew. I took my kid to school and met the police at the house to report the accident. I suspect the driver was drunk as there was no skid or sliding tracks in the 1/2" of powder snow. The wide arc the errant driver took was interrupted by the left rear fender, tail light, tailgate, bed side, and left cab corner of my 51 half ton. The bed and fender do not bug me as much as does the cab corner as both cab corners on my pickup are rust-free.

I wish the angle iron I currently use for a rear bumper had been a little longer-it might have been able to do more damage. I would canvass the neighborhood except for it has been too cold--it was -11F when I was talking to the policeman. I think I'll take a cruise by the bars this weekend--I might be lucky enough to find the culprit.

I will talk to the officer tomorrow to see if he came up with any leads. The other vehicle left a lot of pieces like headlight bezels, turn signal lenses, and trim pieces. They looked like late model Ford pickup pieces to me but I will see what the officer found out.

Anyone else have a hit-and-run story? Did the other driver get caught and if so how?

Not a hit and run but I had a '60 p.u. (my only transpo at the time) stolen. They recovered it 3 days later about 150 miles from my house. Luckily there was no damage. Sorry about your truck, I hope they (or you) can find the culprit.

Makes you want to cry, a shame indeed. Hope you catch the bastard and make him pay, one way or another.

I am very sorry your truck is damaged. I hope the person is caught also and that your insurance gives full coverage for the repairs.

speaking of stolen waldo53, my grandpa had a 1961 chevy car that at the time wasn't to old, it was stolen from the stockyards where he worked. they filed to police report and nothing happen for a day or two. but on about the third day my great uncle was driving through a ruffer part of town and spoted the car. he call, grandpa and grandpa got a ride down to the house and stole his own car back from the thief's driveway. but sorry about the truck its ashame when people can at least man up to what he or she has done

my thoughts too.


Cliff59

We had our '64 Impala stolen at a Stampeders football game years ago and about 3-4 days later the cops called and told us where it was sitting so we went to pick it up and the ashtray was overflowing with butts , there was about 6-8 bottles of assorted liquor in the back and an EXTRA 1/2 tank of gas.

I hate thieves almost as much as I hate drunk drivers. Neither knows or cares of the grief they cause. They are both a strong argument for vigilantism.

that sucks... i'm so happy i am lucky enough to have room to park off the street.

My parents had a 91 Dodge Daytona that was parked in front of their old house when a drunk came around the corner and hit the car so hard it shoved the engine up against the firewall. The drunks ran on foot and were cought that night. The car was totaled and it was my dad's daily driver. They ended up having to buy a new car whitch stunk because the Daytona was paid off and then they had to take on a payment. I hope you can get the truck fixed, we were thankful the my dad's 52 International L110 truck was up in the driveway when it happened. Good luck, hope the catch the A-hole.

Sean

I got run over by a POS in an 18 wheeler. I found the bastiid(lives about 2 miles away) but the cops wouldn't do anything about it. They didn't even want to write a report, but if it was one of them it would have been 'attemted capital murder'. My ins paid under uninsured motorist, maybe they got something from the guy but I doubt it. If there are no witnesses, it didn't happen. Good luck. RIP old black truck Brian

Don't expect much out of the police. Even a hit & run is a misdemeanor and won't be investigated much if at all. If the guy walked in and admitted to the crime all he'd get is a ticket.

How do I know this? I got hit by a hit & run driver who left a trail to his house. The police told me that unless they witnessed the accident they couldn't do anything because it's a misdemeanor.

Let's see....Hit~n~run story? Yea, I got one!

Years ago I was driving a '69 f**d station wagon (paid $200 for it). I came up to traffic light where I wanted to make a left turn. Ahead of me was a semi hauling gasoline.

The light turned yellow and instead of making the turn, the semi threw it in reverse and backed up - right into me! I honked and honked but he either couldn't hear, couldn't see, or didn't care.

I jumped out of my car and ran up to the cab and yelled out to him, but he ignored me. The light turned again and he took off.

