My dad might have damaged a car in the parking lot. Cop opens a hit and run report.

[canabiz]

Hello, my father is living in a senior's residence and he got a note on his windshield last week from a fellow resident whose car is right besides his, saying that my dad crashed into his car and the estimated damage is about $175.

I called both my dad and the gentleman and my dad said he didn't do anything while the gentleman said that he took the pictures of the scratches on the side and the bumper as proof of evidence.

I made plans to see them both tonight and to act as a translator for my dad since he doesn't speak any English but something else came up so I postponed the meeting until Wednesday evening. We (I and my dad) were going to look at the pictures and the cars and see if we need to settle the matter privately, without going through the insurance.

I got a call from a cop 30 minutes ago telling me he opens a hit and run report because the gentleman decided to file a claim through his insurance and for that he needs to open a report with the police. I was quite shocked because I was always under the impression that you only contact the police when

1) The damage is estimated to be more than $700

2) This so-called incident happened (if it did indeed happen) on a parking lot which is considered private property. How many fenders-benders happen in shopping mall parking lots on a daily basis.

The cop wanted me to tell him that my dad did crash into the other car and my dad can then settle with the gentleman privately but I told the cop that I don't know all the details so I don't want to speak on my dad's behalf. I then called the gentleman in question and was furious and basically told him to do whatever he wants to do. I called my dad and let him know the situation. I guess the matter will go through its due process.

3 questions for you folks

1) Is it right for the cop to open a hit-and-run report, considering the circumstances.

2) Will this have any impact on my father's driving record ? I know his insurance will probably take a hit but what about his driving record ?

3) Is there anything else that we can do at this point in time, other than waiting for the insurance company to contact my dad or me ?

Thanks for letting me vent and I appreciate your advice

[Cough]

The cop has no option but to open a hit and run based on what the other guy told him. That doesnt mean your dad is guilty of hit and run.

You should try and settle this amicably. Look at it from the other guy's perspectives - does it look like the paint etc is from your dads car?

Document everything, dates of meetings, statements from your dad and the other guy etc and be prepared to submit stuff to the police if you still believe your dad is clearly "innocent"

Convince the other guy to drop his insurance claim since he will probably only come off 50/50 if theere is major doubt - try to settle privately

[Lava]

Is there any proof your dad was the one who damage that person's car? A few pictures of scratches isn't proof at all, without actual evidence he has nothing.

[Rx-87]

Wow..

Thats like so wrong unless they were both "caught in the act" kinda thing... or your dad admitted to having damaged the other persons car.

Your neighbor is one impatient !#%. Especially since both parties have agreed to consolidate one another over the proclaimed circumstances.

I do hope your dad is not in the wrong only because that neighbor is a total #!%% for not having the patience to man up and discuss with all parties before jumping the gun.

[canabiz]

Is there any proof your dad was the one who damage that person's car? A few pictures of scratches isn't proof at all, without actual evidence he has nothing.

That's the million dollar question. My dad's parking spot is #14, the gentleman's parking space is #15. I happened to see my dad today and there was in fact some scratches at the back bumper, i asked him what are those and he said that happened a long time ago.

Right now it's a matter of he-said, she-said, that's why I was going to come see the gentleman on Wednesday evening and look at the pictures, look at the 2 cars and try to work things out. We have no problem paying him up, it's just that I need to be there to see what it's all about and also to act as a translator.

Now this guy simply went ahead and filed the claim even after we agreed to meet on Wednesday night. I am not too concerned about the insurance, i mean my dad is 72 and he's driving a 1991 Corolla but I am concerned about his driving record and any ramifications that may come out of it. Hit and run, to me, conjures images of criminals and I certainly don't want to see that happen.

It still blows my mind why the cops would want to open a hit and run report for this kind of fender-bender on a private property and when there is no witness or testimony from my father.

I will need to calm down a bit and maybe call the guy up and see if he agrees to drop the claim. Might be hard because I practically told him to get lost earlier :mad:

[canabiz]

I may add these 2 pieces of important information that might be useful

1. My dad told me the gentleman's car tires were right on the yellow line. I am not saying my dad was in the clear but there might not be a whole lot of space, especially when he made a sharp turn into his space. Again, not saying it's the right thing if my dad happened to hit the other car but I could possibly understand the reasons.

