[corriffuniee]

If that was the UK you would have been arrested for dangerous parking,disturbance of the peace and wasting of police time.

only because its easier to arrest you (the innocent one) for the police over here....

[bashansasasasa]

If that was here in Canada the police officer would have gotten the information for you (provided they didn't give it to you) .. it's a $2500 fine plus impoundment for driving without insurance in Calgary.

[HonestSean]

Off duty or not, he still should have intervened. Ive been pulled over many times by cops that were off duty for speeding, but never got a ticket simply because they were off duty at the time.

Call your insurance 5 times a day and take him to small claims court for hit and run.

And you can attain a warrant on the other driver, you would have to speak with the district attorney (DA) in pursuing a criminal case.

Private property = a civil matter, not a criminal matter. The cop was right.

It doesnt matter, it is still a cops job to take proper action. beating your wife is a civil matter when you inside your house, but cops still comes out to resolve the issue. Hitting a car with another car can escalate to criminal matter in a blink of an eye. As soon as there is any injury, even a cut finger, its now a criminal matter. Because a vehicle is now treated as a weapon.


OP, what state do you live in?
If i were you, i would start going to a doctor and complain about neck pain, and severe head aches.

[StethyEntinic]

Oh god I love how people spout nonsense when they have no idea what they are talking about.

First and foremost if the police officer is off duty HE DOES NOT have to do anything UNLESS the policy of his department states otherwise.

Second, if the officer doesn't want to be a witness he doesn't have to be. When he (or she) is off duty then they are just as much a civilian as you and I.

Third, It's private property therefor he cant do anything anyways and since you see it and have the plate # of the car what exactly would you like him to do?

Fourth, go ahead and keep generalizing police because that's just as easy as calling all politicians evil and if you don't like the way a department is run well do us a favor and move. Don't want to have someone hate everyone based on the actions of what one did. Plus, I have seen a lot of anti-police stuff from you so I can assume your story is a tad skewed.
Then again, I just assumed. Isn't that what you do? I mean you spout crap and generalize thus strengthening your point.

So if everyone looked at futuremark they could assume that every person on here is a 16-30 year old geek who lives in their parents basement. Not accurate but it's a generalized statement based on false information that is presumed to be true.

[55Beaphable]

Oh god I love how people spout nonsense when they have no idea what they are talking about.

First and foremost if the police officer is off duty HE DOES NOT have to do anything UNLESS the policy of his department states otherwise.

Second, if the officer doesn't want to be a witness he doesn't have to be. When he (or she) is off duty then they are just as much a civilian as you and I.

Third, It's private property therefor he cant do anything anyways and since you see it and have the plate # of the car what exactly would you like him to do?

Fourth, go ahead and keep generalizing police because that's just as easy as calling all politicians evil and if you don't like the way a department is run well do us a favor and move. Don't want to have someone hate everyone based on the actions of what one did. Plus, I have seen a lot of anti-police stuff from you so I can assume your story is a tad skewed.
Then again, I just assumed. Isn't that what you do? I mean you spout crap and generalize thus strengthening your point.

So if everyone looked at futuremark they could assume that every person on here is a 16-30 year old geek who lives in their parents basement. Not accurate but it's a generalized statement based on false information that is presumed to be true.

So when people get into car accidents and the police are called. They sit and file a report after listening to everyone. The officer usually facilitates the exchange between people (insurance).

I guess we have above and beyond the call of duty police officers here then [thumbup]

[altosburg]

I'm from the UK with a traffic Police Officer in the family.
I was asking him about something similar a few months ago and he said "since 2002 the laws governing motoring offences were downgraded. Prior to this being in effect, and crash on a public road was a motoring hazard and police would arrive to facilitate as a go between for insurance purposes and to close off the road or isolate the scene of the offense in order to retrieve any forensic evidence that could contribute to either party being liable. Now, if you are involved in a motoring offence you can call the police, but they will not go to the scene of the crime unless either party has suffered reasonable injury (such as anything from whiplash to death). In fact, they're more likely to tell you to move your vehicle off the road and call you legal representative(s)"

My advice, UK drivers is this... if you're in a smash. Call the Police and claim whiplash. Not to be an *******, just to get a witness.