Little did either of us know, but a traffic cop had witnessed the whole thing and chased the trucker down. I caught up with them and now the trucker was so contrite and remorseful! The cop asked me what I wanted to do and I looked at the trucker and asked "How much money do you have on you?" He opened his wallet and pulled out about $500 bucks.

I said, "That should just about cover it!"

The cop looked at each of us and said to the trucker, "Pay the man"

We live near a side street T that has no stop sign so people are constantly making a wide fast left in front of my house. I built a double wide driveway with room for visitors just to prevent the type of accident you describe. It didn't save my dog though.

Here a hit & run is a felony if damage is more than $1000, but they still won't do anything about it. Now if somone sees it-diff story. My wife saw a fella hit a parked car @Wal*Mart in North Little Rock, left a note on the car w/license #. You woulda thought this guy took the Lindberg baby. The cops called my wife at least 4 times, got camera evidence from Wal*Mart & the man's receipt where he had been in Wal*Mart at the same time. Was something like $1500 damage to the car. The State fuzz doesn't even want to write a report. In some towns here they say parking lot accidents are "private property" & will not come out at all. Brian

You got that right, and I think its coming. But watch how fast the cops will show up to arrest the vigilantes! It doesn't matter how big a scumbag you're dealing with - you can't touch the poor little darling.

Sorry to hear about your truck. Here in my state unless someone was injured in a hit & run you are basicly out of luck. I deal with this sort of thing all the time, and unless there was a witness there isn't much help. Maybe check with some of the local body shops, if you have any idea what kind of vehicle it was, to see if they have written an estimate for the jerk who hit you. Also check parking lots in the area to see if you can find a damaged vehicle with your paint on it. If you find the vehicle I strongly advise you to call the police and don't confront the person yourself. I have seen bad things happen because of this. I would like to see the guy get the snott beat out of him too, but if he is irresponsible enough to hit & run he may be irresponsible enough to take a shot at someone too.

Sorry to hear about your truck. Here in British Columbia we have government insurance. If the driver is caught or even if you have any amount of reasonable evidence, a penalty can be asssigned to the errant dirver's insurance or driver's licence - subject ot a vehicle inspection. (The insurance company also controls the driver's and vehicle's licencing system.) If he does not report, he cannot re-licence his vehicle. In my case, my '46 PU was run into by a drunk (in Oct) but the accident was witnessed by two undercover police officers. They took the driver to jail. Also, the insurance company considers that the drunk driver has forfeited his insurnce by driving drunk and will be liable for all damages. In other words the driver who hit me will not be able to renew his licence until he owns up for the damage. Unfortunatley for his parents, he was driving their car. They may also have some liability but more importalty they have lost their vehicle. I know it sounds a bit heavy handed but it easier than pusuring a claim within the legal system. I hope your vehicle is fixed soon.
Regards
Eric

Hey Carl,

Very sorry to hear about your truck, I hope they catch the responsible party. You may want to stop in and visit with some of the local body shops. I hope you acquired a paint rub, so you know what color vehicle you need to look for.

I have never been the victim of a hit and run, just thieves.

John

Carl,

Sorry to hear about your truck. I also hope they catch the a-hole that hit it.

I was hit by a drunk driver at 7:30 a.m. on the way to work one morning. He took out 4 other cars in the same block, after he hit me.

They ended up catching him a few blocks away, and told me that I'd have to file a report with my insurance...

Bout 4 years later, after I'd already filed the claim, and sold the vehicle, I received a money order in the mail. He had to pay my deductible as part of his restitution.

Still didn't come close to what I had out of pocket, and in frustration.

Good Luck!

Tonight I walk in the door (2-16) and my wife hands me a photocopied note from the hit-and-run driver apologizing for the wreck from 2 days ago and asking me to contact him. He included a picture of his insurance card on a 2006 F-150. At least I was right on the make of vehicle.