2. The gentleman let me know the tenant who previously parked in that spot also damaged his car in a similar fashion and she basically had to pay up as well.

It's a pain man, trying to act as translators for legal matters that you are not even involved in >:(

i guess we may have to do some *damage control* now, so to speak. The last thing I want to happen is for my dad to get summoned to court to answer a hit and run charge. I don't want to think about it and don't want it to ever happen.

[Shaner]

You're clearly not understanding the way the system works.
This guy called the cops and reported that his car had been hit and nobody stuck around to admit to the collision. The guy obviously also told the cops that he suspects your dad.

At this point, the police have no choice but to open an investigation. With that said, unless there's proof your dad did something wrong, no charges will be laid. It's not the other way around, your dad doesn't have to prove his innocence. The other guy deserves justice. Someone hit his car and didn't stick around to pay for the damages. I don't blame him for calling the cops, I would have done the same thing.

I can't believe some of you people are calling this other guy an a$$. It would be one thing if the OP's dad admitted to the mistake and offered to pay, then there would be no reason to contact the police. In this case however, nobody has stepped up to pay for the damage, so he did the only thing he could, contact his insurance company to make a claim, which also requires a police report in this case. The guy is simply protecting himself from having to pay out of pocket. The OP postponed the meeting at the last minute, so the other guy probably figured the OP and his dad were playing games.

At this point, if I were you I would still meet with this guy to determine if your dad did in fact hit the other car. If you can determine your dad did hit the car, I would suggest paying out of pocket for it and avoiding insurance.

ps. If your dad did hit this guys car and didn't realize it, perhaps you should consider taking your dad in for another road test. It might be time for him to look at alternative means of getting around. I'm not trying to be offensive, but it's something family members must consider when a relative reaches a certain point in their life.

[canabiz]

Shaner, you make some very valid points but all of this would have never happened if the meeting was to take place on Wednesday night, as per our agreement.

The fact that I called him up last Friday right after my dad called me showed that we were serious and we would never leave him high and dry.

But I guess I will man up and call that guy and possibly pay him to keep his yapper shut.

Will my dad got charged with hit and run ? Is it a criminal offense considering there was no personal damage ? That's what I would like to know. Or is there different types of hit and run ?

[mjl_toronto]

I agree with what shaner said.

Try not to let your emotions get the best of you. It'll only make matters worse.

I seriously doubt this 'hit and run' report will be criminal. It happened to property. If there is no evidence that your dad actually did this, there is nothing the other guy can do. If your dad does have to go to court, I'm sure he can have a representative (i.e. lawyer) go on his behalf.

[molala]

welp...once he went in to the police...they have a start a case regardless the statement is only from one party...and u can take both cars in a dealer or something and to get it check out whether or not the damage is done by ur dad's car...if not..then there's no case..

[canabiz]

I called the guy again and he told me he got 2 estimates from the body shop and the lowest one is $600, not $175 as he estimated himself last week! The 3 panels need to be repainted.

I was floored again :mad:

He told me he can get one of his buddy to do it on the side for $300 so I agree to pay him that amount and get him to provide a written statement to say that my father pays the damage and is no longer responsible and to call the police to cancel the report.

I should have gone and paid him the $175 last week

Not a good way to start your week >:(

[molala]

I called the guy again and he told me he got 2 estimates from the body shop and the lowest one is $600, not $175 as he estimated himself last week! The 3 panels need to be repainted.

I was floored again :mad:

He told me he can get one of his buddy to do it on the side for $300 so I agree to pay him that amount and get him to provide a written statement to say that my father pays the damage and is no longer responsible and to call the police to cancel the report.

I should have gone and paid him the $175 last week

Not a good way to start your week >:(

why won't you request to have both cars to a body shop and see if the damages were really caused by your dad's car...sounds like he's trying to scam u or something

[mjl_toronto]

I don't get it anymore. If your dad really isn't at fault, why bother paying?

[Shaner]

Consider yourself lucky. $300 for a paint job is dirt cheap. When my car got hit by my neighbours, it cost $750 to get it fixed.