[Enrivaanonock]

I'm from the UK with a traffic Police Officer in the family.
I was asking him about something similar a few months ago and he said "since 2002 the laws governing motoring offences were downgraded. Prior to this being in effect, and crash on a public road was a motoring hazard and police would arrive to facilitate as a go between for insurance purposes and to close off the road or isolate the scene of the offense in order to retrieve any forensic evidence that could contribute to either party being liable. Now, if you are involved in a motoring offence you can call the police, but they will not go to the scene of the crime unless either party has suffered reasonable injury (such as anything from whiplash to death). In fact, they're more likely to tell you to move your vehicle off the road and call you legal representative(s)"

My advice, UK drivers is this... if you're in a smash. Call the Police and claim whiplash. Not to be an *******, just to get a witness.

well that depends if you want the police there doesnt it

[Lapsiks]

Agreed , cops suck!

[ahagotyou]

You hit the cops car in the parking lot before leaving, right?

[HonestSean]

You hit the cops car in the parking lot before leaving, right?

If you did that, they would lock you up and take away your license. Such BS.. especially in the State of Virginia, you can get locked up for sneezing in the wrong direction.

I was in a car accident 8 years ago, it was a fender bender at 2 MPH, but the other car had to be towed away do to an angle i hit the other car, thus the front wheel was not longer working.
We werent blocking the street, no one was hurt, yet the cop arrived under 5min.


From what i have seen here in the State of Maryland, any time there is an accident, they send a Cop, firetruck and an ambulance almost every single time.

I once called to report a car accident that happened in front my my house. You know who arrived first? A Fire truck.

[EmpokemyMok]

Around here the cops suck. I was involved in an accident about 6 years ago. Dude runs a red light, hits me when I'm already in the intersection, throws me into another car, and the cops take an hour to arrive.

We ended up moving our cars before the cop arrived because we had blocked the intersection for a good 15 minutes before we decided it would be best to move. I was driving an 89 mazda. The only damage was a minor ding to the area around my front headlight where I was thrown into the other car. My rear view mirror sustained no damage, yet it caved in the entire side of his suv. He did leave some tires marks on my car which rubbed off easily.

Cops are always the last to arrive. The only time I've even seen them respond quickly was when my wife and I watched a girl drive right through a red light, it hadn't even been green within the past 20 seconds, and she t-boned the car right in front of us. They were there in a minute.

They never send fire trucks though. In fact, I don't often see ambulances either.

Cops have better things to do than help citizens. Like eating pancakes.

[Eunatis]

From what i have seen here in the State of Maryland, any time there is an accident, they send a Cop, firetruck and an ambulance almost every single time.

I once called to report a car accident that happened in front my my house. You know who arrived first? A Fire truck.

If it took place after mid-August of last year, I sincerely apologize... I moved to the state, so they've been busy! [thumbup]

[EmpokemyMok]

So we were at IHOP sunday morning, and some stoned ass in a dodge magnum hits my car. I've always hated cops, because they're never there when you need them. However, there was a cop eating there. Now I dislike cops even more. He wouldn't do ****. Since it's private property he can't do anything. He wouldn't even give us a witness statement, file a report, or do ANYTHING. He just let the dude drive off after refusing to give us his insurance information.

Someone breaks into your house, cops show up, file a report, its a crime. Someone hits your car and the cop just stands there and lets him drive off without so much as asking to see his license.

So now I'm out $500 and the cop refused to do jack ****. Guess his pancakes and coffee are pretty ****ing important. **** our legal system. Eye for an eye. I should be well within my rights to go drop a coffee can of homemade thermite on his hood.

I'm really beginning to see why so many people hate cops. I've spent my entire life playing by the rules and I get ****ed over every step of the way.