His story was that he was coming home late from work and slid into my pickup as he was making the corner. With the dusting of snow we had, it was clear that he did not turn the corner properly and corrected his path only AFTER he hit my pickup. There were no indications of a skid in the entire damage track he left. I suspect that he was drunk or otherwise impaired.

I don't think I can make a claim to his insurance for my damage without a police report. What jerks my chain is that I know he is lying about 'sliding' into my pickup because the evidence does not support this. I am going to get in touch with the officer that investigated this accident to make sure he got some pictures, particularly of the tire tracks. It seems like Mr. Hit-and-Run does not want the law involved but I do not feel I have a choice, especially since I am the one reported the accident to begin with.

Here's wishing your truck a full and quick recovery,and the culprit a long sentence,surrounded by Stovebolt addicts!
My hit-n-run story was more of a hit-n-try to run. I was thinking of buying a used truck from a local car dealer,and he allowed me to drive it home Friday and drive it around for the weekend,and if I liked it,we'd close the deal on Monday. Friday night about 12:45 AM the Police Chief's high school aged daughter was coming home from a beer party and swung a wide corner hitting the truck I was Borrowing". She hit it hard enough to bounce it onto the sidewalk,her car went upside down and landed on its roof on the trunk of my parents' '66 Pontiac,then rolled back onto its wheels. We all heard the noise,and by the time we got to the front door,the girl was trying to start her car,fully intending to leave the scene.I don't think she was cited for the wreck,and the truck was withing $50.00 of being totalled. The insursnce investigator told me if it'd had hubcaps on it,they would've just written it off,but they fixed it. I bought it.(After it spent 5 months in the body shop.)The Insurance also paid to fix the pontiac,and it got a new paint job because the body man claimed he couldn't match the faded paint.
Speed

Well, I guess you can tell him that if he would not have left the scene of the accident and come to your door, you may have been able to work it out. Unfortunately, he didn't, and now it's too late.

At least you know who did it, and he confessed on the note, so you should get compensated. Hopefully the insurance company will be fair.

I would almost bet, that he already took his to a body shop for an estimate. He probably found out he couldn't afford to pay for fixing it and had to call his insurance company.

I hope it works out in your favor.

John

Dont expect much from the police. The only way youll see them move is if its one of their personal cars.

Man, that must have been a bummer to to walk out and see your truck messed up! I think if you have reported the accident to the police (and have the paper work), then you will be able to collect from HIS insurance company. Good Luck.

Well, here's the other side of the coin to let you know that honor still exists...

My daily driver was in the parking garage at work on the end of a row where there's a turn to go up to the next level (parking there was my first mistake). A fellow in a pickup came around the corner and clipped my car (hard to see, I guess) and he took out the fender and the whole front fascia (grill, lights, etc).

He stopped, called the base police (who then called me) and we got it all straight on the spot. His insurance even got me a brand new Lincoln towncar (I was the first renter of the car) to drive for three weeks while my car was in the bodyshop because Enterprise didn't have any cars comparable to mine.

The fellow and I have even become friends. He is a retired Navy Captain.

So... good, honorable people still exist.


John

I'm somewhat upset with the attitudes expressed above. Several of you have complained the "cops" do nothing. Sometimes there is nothing that can be done. You should ALWAYS contact the police and have a report taken. I don't care where you live a report or log entry will be taken. On private property a report can only be taken if somebody is injured, however the log entry of the call will document the event. Check your state law. If parts are left at the scene then something possibly can be done. If the responding officer has the time to follow through on his own (depends on call volumn and call priorities) then he or she should and if not the report would be turned over to investigations. In my state body shops can't repair a car without a red tag. This tag is issued by law enforcement after ANY accident or collision anywhere with another vehicle or non moving object. If they get caught fixing a car without the red tag they are subject to fines and loss of their business license. I understand peoples frustration being the victim of hit and runs and other crimes, however you create some of your own luck in what you do and how you do it. Try to plan ahead for the unexpected the best you can. I'm a deputy and go to many accidents every year and a large percentage get solved. I've used parts left at the scene to catch up with the offender in the past (its really great when the license plate gets left behind). Again law enforcement is a priority driven job. A non injury hit and run will ALWAYS take the back seat to many more serious crimes which there seems to be no shortage of or end in sight. Isn't this why you have insurance anyway?