Keep in mind though, this won't close the police investigation. In likelihood, there's not going to any charges laid against your dad, but you need to keep in mind that it is a possibility, regardless of whether you pay for the damages or not.

[Asad_A203]

Only reason I would be hesitant to paying is you are not sure of his intentions. I would check for paint transfer on your dad vehicle or as someone else mentioned; have a body shop measure the clear coat or inspect the paint to see if it might have contacted and caused damage to another vehicle.

If this person is trying to take advantage of your dad for some reason; he will simply do the same thing next time his vehicle is damaged if infact your dad didn't do anything.

[canabiz]

Consider yourself lucky. $300 for a paint job is dirt cheap. When my car got hit by my neighbours, it cost $750 to get it fixed.

Keep in mind though, this won't close the police investigation. In likelihood, there's not going to any charges laid against your dad, but you need to keep in mind that it is a possibility, regardless of whether you pay for the damages or not.

If there are any charges against my dad, i will let that guy have an earful. I still don't know what kind of chargers my father will get for this kind of fender-bender but we don't have time for that.

I went to see the guy, it was after dinner so I didn't have a clear view but from what I gathered and from what I have seen in the pictures, it was clear my dad front bumper hit the driver's side of the his car. His reasoning is because there were visitor cars lining up against the wall, it may be difficult to pull into the parking spots.

Anyway, i got a statement from him saying he has withdrawn the charges. The police won't do anything unless he instructs them otherwise and this is not reported to the Ministry of Transportation.

It is interesting to note that the lady who hit him last year moved to another spot behind the building. The spot that my dad is in now was vacant for the past 6 months until now. Maybe it just might be time to vacate that again.

[royaltee66]

You got a great deal for $300. Just think of how small this amount will be 3-4 yrs down the road rather than jacked up insurance and legal fees. You did great.

[Shaner]

If there are any charges against my dad, i will let that guy have an earful.

Why would you give the guy an earful? It was obviously your dads fault. He hit another car and didn't report it to anyone (whether he realized it or not), including the owner of the other car. Your dad would be 100% responsible and the other guy has every right to contact the police in such a situation.

With that said, I personally wouldn't want to see your dad end up getting charged, but if that did end up happening, I don't see how you could blame the other guy.

Anyway, I feel the need to reiterate something I stated earlier. Perhaps you should sit down with some other close family members and determine whether you dad should still be driving. I realize that's a huge blow to his freedom and self-esteem, but it's better than him hurting himself or someone else because his driving abilities are impaired due to age. Again, not trying to be offensive, but it's something you may want to consider.

[PCDawg]

Why would you give the guy an earful? It was obviously your dads fault. He hit another car and didn't report it to anyone (whether he realized it or not), including the owner of the other car. Your dad would be 100% responsible and the other guy has every right to contact the police in such a situation.

With that said, I personally wouldn't want to see your dad end up getting charged, but if that did end up happening, I don't see how you could blame the other guy.

Anyway, I feel the need to reiterate something I stated earlier. Perhaps you should sit down with some other close family members and determine whether you dad should still be driving. I realize that's a huge blow to his freedom and self-esteem, but it's better than him hurting himself or someone else because his driving abilities are impaired due to age. Again, not trying to be offensive, but it's something you may want to consider.

Its a seniors residence, a 70 year old could be fit enoguh to drive. How do we know if the other driver is fit to driver or anyone else that lives there.

If the neighbour had said a similar accident had occurred before perhaps its not canbis's father's fault but the other driver and shift the blame on him to get his car fixed. He could have tried to get in or out of the spot and scratched up his car. We cant accuse anyone just by the he-said she-said basis.


Honestly even 3 paints to repaint for $600 is dirt cheap let alone $300. The individual was there to just get money off canabis's father.

[thelefteyeguy]

seniors never know how much things cost...they still think bread is 5 cents a loaf (a little extreme but you get the point)

[Shaner]

Its a seniors residence, a 70 year old could be fit enoguh to drive. How do we know if the other driver is fit to driver or anyone else that lives there.



We don't know, nor did I say we did. I said the OP and his family should sit down and determine whether something needs to be done.

[Neil]

There's lots of things about this case we don't know.

Is the neighbor a crank who makes a habit of getting people to pay him for vehicle damages?

Was the neighbor parked too far over in his stall?

