Reply to Accusation of Hit and Run

Forum Index » Off-Topic

Reply to "Accusation of Hit and Run"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]pervious poster again--
I found the below online and it explains it better than I did.  
I had this happen to me 2 years ago---I hit a bumper of a car in front of me while going 5 miles per hour..  I got out and the other driver did too.  We agree there was no damage and so we drove off (I took pictures of both cars)  However, the other driver than reported it to the police later that day and claimed I fled the crime.  I was sent the letter you received from the DC polcie.  I did not respond to it and talked to an attorney.  He said, that whatever I did I should not report to the police station because even if there was no damage, I committed a crime in the District because I left the scene of an accident without calling the police..  The police ended up sending me the letter 2 more times (as certified letters) and finally the issue dropped.

Here's what I found online:

Leaving after Colliding is the official name in Washington, D.C. for what is commonly referred to as Hit and Run. It occurs when a driver strikes another person, car, or dog then fails to immediately stop and render aid and/or exchange insurance information. As any D.C. criminal lawyer can tell you, it is a common occurrence in a city filled with busy streets and people in a hurry. What is also a common occurrence is that a witness to the accident gets either a license plate number, or some information about the vehicle that allows the D.C. police to identify it. Let me be clear: the information provided to the police by the witness or video almost always identified ONLY the vehicle involved, NOT the driver behind the wheel. Is this important? You bet it is.

In order to prove that a defendant committed hit and run, or Leaving after Colliding in Washington, D.C., the government has to prove, not just what vehicle was involved, but who was actually driving it. If a witness saw only the car, but not who was behind the wheel, the government has no way to prove its case. So how do the D.C. police try to solve this not-insignificant problem? Well, they send you a letter and ask you to come on down and prove their case for them. And the thing is, many Leaving after Colliding defendants do just that.

Top five reasons people follow the instructions on the Hit and Run Letter, and walk into a police station:

5.  They always do what the police ask.

4. They want to confess.

3.  They want to convince the police that they were not driving the car.

2.  They think that if they help the police, the police will help them.

1.  They think they have no choice.

Well, if you just want to make the police happy or want to get something off your chest, then I can’t help you. But I can tell you that 1) you will not convince the police you were driving the car, unless you are throwing someone else under the bus; 2) the police will not help you, unless you need help being arrested; and 3) you certainly do have a choice, and are under absolutely no obligation to respond to the Hit and Run letter.

It is easy to see why many people follow the instructions in the Hit and Run Letter, since it tells you that “you are to appear at the police station.” It even gives you a date and time, and gives you a list of things that “YOU MUST BRING.” The police use that forceful language on purpose, because they want to scare the suspect into compliance, and are banking on the belief that most people don’t know their rights. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics