I have my suspect. Now what?

[ryankokesh]

So I posted earlier that someone hit my parked car and didn't leave a note. It was parked by my apartment, so the same people are parking near it all the time. I went around and checked out all the car tonight (probably looked really sketchy) and found one with a matching scratch exactly the size, height and area it should have been in to create the corresponding damage to my car.

So, I'm about 95% sure it was this lady that hit me. I've never talked to her, but I see her flying down the street all the time when I'm walking the dogs. I guess my plan is to leave her a note, or try and speak with her if I see her in person. I'm assuming that since she never left a note, she's going to totally deny everything. Anyone have any ideas?

Here's the evidence I collected:

3893
My car

3894

3895
Her car

3896


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BRGcoopahS]

Do you know if that persons car wasn't like that before you got hit? The damage on the other car looks like it would've caused more damage on yours than it did. Hopefully that is the person, or you find the person. I would be supremely pissed if someone did that to my car and ran off. I remember backing into a car and I atleast had the decency to leave a note with my #....scummy people.

[ryankokesh]

I'm pretty sure her car wasn't like that before, but I have no way at all of proving that.

The height of the damage on both cars makes me feel like it's a match. It's higher than you'd think it would be if the bumper of a car caused it, but lower than what you'd think for an suv. the mercury montego or whatever in the picture sits weirdly high, so it happens to match the height perfectly.

I really have no way of being 100% sure though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ryankokesh]

Do you know if that persons car wasn't like that before you got hit? The damage on the other car looks like it would've caused more damage on yours than it did. Hopefully that is the person, or you find the person. I would be supremely pissed if someone did that to my car and ran off. I remember backing into a car and I atleast had the decency to leave a note with my #....scummy people.

Yeah, I'm surprised that I'm not madder that it happened. I'm just really pissed that whoever did it didn't have the decency to leave a note or try and contact me in some way.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hornung418]

Black paint transfer is pretty obvious.

I'd call the police and just have them there in case the owner of the SUV puts up a fight.

If she was going fast and put the car under braking while attempting to park, the nose would have dove down. So if there's a height discrepancy, that may be the solution.

[echo46]

I would get the pice there and as them to open investigation. Give them all your evidence. Although I'm not sure if your PD and/or insurance company would go this far but you could actually test the paint on your car and the suspects car to determine if there is a match.

[Ryans323i]

I say call the police, give them what info you've found already. I'd leave out that you've seen her drive fast in the area, it has no relevance and may show you have a predisposed feeling towards her. I'm sure they'll question her, but I'm not sure how far they'll go with it. Best of luck Ryan.

[kayger12]

+1 on calling the cops. Easy case. Height and paint transfer look to match up from the photos.

Unless she can prove that the damage was caused in a different accident, it's a slam dunk... IF the cops handle it properly and don't blow it off...

As echo said, it's easy for the cops to do a paint scrape and send it to the lab for analysis-- I've done it. Problem is, most cops are lazy and won't take it that far.

[ryankokesh]

Thanks for the advice guys... Should I call the police as soon as possible, or make sure her car is in the parking lot first?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[echo46]

Call the cops now, the more time goes by your case weakens.

[ryankokesh]

The only reason I haven't yet is because it's a private parking lot. Are they going to be able to do anything even?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kayger12]

Call now (see below).

Depends on the laws there. Can't imagine there's not something that applies, though.

In Jersey you have to stay at the scene of the accident and report it to police immediately if it's more than $500 in damage.

If it were here, she'd get two tickets-- one for failure to report and one for leaving the scene.

[echo46]

Yes same here in NY. You should still be good.

[cakM3]

Call the cops now, the more time goes by your case weakens.

^
+1

[328ioc]

Damn that sucks. Same thing happened to my old e36. It it was in my parking lot at school where there is so much traffic it was impossible to figure out who it was.

Good luck with it. Hope it all gets figured out.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[coby1]

I think a good idea is to wait untill you could park right next to the car and call police to file a report like it just happened (take pictures of car next to yours) just in case she moves it b4 police get there i think that would be your only hope(still slim will be more of a he said she said type issue) but will probably just end up being you paying for the repair or small claims court.gl
Mike

[ryankokesh]

Am I going to get in trouble for not reporting it yesterday?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ryans323i]

My thoughts are no. You saw the damage yesterday and figured you'd never knew who did it and were just going to file a claim, but then today you saw the lady's vehicle with corresponding damage... Or you could just say you just saw it today.?.

[ryankokesh]

Also, I left a note on her car this morning telling her to call me etc. she left a message while I was away from my phone saying it wasn't her, and she knows where all the scratches on her car are from. Surprise surprise.