Well 551st, when you have been run over by an 18 wheeler in your lane on a marked state highway & barely escaped alive, then the cops show up & don't want to write a report cause they don't want to measure the skid marks, then you can tell me how wrong I am. I was run over on a blind curve on a hill, I was driving defensibly & well under the speed limit, old black truck did not even have aradio for distraction. I wan't drinking, I was going to pick up my boy from church & was less than a mile from my home. The POS that hit me is a trucker, his only job is to keep his 80k lbs on his side of the yellow line, & he failed to do it. If I had not been in an old truck made of iron I would be dead, no doubt about it. Sorry my frustration upsets you, but I am still pretty upset myself. I was left for dead upside down in someones yards w/gas running outta the truck, while this POS found his gears & went home for a beer & TV. What about the next guy this fella hits, maybe a family, or your family-he drives all over the country. Oh yeah, I still have parts(hopper crank & driveshaft) from his truck the cops kicked to the side of the highway. Brian

I'd say you got lucky. He didn't have to crawl back & admit, but he did. Sorry to hear about your truck. Hopefully it doesn't require a bunch of messing around to get this behind you. Bummer deal.

WOW! My heart really goes out to you guys.The worst thing that ever happened to me is that some jerk put a big dent in my quarter panel in a mall parking lot, and left for parts unknown. Good luck to all of you in dealing with these lowlife.

John's story is refreshing to hear about honest folks, and esp'ly becoming friends.

Its also nice to read Racecarl's follow up about the driver making contact and trying to make some sort of atonement out of a bad situation. This may work out better for you.

I am also glad to her no one has been seriously hurt.

Brian

64Fleetside;

Brian, your story hit me where I can feel it. I have been a trucker for longer than most, and I can tell you two things for certain: One, there's a fair bit more to the job than "keeping the 80K on his side of the yellow line", and two, for some incomprehensible reason, some guys - with CDL's and everything - can't even handle that part with a dimensional load, and are a damned embarrassment to the rest of us.

I apologize for the industry to you and to the spirit of old black truck (which lives on in your Suburban).

We probably won't see that particular mental defective in these parts (not many hopper bottoms in these parts) but we have plenty of our own, and we show them no mercy when they screw up conspicuously and try to deny it

64Fleetside, The point to my comment is don't put all law enforcement in the same boat. We work our a** off up here in the north to solve ANY crime. I saw the picture of your truck and I'm glad you came out of it OK. If nobody did a report you should be a very rich man, I would be if it had happened to me and nobody followed through on it. This sounds like it might possibly be a regional problem? If you get me a case number I'll follow through and find out why nothing was done.

I've got TWO great stories...
My Dodge Dakota was stolen when I lived in Lakeland, Florida, and stripped for the custom parts (State Farm ROCKS...gave me full value of the custom stuff, and fair value for the truck!!!). I FOUND the parts on another truck (one-off custom wheels, custom parts specifically modified to fit), and gave the Polk County Sheriff a license plate number...not once, but twice. "Well, since the insurance company paid you, you're not the victim any more, they are and they need to file the claim. Basically, we're over-worked, and won't be following up on this." No joke. I couldn't believe it, but that was the end of it as far as Polk County Sheriff was concerned. Yes, Florida is a cess pool.

