Hit and Run last night.

Blanca BusaLess

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So I was sitting at an intersection last night. I look across and see headlights dip and a car go sideways a bit and then BAM, it plowed into back of car in front of it. My green arrow comes and I go left and pull up and stop to see if all is well. Roll down my windows and can hear driver of car that hit other saying 'I'm sorry I'm sorry, my brakes, my brakes!' Driver of car that got hit I guess took this as a sign it was ok and he went to his passenger side and entered vehicle to open glove box. I'm seeing the hitter backing up toward his car and hollar get his plate cus he's leaving! No sooner said than sure enough guy hope back in and flies around the car he hit and blows by me. So I'm like...crap! I floor it and follow him.

Call 911:
This is what happened.

Hello yes I'm following a car that has just left scene of an accident please help!

Ok, calm down, what's the plate? What kind of car?

I tell them as I'm calling out my location saying can you get someone to come help me?

Sir calm down! (ok I was a bit amped)

I again say are there units in area that can help me and stop this guy?

What are you doing now?

???? I'm following him dammit, come help me!

You dont know if he has any weapons, we know who he is now, stop following him!

???. Um...ok...that was a risk I was willing to take, ARE YOU SENDING HELP TO ARREST THIS GUY!!!!!
You don't know if registered owner of vehicle is the one driving or not. Come get him!

Sir I'm ordering you to stop following him and break off the chase!!!

My last statement to them:

This is stupid! Im following a hit and run suspect I must have already passed ten units, sorry to disturb you!!!! Call me if you want a statement!


Stories over. Ok you have to understand here in SoFla we are inundated with police. You cannot drive one mile and not pass five of them. To not want to come offer assistance and arrest him I just don't understand?

Some may ask, well why didn't you make a citizens arrest on him. I thought about it.
But this is where knowledge of laws comes into play. Leaving the scene of an accident where injuries or death happen is a felony but leaving the scene of an accident with no injuries is only a misdemeanor.
I would have been within my right to do something to a fleeing felon but not one committing a misdemeanor. Most likely would myself have gone to jail for aggravated assault with a firearm and been looking at a mandatory three years it convicted.

So opinions?

Should the cops have come helped me? We are driving down three lanes of open traffic.
Would have been easy it seemed?
 
In my opinion the police should have helped, but they did not. I feel you had the right intentions and did the right thing, even by breaking off the chase after told to.

You can only do so much, even if it is the right thing.
 
You woulda thought they would come help ya, they just dont want you getting hurt in the event the person tries to run you off the road or has a weapon. Good job though, i wish more people would go outta their way to help people like you did.
 
On a separate note….. A friend of my mom’s was rear ended at a stop sign and the kid who hit her backed up and took off. Someone chased him but there was no point…The tard left his front bumper (complete with license plate) at the scene.
 
I never mentioned I had a weapon but most likely as soon as my number popped up on 911 caller id it probably showed I had a cwp. I'm sure they were worried about my safety and didn't want anymore trouble and neither did I. Had he stopped and exited vehicle and come toward me I for sure would have been forced to do something I really didn't want to do so I obliged, calmed down and let him go.

Just sounded strange to me how adimate they were in telling me to stop?
Like they didn't really care?
 
On a separate note….. A friend of my mom’s was rear ended at a stop sign and the kid who hit her backed up and took off. Someone chased him but there was no point…The tard left his front bumper (complete with license plate) at the scene.

My point is what if that Tard had been the guy who just stole the car?
How do we know the person that owns it was driving it?

Would have made much more sense to come arrest this guy at that minute so no questions could be asked who's who?
 
They are on the hook if they allow you to follow. What happens if you get in a wreck, or cause one, while chasing this D-bag around? What if he killed you? The cops would much rather let some dude skate on hit and run than risk the public’s safety any further. This is the same reason the police will pull out of a dangerous chase.
 
I'm thinking the police didn't want the situation to go from vehicle property damage to personal injury. In hindsight I'm sure that was for the best.
I did the same thing a couple years back, followed the guy all the way back to the halfway house he was staying at. Told the authorities all I could including description and never heard a thing since.
 
Yep, you did what you could...they were ordering you off the chase to minimize risk. Good job :thumbsup:
 
:thumbsup: good job Blanca, too bad I can't say the same for the police actions, or lack of.

I wonder if the person that was hit can sue the police department for his damages, since the police let the young man go????????? :whistle:
 
You can only do what you can do. Go back to scene and share with victim your info and what you did so they have a record also.
 
:thumbsup: good job Blanca, too bad I can't say the same for the police actions, or lack of.

I wonder if the person that was hit can sue the police department for his damages, since the police let the young man go????????? :whistle:

How can you say the police just let him go? I’m sure they haven’t even finished the investigation. You got to give this time to play out before we can just go bashing the police for “lack of follow through”. For all you know he was stopped right around the corner or that an officer was waiting for them at home. Just becasue they choose not to chase at that time doesn't mean they didn't go get him.
 
You can only do what you can do. Go back to scene and share with victim your info and what you did so they have a record also.

Did that. Gave officer on scene my info as I passed by them on my way home.
Have not heard from them yet?
 
This is just one mans account of an event that happened.
Let's please not turn it into a bash all cops thread.
 
Oh brother, police, police, police :laugh:

Good citizen Blanca. The police didn't act because they had not been dispatched. You were talking to a 911 operator and you weren't being dispatched across the radio. They were following their protocol by telling you to stop following the vehicle. The driver makes it sweeter but the owner is responsible in the end for the damages and you made that happen.

They needed a vehicle description just in case the vehicle and tag were stolen and didn't belong together. :whistle:
 
Adrenaline is awesome , You want to beat dudes a$$ , but like they said he could have a weapon. At least you got the plate# so let the insurance take care of the rest
 
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