Was the damage worth $600? $300? $175?

But one thing that seems not to be under much dispute is that your dad did substantial damage to another vehicle and simply walked away from it. Any way you slice it, that's bad. No note, no contacting the other owner?

Then after giving first your dad and then you, a chance to discuss it, you flaked out on the meeting.

Consider his view... your dad's a hit & runner, and then you bail out of the meeting. It's understandable why he'd go to insurance and police at that point.

How far the police take it is up to them. If they have reasonable grounds to believe your dad did it and didn't report it, they can send it for prosecution. But in actual practice, how bad the complainant wants to press charges becomes a big factor.

I suspect there's circumstances, like the layout of the lot and how the other guy parks. But I'm having a real hard time imagining how your dad either didn't notice scraping along another vehicle, or alternatively how he did notice it and just went away pretending it didn't happen.

It is a little dodgy how his cost estimates are fluctuating so much. But if you look at the scene and cars and it seems possible your dad's car did the damage, getting away with paying only $300 is a lucky break.

Take a camera, and if there isn't corresponding damage on your dad's car get that documented pronto and stand up for this. There are people out there who would pin their damage on some innocent party. I've seen it happen.

[mjl_toronto]

But one thing that seems not to be under much dispute is that your dad did substantial damage to another vehicle and simply walked away from it. Any way you slice it, that's bad. No note, no contacting the other owner?

Well, it's not clear that his dad's driving caused damage to the other car. It may be clear his dad's car caused damage to the other guys car but as PCDawg said, the other guy could have actually hit his dad's bumper and caused the damage himself.

If you do pay this guy out, try to get him to sign a letter saying he will not press charges and that this has been settled. Also, since the cops already know about the collision, go report it yourself and get that sticker that says it has been reported. That way, he can't in the future say your dad hit him again as the police will have a record of when the damage on your dad's car occurred.

[dinb]

Your dad should file a claim saying the guy hit him... no easy way to prove either way. His neighbour could be parking too far onto other people's parking spots locking them in. I would isntall metal rods over the parking spot yellow line to make sure he stays in his own damn spot.

[galanz]

Are you certain it was a real cop that called you?
I'd call the police and ask them to verify they have a file for this.

[ES_Revenge]

If there are any charges against my dad, i will let that guy have an earful. I still don't know what kind of chargers my father will get for this kind of fender-bender but we don't have time for that.
Huh? You "don't have time" for charges? Uh yeah oohhkaay. Next time you are speeding and get a ticket tell the officer the same thing, see what he/she says. "Look officer I don't have time for getting this speeding ticket." ROFL :lol:

As Shaner said, why would you give the guy an earful. You're confusing civil matters with public/regulatory/criminal ones here. Any charges laid upon you are laid by the police and are independent of any restitution/damages you have to pay another party for what you did to them/their property. For example if you crash your car into a house because you were driving like a maniac and lost control, you will have to pay for the damages to the house for sure (either out of pocket or via insurance but you're still paying). However the fact that "you paid" does not absolve you of any charges the state may impose on you.

The fact that these charges may inconvenience you is neither here nor there. You don't have time for them, gimme a break :rolleyes: Perhaps we should go around killing people and then say, when caught/charged, that we "don't have time" for this inconvenience of a murder trial as we have more people to kill (or more people's cars to go around and hit with our cars and get away as in this case). Preposterous!

As also mentioned by others, if your dad doesn't know if he hit something or not he shouldn't be driving, period. That goes for anybody. If you don't know if you hit something with your car, either you're lying about it or your senses are so poor/degraded that you have no business driving. On the other hand if your dad is sure/adamant that he didn't hit the guy's car, then why are you paying/attempting to settle?

Now going to the vehicles. Damages are usually a two-way street. I.e. You don't damage someone else's car with your own without there being damage on your car as well. So, are there "matching" scratches/damages on your fathers car for the damages claimed by the person saying your dad hit their car? Either there are or there aren't.

First let's determine if damages line up. Second, if your dad honestly doesn't know whether he has hit something with his car, take his car away for his own good. If he's lying, well at his age he should know better.


The police won't do anything unless he instructs them otherwise and this is not reported to the Ministry of Transportation.
Well you got lucky there, but that's good considering you didn't have time for that anyway, LOL.