Not saying she's lying, just seems like it maybe...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[johnrando]

Sux that this happened. I just don't get people who do that. I hope it works out Ryan. I know the police can be extremely busy and might not want to handle a case like this, and it might be natural for someone to think, "well it's a BMW and you can afford insurance", so maybe a conversation with the officer along the lines of money might help, letting them know in some way you're not a rich BMW driver (even if you are, lol).

I saw someone hit a car in a parking lot just a few days ago and just drive right off. It was a big SUV so I supposed they might have been in denial hoping that they didn't hit something, but more likely they bailed out. This seems to big to not have noticed. I was able to get the plate # and leave a note on the car. I know you'll keep us posted.

[Ryans323i]

Yeah, they're from your car! I'd just call the police. If nothing happens with her, you're no worse off, but if they agree she did it she'll have to fix it.

[coby1]

yea too late(he said she said cant prove it) sux just save the aggravation fix and move on.

[Ryans323i]

Sux that this happened. I just don't get people who do that. I hope it works out Ryan. I know the police can be extremely busy and might not want to handle a case like this, and it might be natural for someone to think, "well it's a BMW and you can afford insurance", so maybe a conversation with the officer along the lines of money might help, letting them know in some way you're not a rich BMW driver (even if you are, lol).

I saw someone hit a car in a parking lot just a few days ago and just drive right off. It was a big SUV so I supposed they might have been in denial hoping that they didn't hit something, but more likely they bailed out. This seems to big to not have noticed. I was able to get the plate # and leave a note on the car. I know you'll keep us posted.

Excellent work JR. That's got to be some good Karma.

[kayger12]

yea too late(he said she said cant prove it) sux just save the aggravation fix and move on.

Can prove it easily with paint scraping analysis.

It's the issue of if they will go the extra mile.

All depends on how busy the jurisdiction is and how ambitious the cop is.

I wish this was sent with a Galaxy S3

[midlandtech]

This is my worst nightmare let us know how it turns out a simple paint scraping and 5 minutes on a mass spec can tell you paint make up.... Call the cops and have them be a middle man worst case is they brush you off best case is they fight for you


~Steve
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LivesNearCostco]

Call CSI (Car Scratch Investigators) right now!

I would try to take some more photos of the damage to her car, if possible in daylight with "macro mode" on your camera. In case she tries to clean up the evidence on her car now that she knows you suspect her. Maybe collect a tiny paint flake from your car and from hers if you can without further scratching either car. Then if she doesn't fess up (with or without the police there), you can hold up a little vial or bag and declare you already collected a paint sample and you're going to send it to a lab to prove it was her car. That increases her chances of confessing if she did it, but if she still denies hitting you and invites you to send the paint to the lab, then either she is innocent or a really bold liar.

If the police can make her stand there and explain where and when she got that damage on her car, it might cause her to fess up, if she is guilty. Some people will be happy to lie to you but have trouble lying convincingly to a cop, and the cops sometimes use verbal intimidation to get confessions.

[onepercent]

Bad situation, I'm sorry to hear this happened to you. That looks like you found the right vehicle.

One option to consider is that you may have a lower deductible on your Comprehensive as opposed to your Collision insurance. For example, there was a time when I was driving and a truck tire blew out in front of me on the freeway, it smashed up my bumper something fierce on my trusty old Dodge Stratus R/T Coupe and I didn't get the trucker's info b/c he kept on driving (while I stopped to check for damage, I actually didn't file a police report b/c I was in the middle of a 1000 mile road trip and there was an incoming snow storm that I didn't want to be stuck in). In that situation I only had to pay the Comprehensive deductible, which was weirdly only $120. For that amount of money, I'd be tempted to avoid the whole conflict and just turn it in to my insurance (I would think it's Comprehensive since you were parked at the time so it's clearly not your fault). Whereas my Collision deductible was like $500. I'm no expert at all on this stuff, but something to consider.

I too got the opportunity to turn in a parking lot hit and run offender. I was on the balcony of my 2nd floor condo when I heard a scraping from the parking lot. I looked down and a car was pulling away after scraping an SUV. I got the license plate number and a description of the car, left a note, and the guy whose SUV got hit (son of one of my neighbors) actually stopped by to thank me. It's good to know that some of these bastards get caught.

[echo46]

Call the police now, get a report and request a paint analysis. The longer you wait the weaker your claim becomes. Cops will question why you waited so long. Don't lie about anything, just tell the truth. Tell it exactly the way it happened and why you waited to report it. Don't get involved in a ranged web. You are in the right.

[Hornung418]

Bump!

[Whitexi]

That's no bueno, I hope they fix that.

I thought I was mad when I walked over to my car and saw some girl had her door into it. I flipped out but that would make me livid.

Did you call the police yet?

I see a war dance on the hood of a Mercury Montego near your.