And I hate fat mouthbreathing assholes who turn the light off when you're taking a ****. Some 400lb marshmallow who sounds like he's giving birth when he's taking a piss shut the light off on me. Clearly someone was in there. You'd have to be dead not to hear me drop ass in the stall next to you.

Man. Prozac really brings out my anger. I like this stuff. It's hard to be depressed when you're constantly pissed off.

[ansarigf]

Private property = a civil matter, not a criminal matter. The cop was right.

[bestonlinepharmasy2]

Private property = a civil matter, not a criminal matter. The cop was right.

You're kidding?

In the UK it's illegal to drive away from the scene of an accident.

[EmpokemyMok]

Private property = a civil matter, not a criminal matter. The cop was right.

Hit and run is a crime. Failing to give his information makes it a hit and run. If it wasn't a crime I'd just take my other car and go ram it into his car at his house and leave him to foot the bill. But I can't, because its illegal.

[§ 4549.02.1] § 4549.021. Stopping after accident involving injury to persons or property.

(A) In case of accident or collision resulting in injury or damage to persons or property upon any public or private property other than public roads or highways, due to the driving or operation thereon of any motor vehicle, the person driving or operating the motor vehicle, having knowledge of the accident or collision, shall stop, and, upon request of the person injured or damaged, or any other person, shall give that person the driver's or operator's name and address, and, if the driver or operator is not the owner, the name and address of the owner of that motor vehicle, together with the registered number of that motor vehicle, and, if available, exhibit the driver's or operator's driver's or commercial driver's license. The cop should have had the decency to at least offer himself as a witness. And he shouldn't have let the guy drive off without giving up his information.

I wonder if I should file a complaint against the officer. I think it's utter bullshit that there's a cop on the scene and he doesn't make the guy cough up his insurance card.

At the very LEAST the officer shouldn't have allowed him to leave until he provided proof of insurance OR his driver's license.

[Abaronos]

Couldn't you have just got the guys number plate and give that to the insurance company?

CCTV in the car park?

Other people in the place who you could take a name and number off to give a witness statement if necessary.

I don't know the laws over in America but yeah, Crowhorse is right, Illegal to drive away from the scene of an acident. The cop should have done SOMETHING.

[bestonlinepharmasy2]

Fair enough if the cop didn't want to intervene - he was probably off duty & doesn't have to.

If I were him, I probably would have though.

What you should have done is call the police and taken down his number plate - because it sounds like hit and run is a crime in your country too.

BTW... I hope you got the officer's badge number - I would have made a complaint & as a witness he could be forced to testify if you could identify him

[Ehlgamxf]

That utterly blows, even if he is off duty he could have been a witness, which is a must have in situations like this.

Some ******** creamed into the back of my car when it was parked up outside my house a month or so ago, prob one of the spinless shits that live down the other end of the close [thumbdown]

Not too fuissed because the car is worthless but just makes me sad that people wil not leave details, I could'n't do that.

[EmpokemyMok]

Couldn't you have just got the guys number plate and give that to the insurance company?

CCTV in the car park?

Other people in the place who you could take a name and number off to give a witness statement if necessary.

I don't know the laws over in America but yeah, Crowhorse is right, Illegal to drive away from the scene of an acident. The cop should have done SOMETHING.

Got his plate number. Insurance tried to track him down but when they called the number they found he hasn't lived there for months. The guy did give his real name, and that's all he gave. Or well, at least the name of who owns the car. The plate matched the name.

The problem is that unless someone positively identifies him what I've been able to find out is I'm totally screwed. I have to prove who hit me, not who owned the car. At least, that's what I've been told when we went to the cops. Unless the name is proof enough chances are I'm hosed. That's what I heard from the cops and the body shop where I took it to. About $1500 worth of damage.

I didn't bother getting any other witnesses information since there was a cop there. I figured that would be good enough. Boy was I wrong.

And nope, there's no cameras there.

We know the officer's full name. We put it in the police report. I guess I can hope for the best, but everything I've heard from the cops is pretty much that I'm hosed. Such bullshit.