Maybe it just might be time to vacate that again.
Maybe it "just might be time" for certain people to stop driving.


Its a seniors residence, a 70 year old could be fit enoguh to drive.
I disagree. None of them should be driving. Driver's tests are far too lax and do not specifically test for things such as reaction time and reflexes. Therefore people of this age should be banned from driving, as the majority only represent a danger on the road.


If the neighbour had said a similar accident had occurred before perhaps its not canbis's father's fault but the other driver and shift the blame on him to get his car fixed. He could have tried to get in or out of the spot and scratched up his car. We cant accuse anyone just by the he-said she-said basis.
No, we can't and you bring up a good point. How do we know it wasn't the other way around? I mean this guy could have hit OP's father's car and then claimed the opposite. However how is anyone supposed to know when you have people driving around that cannot neither confirm or deny that they hit something? It's one thing if his dad said "no I didn't hit anyone's car!" but another thing when it's "I don't know if I hit someone's car". If the OP's dad is sure he didn't hit the other guy and the OP believes him, I don't get why the OP would try to pay for the damages as even if the damages line up, how do we know the other guy didn't hit his dad's car and then try to make it look the opposite?

[TheCheez]

You guys need to read the whole thread. It sounds like the OP has:

Discovered his dad did infact hit the other vehicle. Front bumper dragged along driver's side. Good luck establishing that the other vehicle hit his dad's.

Resolved the issue with the other guy, for now. It sounds like the other guy turned out to be pretty reasonable? The hit n run shouldn't go anywhere. Your dad didn't know he hit the other vehicle and when confronted about it, you guys resolved it.

As for the anti immigrant guy above<EDIT: Now deleted>, how do you know it wasn't a french/english issue?

I agree with Shaner too. If your dad can't judge a parking stall maybe time to assess his overall driving. It's easier said than done, however.

[canabiz]

I was able to trace the phone number from the cop who called me last night to a Bell Mobility cell phone. I called the cop earlier this morning just to let him know that we have settled this matter privately but he did not pick up the phone and his voice mail greeting did not identify him as a police officer. I will contact the local station this afternoon to see if there is, in fact, a file as the other guy stated.

I want to thank you all for your input, including the guy with the bigoted comments, you know who you are. There are a lot of emotions when it involves a family member, I know I should have dealt with this in a more timely and professional manner but the case is considered done. The guy got the money and we got a written statement from him.

[nalababe]

Maybe I missed some of the responses, but if there was any chance that insurance was to be involved, you will likely have to report to the collision centre. 24 hours is technically the limit, though I have had cops in the centre tell me that they might accept up to a week.

Why is this important? Many insurance companies will require a collision report (especially for a hit and run).

I was in a centre last year when a woman came in and indicated that she had opened a claim 3 weeks ago due to a hit and run. Her insurance told her that they would not proceed without a report from the collision centre. When she told this to the officers, they said she was out of luck as 3 weeks had passed. Since she had started the paperwork with the insurance, she could not lie about the dates....

[molala]

I was able to trace the phone number from the cop who called me last night to a Bell Mobility cell phone. I called the cop earlier this morning just to let him know that we have settled this matter privately but he did not pick up the phone and his voice mail greeting did not identify him as a police officer. I will contact the local station this afternoon to see if there is, in fact, a file as the other guy stated.

I want to thank you all for your input, including the guy with the bigoted comments, you know who you are. There are a lot of emotions when it involves a family member, I know I should have dealt with this in a more timely and professional manner but the case is considered done. The guy got the money and we got a written statement from him.

Then it wasn't a real police officer...a police officer NEVER give their own cell phone out and they DO NOT own a cell phone for business purpose..they have an extension at the division they belong and thats it. you actually thinks a cop will give you their cell and pick up your call and resolve your problem during their day off?

And...i don't know where others came from...but your dad didn't even know whether or not he hitted the car.....WHY NOT GO IN FOR A FREE ESTIMATE? even if the other party disagree...you can still get an estimate on your own to determine how old are the damages on your dad's car...

and..since it's the senior's residence that is a private property...it's 50/50 and the other party hae to pay his own deductible..the police CANNOT just charge your dad hit and run without any inspection of both cars...

