Hmmm…this statement is hard to justify without the back story..
A little over a month ago, on August 6, 2016, my offspring was 30 minutes into an 8 hour shift at their second job. Over the intercom and announcement was heard that makes ones heart sink. The description of their car and needing the owner. Most fellow employees knew who it belonged to…but not the bystander at the counter giving the description. Five minutes later, I get a call. Now, if you moms are like me, the minute the phone rings and you see it’s your child, your heart sinks. I eagerly answer not knowing what to expect. All I hear is, “mom, I need you to come up here. My car has been hit. The bumper is all smashed in and the person left.” Now, I immediately begin rush mode. Questions are asked and I make the 20+ minute drive with all sorts of scenarios going through my head. The non-emergency police number was called and I, no shock, arrived 10 minutes before them. Upon arrival, I take photos. My child shows me a piece of paper with witnesses name and number on it. We have a partial vehicle tag number but a good description. Once the police arrive, our situation is shared. We are told, by the officer, that a “partial would probably yield nothing.” Forty-five minutes, maybe an hour of work lost for that answer.
The day comes to pickup the report. We had already obtained several estimates for the damage and it’s not looking good. We have the report in hand and discover a name and address and insurance information are on the report, other than ours. Wow!! They got the culprit. But, wait….it now says it’s NOT a hit and run? Oh well, we write a letter to the individuals listed as car #2 on the report. Send it certified, return receipt and wait. That was August 22.
On September 2nd, we drop by our local police department to ask a few questions about the report. According to tracking information, the letter was not being picked up. So, naturally, we needed to know where the name and insurance information came from since they were not on scene. We arrive to speak to reporting officer and are told they would be on shift in half and hour. We leave to run errands arriving back about 45 minutes later. Mistake was made, reporting officer not on duty. We get another officer who attempts to help. Asking our burning question, “where did these names come from being as the person was not on scene and why does it say it wasn’t a hit and run when it clearly was?” The answer will shock you folks…
We were told, “well, the hit and run was probably changed because the person had to have called in and gave us the information. We change it after the fact because they volunteered the information”.
I‘m speechless.
Ok. Im thinking….so, this police officer is telling me that the person left the scene of a crime and called in and gave their info? Okay. Hmmm…I ask, “if you are going to call in and report yourself, why didn’t you just stick around and go inside and seek the owner like witnesses did?”
Brace yourself for the answer folks…
“Well, sometimes maybe the person had to run to the post office before they closed, or had another appointment and since no one was hurt, they dealt with it later. Trust me, changing from a hit and run is a good thing otherwise it could look bad.”
Duh!! Of course it looked bad…IT IS BAD!
Side note: How are parents suppose to teach and expect their kids to obey laws if this is how law enforcement view laws? Here I have an impressionable teenage driver listening and I know, going through their mind is, “see mom, laws don’t matter”. Furthermore, if this is the law, where was the memo out to society?
Anyway, we leave with advice to use the car number and insurance information we have and file the report with the persons insurance since they provided it. Which was indeed our next step.
We get home and discover, the person had picked up the letter about the time we were talking to police. Hmmm.
CLIMB ABOARD MY SOAPBOX 