Accusation of Hit and Run

[Anonymous]

I posted here earlier this month of being the victim of road rage while driving home with my two kids. The post can be found here http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/642145.page

Well a couple of things have occurred. First the wacko who chased us has filed a report with the DC police claiming that I hit him. He also had his insurance company contact mine to make a claim. He is claiming $2,600 of damage and saying his entire front bumper was ripped off during the incident. After an investigation by my insurance company, including my clearly undamaged car, the claim has been denied.

The other issue is I received a letter from the hit and run unit of the DC police saying I have to report to their office in two weeks. It is not a court appearance. They just want me to show up with my car, license, and insurance card. I imagine they would want to hear my side of the story and inspect my car. This is a major inconvenience as I do not live in DC. I tried contacting the office through phone calls and email, but I get no response. I have sent them photos of my car, a record of the 911 call that we made during the incident, a description of what unfolded that evening, and a contact and phone number for my insurance company.

I guess at this point, I have to go there. My question is, should I get a lawyer, or is that overkill?

Thanks for any sound advice you can offer!

[Anonymous]

How major of an inconvenience? Impossible? I would get there and just get this off your plate forever if at all possible. Sorry this happened to you OP. Nightmare

[Anonymous]

Yeah, no, you don't have to show up. A court can summon you, but the police can drive to your location if they want to speak with you, just tell them you cannot come to their unit. You already supplied them with plenty of information.

[Anonymous]

Wow. That sucks, OP. I wouldn't get a lawyer at this point. You have pics and you made a call to 911.

[Anonymous]

OP....given the level of effort he gave chasing you down and coming up to bang on your car window, it is almost the type of behavior of someone whose car DID get hit and they thought the other driver was fleeing the scene. Is it at all possible that you did hit his car? I've seen minor accidents where one car doesn't have any visible damage but the other did. This sounds strange for him to go through to this level of effort and to make false reports just because he was mad. I'm thinking you actually hit him and didn't realize it.

[Anonymous]

Why don't you call the police department and tell them this....?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP....given the level of effort he gave chasing you down and coming up to bang on your car window, it is almost the type of behavior of someone whose car DID get hit and they thought the other driver was fleeing the scene. Is it at all possible that you did hit his car? I've seen minor accidents where one car doesn't have any visible damage but the other did. This sounds strange for him to go through to this level of effort and to make false reports just because he was mad. I'm thinking you actually hit him and didn't realize it.

Stop making sense.

Plus, everyone on DCUM is a victim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you call the police department and tell them this....?

From the OP:

I tried contacting the office through phone calls and email, but I get no response. I have sent them photos of my car, a record of the 911 call that we made during the incident, a description of what unfolded that evening, and a contact and phone number for my insurance company.

[Anonymous]

OP, maybe when you cut him off he had to swerve to avoid hitting you and hit a rail or something that resulted in damage to his car. I'd say even if your car isn't what ripped his bumper off, you cut him off and caused the damage, so are at fault. Do you think he ripped his car bumper off just to be able to harass you? His behavior from the earlier thread makes it seem as if something did happen. Poor guy, because there is no way of proving what happened. I hate drivers like you who are totally oblivious as to why cutting in front of people is a problem. Maybe he can use the other thread as an admission of guilt on your part that you cut him off

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP....given the level of effort he gave chasing you down and coming up to bang on your car window, it is almost the type of behavior of someone whose car DID get hit and they thought the other driver was fleeing the scene. Is it at all possible that you did hit his car? I've seen minor accidents where one car doesn't have any visible damage but the other did. This sounds strange for him to go through to this level of effort and to make false reports just because he was mad. I'm thinking you actually hit him and didn't realize it.

I'm wondering the same. Yes, there is a chance this guy is just a whacko but it's much more likely OP did hit him or caused an accident of some kind or another and wasn't aware of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP....given the level of effort he gave chasing you down and coming up to bang on your car window, it is almost the type of behavior of someone whose car DID get hit and they thought the other driver was fleeing the scene. Is it at all possible that you did hit his car? I've seen minor accidents where one car doesn't have any visible damage but the other did. This sounds strange for him to go through to this level of effort and to make false reports just because he was mad. I'm thinking you actually hit him and didn't realize it.

OP here. I guess anything is possible,but given he has claimed that my car pulled his bumper off and there being $2600 worth of damage, it does not make sense at all. His car is a 2004, so $2600 is a lot of damage. Not a scratch on my car and did not feel any impact. I have my son as a witness too, although I don't want to put him through an interrogation. This guy was truly crazy. My suspicion is that he already had the damage and is seeking some sort of revenge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, maybe when you cut him off he had to swerve to avoid hitting you and hit a rail or something that resulted in damage to his car. I'd say even if your car isn't what ripped his bumper off, you cut him off and caused the damage, so are at fault. Do you think he ripped his car bumper off just to be able to harass you? His behavior from the earlier thread makes it seem as if something did happen. Poor guy, because there is no way of proving what happened. I hate drivers like you who are totally oblivious as to why cutting in front of people is a problem. Maybe he can use the other thread as an admission of guilt on your part that you cut him off

You sound just like a nut job that followed her and banged on her window.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, maybe when you cut him off he had to swerve to avoid hitting you and hit a rail or something that resulted in damage to his car. I'd say even if your car isn't what ripped his bumper off, you cut him off and caused the damage, so are at fault. Do you think he ripped his car bumper off just to be able to harass you? His behavior from the earlier thread makes it seem as if something did happen. Poor guy, because there is no way of proving what happened. I hate drivers like you who are totally oblivious as to why cutting in front of people is a problem. Maybe he can use the other thread as an admission of guilt on your part that you cut him off

OP here. That's interesting that you would mention that, because I wondered the same thing initially. But then I learned he claimed that I hit him on the insurance claim, so this is not a possible scenario. The side of his car with the damage is the side that was facing my car, not the guardrail. My insurance company has denied his claim based on the investigation.

[Anonymous]

Have you told your insurance company that the police are making such a request of you? If not, I think I would do that. If you have, what did they say?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, maybe when you cut him off he had to swerve to avoid hitting you and hit a rail or something that resulted in damage to his car. I'd say even if your car isn't what ripped his bumper off, you cut him off and caused the damage, so are at fault. Do you think he ripped his car bumper off just to be able to harass you? His behavior from the earlier thread makes it seem as if something did happen. Poor guy, because there is no way of proving what happened. I hate drivers like you who are totally oblivious as to why cutting in front of people is a problem. Maybe he can use the other thread as an admission of guilt on your part that you cut him off

You sound just like a nut job that followed her and banged on her window.

Thank you The last sentence was a joke, but the first part is a possible explanation of the other person's behavior. Or he could just be crazy. I wasn't there.