[molala]

Maybe I missed some of the responses, but if there was any chance that insurance was to be involved, you will likely have to report to the collision centre. 24 hours is technically the limit, though I have had cops in the centre tell me that they might accept up to a week.

Why is this important? Many insurance companies will require a collision report (especially for a hit and run).

I was in a centre last year when a woman came in and indicated that she had opened a claim 3 weeks ago due to a hit and run. Her insurance told her that they would not proceed without a report from the collision centre. When she told this to the officers, they said she was out of luck as 3 weeks had passed. Since she had started the paperwork with the insurance, she could not lie about the dates....

you are right..technically you report a car accident within 48 hours since the incident

[spf1971]

Then it wasn't a real police officer...a police officer NEVER give their own cell phone out and they DO NOT own a cell phone for business purpose..they have an extension at the division they belong and thats it. you actually thinks a cop will give you their cell and pick up your call and resolve your problem during their day off?

And...i don't know where others came from...but your dad didn't even know whether or not he hitted the car.....WHY NOT GO IN FOR A FREE ESTIMATE? even if the other party disagree...you can still get an estimate on your own to determine how old are the damages on your dad's car...

and..since it's the senior's residence that is a private property...it's 50/50 and the other party hae to pay his own deductible..the police CANNOT just charge your dad hit and run without any inspection of both cars...

actually most police (at least in Newfoundland and New Brunswick) carry work cellphones.

[molala]

actually most police (at least in Newfoundland and New Brunswick) carry work cellphones.

but do they give that no. out to citizens

[spf1971]

but do they give that no. out to citizens

Actually they do. (again in Newfoundland and New Brunswick anyway). It's listed on their business cards.

[molala]

Actually they do. (again in Newfoundland and New Brunswick anyway). It's listed on their business cards.

I wouldn't say Ontario, but in Toronto, i know that Toronto, York Regional Police and OPP give out business card with their division's no. and extention on it..and everytime they call..it's always private

[Whitedart]

You guys need to read the whole thread. It sounds like the OP has:

Discovered his dad did infact hit the other vehicle. Front bumper dragged along driver's side. Good luck establishing that the other vehicle hit his dad's.

Resolved the issue with the other guy, for now. It sounds like the other guy turned out to be pretty reasonable? The hit n run shouldn't go anywhere. Your dad didn't know he hit the other vehicle and when confronted about it, you guys resolved it.

I agree with Shaner too. If your dad can't judge a parking stall maybe time to assess his overall driving. It's easier said than done, however.

Agreed on all points here.

[mjl_toronto]

I wouldn't say Ontario, but in Toronto, i know that Toronto, York Regional Police give out business card with their division's no. and extention on it..and everytime they call..it's always private

I have a few Toronto Police business cards that have Police issued cellphone #'s on them (i.e. work phone, not personal phone). However, these business cards do not belong to Police Constables. One is a Staff Inspector, the other is a Sergeant and a couple are Detective Constables.

[Whitedart]

Then it wasn't a real police officer...a police officer NEVER give their own cell phone out and they DO NOT own a cell phone for business purpose..they have an extension at the division they belong and thats it. you actually thinks a cop will give you their cell and pick up your call and resolve your problem during their day off?

Most officers carry cell phones now. It is up to the officer is he gives out the number or keeps it private.



and..since it's the senior's residence that is a private property...it's 50/50 and the other party hae to pay his own deductible..the police CANNOT just charge your dad hit and run without any inspection of both cars...

Criminal Code Fail to Remain applies anywhere.
Highway Traffic Act Fail to Remain applies to the highways (streets and road allownaces).

[spf1971]

It could be that in rural areas, you sometimes call the cops themselves as opposed to going through a switchboard. Maybe that's why the difference. The cellphone is not always individual to the officer, it's sometimes the duty phone so you get whichever officer is on duty at the time.

[molala]

welp OP..i'm just thinking about it now..have u ever got a business card from the cop?

[canabiz]

welp OP..i'm just thinking about it now..have u ever got a business card from the cop?

No he called me last night, i never reported to any station or anything and nor did my dad so no information was given whatsoever.

But this is all waters under the bridge now. The case is done. The guy got the money and we got the statement.