Second story: Last March went on a road trip to pick up my '62 Chevy Suburban and drive it home from Joplin MO to Atlanta. On the way home, swung into Memphis to eat Pig & Whistle BBQ. Wanted a picture of the new truck under the big pink neon pig. While walking back across the road, I got hit by a drunk driving in the "no driving" marked middle lane, driving with his headlights off. Threw me through the air about 15 feet. I got up, limped back to him, had some calm discussion (cuz I didn't want to spook him) and when he saw me reach for my cell phone he hauled ***.
My 10 year old greets me at the curb and says "What was THAT all about?" I said "He hit me with his car!!!" "Oh," he says, "I WONDERED what you were doing on his hood."
Ambulance gets there and checks me out (wrenched ankle, but it was my gas foot and not my clutch foot), a very sore butt, and sore elbows (I landed on them...Dad always preached to protect your head in an accident, and that honestly went through my brain as I was going through the air, so I landed in a sitting position), but otherwise fine. When the officer asks me for a description, I describe what happened, describe the car, and give a description of the man driving it. As soon as I mentioned the ethnicity of the guy driving, the cop stopped writing and said "We won't find him." But it's only been ten minutes...he turned right at that light. Don't you at least want to put a description of the car out in case anyone else sees him."
No, he says. "There was no damage, and no injury--you've refused medical treatment, so you aren't injured. It would be between you and him, and we aren't going to get involved in that." With that he put his note pad away. I said "Aren't you even going to at least take my name, in case he feels guilty and calls or something." So he took my name, address and said good night. When I asked him to point me to a pharmacy so I could get some Ibruprofin and an ACE bandage for my throbbing ankle, he said "I don't know where any are," got in his car and drove away. While I watched him leave, I saw a big red Walgreens sign half a block up the street. I could have walked to it if my ankle hadn't been so sore. Wrapped it up, popped two Ibruprophin, and drove from Memphis to Atlanta the next day. Other than that, the whole trip went very well.

So, that's my hit and run story. That's two strikes with scum bags, and the police wouldn't do anything. They aren't here to watch out for us...next time, I'm taking it into my own hands, and there will be only one version of the story when it's time to ask this clean-cut, white mid-30s family man who has NEVER been in any trouble with the law what happened.

-Brad

By all means keep the police involved. There's a reason he doesn't want them to know, but leave that to the cops.

Carl is in a small enough city that he will probably get some help. Where I live, in a suburb, the police would go out of their way to help. But in the big city next door, they wouldn't come out to take the report. It's not the cop's fault, they just don't have time to handle anything but the high-priority calls.

my cousin had his truck stolen out of his drive way about a year ago he heard it start ran out and saw it pulling away. he ran it and called 911 and the world finest cops of Bashor Kansas, recieved the report within 30 seconds of being stolen. and about 3 minutes later they spoted it, and wouldn't you know it, they followed it right to the highway were they jurisdiction runs out. they didn't notifiey the next city/county or anything. they said screw it and turned around. about three weeks later they found the truck in downtown kansas city beat to s###. these are the same cops that pull you over for doing 21 in a 20, and pulled my 74 year old great aunt over because they thought she was drunk because she was doing 15 in a 20 through town, at night i have no use for Basehor Police in Leavenworth Kansas

i don't think that's why we have insurance. we have insurance to create a entire industry to dig into our pocketbooks in fear of someone who won't take responsibility for their actions. if you have liability insurance at least that is a start to taking responsibility. police officers are great and do a job i would hate to do. two years ago i had a truck that was hit by a on duty police officer. that one was a fun one to have a report filled out on. i was going thru a green light when he went thru a red light with no lights or siren and hit me in the side. i heard the same line from the highway patrolman that worked the wreck "that's what we have insurance for". well their insurance said they shouldn't have to pay since you are supposed to yeild right of way to emergency vehicles. well that's hard to do from behind and with no lights. i guess you can substitute the word bulldozer for emergency vehicle. so my insurance co paid them. and i was left with nothing i guess i should have been paying $100 a month for full coverage. i'm not putting them down but it's situations like that that make you not feel too good about them. can any reasonable person tell me what is right with that situation. that police dept allowed their insur. co to do this. that officer should have known what he did was wrong. i know they are human just like everyone else. i bet if we had a opertunity to talk to all the people that didn't take responsibility they would all have justifications for what they did ie: it's not my fault.

I was able to get couple estimates on the damage this week and a check is in the mail for $1900. This will help greatly in getting the old beast repainted.