Sunday afternoon my fiance and I were on our way home from her parents' in my 6mo old Honda Ridgeline. I approached a traffic circle and came to a stop to yield to passing traffic. As I slightly lifted my foot off the brake to creep up a couple feet, I saw a fire truck coming through the round-a-bout so I stopped again. The 73yr old woman in a brand new Camry behind me rear ended me. I believe I caught a glimpse of her on a cell phone, but can't be 100% sure.

We pulled off to the side of the road and I got out of my truck. She had her driver's window rolled down and I hollered "What the fuck, you stupid idiot?" before I was even able to see her age or the damage to either vehicle. Yes, I overreacted in the heat of it. No, I shouldn't have yelled that. The woman immediately rolled her window back up and refused to talk to me. I went back to my truck, got my phone to call the police. After getting off the phone with dispatch, I snapped a picture of her license plate and the VIN plate on her dash. (I've had people leave the scene of an accident TWICE so I wasn't taking chances.) She still wouldn't roll down her window to talk to me.

A patrol sergeant from the local PD arrived a few minutes later and asked us to pull into a nearby parking lot. I pulled into the first spot and she parked many spaces away from me as if to keep her distance. The officer asks me all the usual questions and then walks over and looks at her car and talks to her. He comes back and informs me that there is no damage on either vehicle so he's not sure what I want him to do. I inform him that the plastic trim on my rear bumper is damaged and you can clearly see where her car hit my trailer hitch cover. I told him I want a report for my insurance company in case there is any more hidden damage. Also, since the woman won't talk to me, I am yet to get any of her information. He returns to his Explorer to write up the report.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man who I presume is the woman's son shows up and begins photographing her Camry from every angle. He then walks over to my Ridgeline and does the same. Front, side, rear, everything. I am conveniently standing in front of the rear license plate and refuse to move. I ask him to not take pictures of my personal property. Yes, I'm being a dick, but I'm the one who just got rear ended and neither he nor her will say a word to me. The officer gets out of his Explorer and informs me that I must let him take pictures of my truck or else "you're not getting your report." WTF?!?! Isn't it his job to write an accident report? How can he give me that ultimatum? I begrudgingly step aside.

After the officer finishes his paperwork in his truck, he returns the woman's ID and comes over to give me mine and give me his business card with the report number written on it. I ask why he isn't citing the woman when she's clearly at fault. He gets snippy with me and rambles off some Ohio Revised Code about how he doesn't have to cite anyone if he doesn't want. I reiterate the fact that she just rear ended me and is solely at fault. His reason? "What do you want? You got your report? All a ticket is going to do is add financial burden on her." I keep my mouth shut, but can't help but think "Isn't that the point of any kind of fine? Why issue speeding tickets then?"

Normally, I have the utmost respect for law enforcement. That day I didn't. This guy wanted to make it seem like it was nothing but an inconvenience to him and refused to hold the at-fault party accountable. She gets to drive off scot-free. Monday afternoon I called the PD and had them email me the report. It stated "Absolutely no damaged to either vehicle was observable and no injuries reported. Both vehicles driven from scene. Report taken due to demand of unit #1's driver/owner." WTF! I clearly pointed out the damaged trim on my rear bumper!

So two questions:
First, does an LEO have to write an accident report if one is requested? Can they give an ultimatum such as allowing the guilty party to take photos of personal property?

Second, why the heck wouldn't you cite the at fault party for something as cut and dry as a rear-end collision?

Umm, yeah, you sound like a dick. Shit happens. Grow the fuck up and stop yelling at women.

And no, I have no answers to your questions. But you kinda got what you asked for by being the way you were.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
Umm, yeah, you sound like a dick. Shit happens. Grow the fuck up and stop yelling at women.

And no, I have no answers to your questions. But you kinda got what you asked for by being the way you were.

Thanks for the advice. I admitted I was wrong and made a mistake. I hollered what I did before I even saw the other driver as I exited my own vehicle. I could have easily come here and omitted that fact and tried to make myself look like a saint. I wasn't and admit it.

