Hit and run is a dangerous driver behavior that includes driving away when someone is in danger of being harmed, killed, or suffering serious physical injury or property damage.
Hit and run drivers are known to terrorize communities by fleeing the scene of an accident and/or remaining in the road to threaten or harm anyone who enters the roadway. These drivers are reckless and endanger both innocent people and vehicles every time.
When confronted about hit and run accusations, suspected hit andrun drivers may show signs of guilt, including crying, apologizing, feeling defensive, being emotional, or even giving into a drink or two. Some even go so far as asking for forgiveness before deciding what course of action they should take.
This can be very damaging as it shows that they are not completely honest with themselves about what happened but still feels like they need to fix their mistake.
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Contact the victim
If you believe that a person has been hit by a car, you can contact the police or gas station owner. Many owners will go out of their way to see if they can prevent this from happening again.
If the car was a member of the owner’s personal fleet, then they may not be obligated to call the police. The gas station may also be able to help with safety measures like installing automatic doors on cars and ensuring adequate lighting is available.
As with most things in life, involvement and effort can make a big difference. If you feel this person needs to be aware of what happened to them, then go ahead and make that happen. Call the police if you see them later, but first make sure it was called into authorities.
Provide them with details of the accident
If the driver of the van is suspected of hit and run, you should give them more details about the accident.
If someone else was involved in the accident, let them know that too. If there was a vehicle involved, make sure to gather all of the vehicle’s information such as its license number and owner name.
You can also ask them if they saw a vehicle driving away immediately after the accident, or if they saw anyone driving into a car dealership or similar facility to ensure that there is no confusion as to who owned the van.
If someone was injured in the accident, be careful about how you provide help. Do not offer comfort care unless expressly asked to do so by an emergency professional.
Provide them with the driver responsible
Provide the driver with the responsibility for the crash and how they can help prevent a similar crash in the future. If too late, try to contact them before the crash to see if they could have prevented it.
Many times, a driver will blame another driver for their own car accident. If possible, offer your sympathy but make it clear that another person should not run into a car and take it as their fault. It is someone else’s fault, not yours!
If you do run into a car at night time, make sure you have enough light sources to cover your vehicle and cover up properly. People may think you are poor travelers if you cannot be found in your vehicle at night time!
Consider offering them a ride home if they are detained following the crash.
Cooperate with police investigation
If you are a victim of hit and run, you should talk to the police to help find the driver or drivers.
Hitting a car at high speed is difficult enough without also having to deal with insurance company claims and regulations. It is recommended that you contact your insurance company within a week of the hit and run so that they can begin their claim process.
If you were the victim of a crime, such as burglary or auto theft, report it to the authorities. If it was a hit and run, you can give permission for your vehicle to be impounded.
If you are able to provide relevant evidence such as race information or scratches on your vehicle, do so! Auto theft detection software can help determine if a car has been used recently in order to trace its owner, therefore helping law enforcement find the driver or drivers.
Do you have uninsured motorist coverage?
If you have uninsured motorist coverage, you may be at risk for identity theft. Unpaid premiums can be seized as debt.
Many companies investigate claims and monitor your insurance to determine if you have too much coverage. If you have more coverage than required by law, such as a policy with a Waterproofer or Other Services added, your liability may be increased significantly.
If an accident does occur and the other driver does not pay his or her fair share of the damage, there may be no responsible party because of insufficient insurance. Though this rarely happens, it is still important to have sufficient insurance to cover any accidents that occur.
It is important to have sufficient motorist insurance when traveling in vehicles with excess occupant capacity such as boats, RV’s, or travel trailers because of State laws regarding occupant capacity. State laws must be aware of who is covered under each policy.
What to do after a hit and run accident
Even if you are the only one involved in an accident that occurred as a result of a hit and run, you should still be careful. It is important to know what to do after a hit and run incident if you are the only person injured in the accident or if there was another person involved in the incident.
If there were other victims, those people should be contacted to find out if they are willing to pay for any damages or want a third party to pay for their injuries. If the victim is willing, they can sue the offender and others who were responsible for causing the accident.
Trusted companies can help with this as it is their job to track such cases. They can gather information about who was involved, what happened, and any evidence that may prove who caused the damage.
Report it to the police immediately
If you think someone hit your car or rode in your car, report it to the police immediately. It is very important to do so.
You can do this by calling the auto Theft Hotline at 855-654-7277 or by entering your vehicle information into the Auto Theft Hotline online reporting tool.
If you were riding in the car, you can enter your cell phone number to report it to the police through their wireless carrier. If you were driving, you can report it to the police by calling the auto theft tip line at 855-654-7277 or by using the online reporting tool.
These services allow you to put yourself out of an emergency situation and put law enforcement on their radar.
Get witnesses to the accident
You must have enough evidence to defend yourself against a allegation of hit and run. If you are accused of hit and run, you must gather as many witnesses as you can to corroborate your story.
In order for a allegation of hit and run to be successful, there must be at least two witnesses who agree on the location of the vehicle that fled the scene after hitting your car. Plus, these two witnesses should be able to prove their stories in front of a notary or court system if needed.
If you are accused of fleeing the scene of an accident, get help from a legal professional. There may be charges that need to be filed, and if they are not self-defense charges, then your attorney can help resolve them.
Do not waste your time or money fighting allegations of hit and run unless they can be corroborated by other sources.