1) No, a LEO does not have to write a report just because you request it.

2) Because it was a little old lady who barely tapped a real dickhead who suffered very little damage, if any.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
1) No, a LEO does not have to write a report just because you request it.

2) Because it was a little old lady who barely tapped a real dickhead who suffered very little damage, if any.

Yes, I acted like an a-hole at the time as I replied above. I regret it. I definitely should have just taken a deep breath.

The damage was minor, but there is some.

Thank you for answering my first question.

Forgot to mention in my first post how much I loath the opportunistic ambulance chasers. There are a lot of good attorneys out there. I'm friends with many and work with a handful. However, this nonsense if getting multiple calls and letters in the mail within 48 hours of an accident is absolute BS.

My favorite was the "advocacy" group that called me Monday morning. The woman said she wasn't from a law firm and didn't represent any insurance company. She only had my best interest in mind. I wouldn't answer any of her questions and she got quite defensive. When she asked how I was feeling I only replied "No comment. You're not my insurance company, my doctor, or law enforcement." That really set her off and she started rambling on again. I hung up.

I would be pissed if someone hit my new vehicle.

It really is the sign of the times. I have three places and seems that everybody is too lazy to do their job.

Now it is the Game Warden that doesn't want to do his job. Sometimes you can't win. At least you have pictures of your damage.

Ahhhh...the kinder, gentler days. If you'd pulled that 10 years ago, you would have likely had a different outcome.

No, we don't have to do a wreck report because "of insurance". Insurance adjusters can kiss my rosy red furry ass, and can get off theirs and do their own damn job. If it's not a reportable wreck for the jurisdiction (usually injuries and major damage) there is absolutely no reason to do a report, except to pacify some ninny.

And writing tickets is completely discretionary. At my agency we specifically do NOT write tickets for minor traffic accidents, per policy. Ninnies be damned. The ninnies do win, though, as the agency requires accident reports if any party involved requests one...which is GREAT!, because when we do a wreck report for some stupidity like this, "for insurance", the insurance companies get their copies and everybody's insurance may go up, and the damage was probably less than their deductibles to begin with.

Dealing with these accidents certainly IS an inconvenience for the officer and the rest of the public that have real crimes but have to wait the 30+ minutes that a fender bender that does not require a police response takes. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to call the police to these small accidents, and to sit in the middle of the GD road for 30 minutes while traffic backs up as you wait for the officer to arrive.

I drove 50 minutes today in rush hour traffic, for a parking lot scrape that needed a report "for insurance". That was well over an hour of time spent on a needless call, while I listened to the dispatcher whom was telling the road supervisor she was holding calls because there were no units available in the ENTIRE CITY, covering a million people. And the two in the wreck had already been waiting an hour before I was even dispatched (as we were dealing with a 110+mph chase with robbery suspects).

Fender benders are a civil insurance issue. NOT a police issue. Many jurisdictions straight up won't even dispatch an officer, or if they do dispatch, it will be a non-sworn accident report taker that comes out.

The lazy insurance assholes that have created this situation deserve to be beaten.

Yes, you are right and the resources are better spent elsewhere.

In the old days, you probably got a ass chewing along with the report. The OP was lucky.

My wife has been involved in a couple of minor fender benders (both "causing" and receiving). No ticket/fine was ever given to either party in any instance.

I was involved in an accident Monday evening. Had a Flat bed wrecker cross the center line and took out the whole drivers side of my truck from the front of my door all the way to the back. I think he fell asleep. This was my 2002 chevy silverado quadrasteer I purchased new 15 years ago. This truck was my baby, even so I would never have thought about getting out and screaming at someone.

Re-read your post starting at the second paragraph.
Then try to put yourself in her position and think of what you may have done.

Chongo --

I certainly understand what you're saying about minor accident reports being a waste of LE time.

BUT: There are good reasons for a person to want LE involved. I have been in a situation where the person who rear-ended me denied everything, refused to show ID, DL, registration, insurance information, etc.

It would have turned out to be a big "he said, she said" situation, so I saw no alternative to getting LE involved to document everything.

On the other hand, my city has "Community Officers" who do this sort of thing. I never even looked to see if they were armed. They drove a car that was marked very similar to the regular patrol car, but said "Community Service." Not sure if they were "regular" cops, or if they have very limited duties such as taking accident reports, directing traffic when necessary, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
Re-read your post starting at the second paragraph.
Then try to put yourself in her position and think of what you may have done.

I would have done the same thing she did--roll the window up and wait for the cops or my husband. I wouldn't deal with a guy who appeared aggressive. And I absolutely would have had pictures taken of the damage to the OP's truck.

What ever happened to basic civility? A young guy rear ended my new Honda last year. Left a faint imprint on my bumper. He was apologetic and I said forget it. We didn't even exchange insurance info. I did have a bit of fun with him and tell him it was his unlucky day because he just hit a lawyer.

I think the best part is when you said you took photos of her license plate AND the VIN plate, but didn't want pictures of your "personal property" taken.

quote:

The 73yr old woman in a brand new Camry behind me rear ended me. I believe I caught a glimpse of her on a cell phone, but can't be 100% sure.

We pulled off to the side of the road and I got out of my truck. She had her driver's window rolled down and I hollered "What the fuck, you stupid idiot?" before I was even able to see her age or the damage to either vehicle.

Even before I read the other responses, you lost me when I read that part. I can understand about getting pissed off getting your 6-month-old car hit. But I don't understand getting pissed off so as to spout expletives even before you see who you're cussing at. What if, instead of being a 73-year-old woman, the driver was big enough and strong enough to drape you over his lap and stick a cattle prod up your ass? Sideways, even.

You weren't just a dick at the beginning, you were a dick the entire time. To the woman in the car, to the cop and to the woman's son.

As an insurance adjuster, I would have taken a dozen photos of your car too, to avoid potential fabricated or pre-existing damages being claimed later. Or potential bodily injury.

Do you find that people are often assholes to you? Maybe it is you who are the asshole.

You could see a cell phone but couldn't tell it was an old lady?

quote:

I believe I caught a glimpse of her on a cell phone, but can't be 100% sure...

..She had her driver's window rolled down and I hollered "What the fuck, you stupid idiot?" before I was even able to see her age or the damage to either vehicle...

Gimmie a break, asshole. Eat a bag of dicks while you are at it.



ETA - What did your fiance do the entire time you were running being an asshole?

Congrats! Your accident report got you a guaranteed Car Fax hit and a reduced value when you sell your car. I'm guessing the officer utilized his artistic license to embellish on the report so it says there was absolutely no damage. So, when you try to make an insurance claim, you can perhaps deal with the insurance co. saying "we are not paying for 'absolutely no damage.'" That accident report also guaranteed you the PI attorney solicitation correspondence you received because nobody gets an accident report unless their car is seriously messed up or they are injured! Perhaps if you have her contact information you could say "Sorry we got off on the wrong foot, I have estimates for $_____ and $_____, I would like $_____ to cover my damages and rental car. Would you like to pay that out of pocket or would you rather I go through your insurance company.?" At least it may prevent her from putting a hex on you.

My wife was once side swiped in our new car by some "youths" in St. Louis, she said the driver was being shady and told her he didn't have a license. I told her to call the cops and I was on my way (20 mins away). I get there, she tells me the passenger is telling the officer he is the driver (as he has a license). The car has insurance, the officer doesn't make a report but does an exchange of information card. I later check into the occupants, the passenger had a warrant. We end up resolving with a cash resolution at a restaurant. I only moderately feared being robbed after receiving the cash once I stepped outside or being otherwise harassed. Sometimes I don't miss St. Louis...

Accidents happen, we are all only 1 meteor hit away from dying unless Bruce Willis saves us, and he isn't that young anymore.