What's the best way to hunt down the woman that hit my parked car and fled? She has temporary LP

[Hawkeye-X]

All I have to go on is a temporary license plate from Colorado (where I live). Police report has been filed, but I want to go after the woman for insurance purposes. I don't want to pay $1,000 out of my pocket for deductible. She drove a Ford Thunderbird, but I can't identify what year. I have pictures from a witness who saw it happen and left me a card with his information. I contacted him, and he gave me his statement and pictures, which I printed it out and turned over to the police.

So, what's the best way to do it?

I ask for the power of DU to help me track the person down, so I can get her insurance information and get my car fixed.

PM me if you can do it, and prefer to do it in private, otherwise post it here.

[Vinca]

1. If you've got the temporary plate number, the DMV should be able

to identify who the plate was issued to.

[Hawkeye-X]

14. called dmv, gave me the end around and told me to contact police

Sigh

[anigbrowl]

16. Well, that's what the police are there for

I think you should give them a week to do their work before exploring other options.

[flvegan]

2. In Florida (at least) they can track down a temporary tag to a specific dealership

that they were issued to. That dealership can (and if the police ask, must) furnish the purchaser's information.

[NightWatcher]

3. does the temp plate have a unique number, or just a date?

If it has a unique number and the police refuse to trace the number, contact a Private Investigator. Unfortunately in my state, we cant get access to DMV records, but they would be able to let you know if they could in CO. A PI could also track the person from the car dealer based on the car make and model.

[Hawkeye-X]

4. it would cost me money to hire an PI, something I don't want to do.

I will call DMV and find out if they can track it down.

[Wildewolfe]

7. Colorado temp tags

All have a unique number. The police should actually track it for you I would think if they were provided the number.

Basically the tags are issued to the dealers and the dealers issue them when they sell a car... OR... the DMV directly issues them in cases of private sales or if you need a temp tag to get emissions done (which is usually just a 3 day tag).

[Lasher]

5. Put up 1 or 2 of the pictures.

Maybe we can help you identify what year the T-bird is.

[FSogol]

6. Won't the police or your insurance company handle it?

Provide them with the temporary tag # and the witness's name/numbers.

[Goblinmonger]

8. Get a lawyer.

Give them the plate number. Unless they suck and are completely inept, they can have the name, address, and financial history if you want it within 1/2 an hour (couple minutes if they just need the name). Then have them sue it out. That's what they are there for. They will get 25%, but that's how they get paid for what they are there for. Small claims court can be a bitch.

[Ghost in the Machine]

9. I'd go all primitive and use snare traps or a long bow...

If you feel that you *must* use a gun, stick with a muzzle loader or at least a single shot with no scope. Scopes and semi-autos take a lot of sport out of hunting...














:evilgrin:

[Warpy]

10. The police/DMV will track down that temporary tag

if they have the number, and possibly if they don't. After all, there are relatively few t-birds being sold in any given month, new or used.

Once they track her down, she'll likely be charged. At that point, you can go after her for the cost of repairs to your car.

Sit tight for now, but do call the DMV and make sure they are following up on that temporary tag number.

It does take a bit longer to track down a temporary tag, especially if it was issued within that week, as it takes time for paperwork to get shuffled.

[jobycom]

11. The insurance company will do a great job of that. But if you want

you could stake out the parking lot where she hit you, or a nearby intersection, to look for her. She'll avoid it for a while, but probably will get back to it, depending on the type of business. If you know what direction she went, you might have an idea of which way she lives or works, so you could stake out one or two intersections over, in case she travels that way every day.

Also, post pics in the parking lot. Depends on how obsessive you want to get. If it's a grocery store, odds are strong that she lives or works (depending on time of day) within a two mile radius, so you could cruise at night (for home) or day (for work), and maybe get lucky. If it's a specialty store, she may have traveled a long ways to get there.

If the tag has a unique number, the cops and insurance company will find it. If it is just an expiration date, the cops or insurance company will search for that make and model (and they will figure out the year easily) sold on whatever day the tag indicates (they are usually good for 60 days from the sale, so they can calculate backwards.

Another OCD idea would be to search Internet dealer sites for that make and model, starting with those near the parking lot. Some sites will list cars from several lots, so you could find those sites, search for a Ford Thunderbird of the approximate year (maybe even color), and maybe the ad would still be up. If you spot the car, you can direct the cops to the proper lot. The temp tag means it wasn't a private sale.

Just some ideas, depending on how involved you want to get.

[valerief]

12. Look for the car outside local bars. nt

[Blue For You]

13. Try to find out what generation T'Bird it was...

Check out Wiki for getting an approximate year for the car that hit you. I'm guessing it was an '80s/90s variant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Thunderbird

[Hawkeye-X]

15. ok will upload pics later

I have to run.a call for work

[Matariki]

17. The police should be able to track the woman down.

Do you have witnesses? Also, your insurance company should help track the person down, I think.

[backscatter712]

18. Contact your insurance company.

Give them the license plate number.

Sure, on the short end, you'll take the hit, but insurance companies can be surprisingly good at going to bat for you, and they very well might go to court and collect your deductible back from the other person.

[MiniMe]

19. Not necessarily

Since he has witnesses that saw the hit and run, the insurance company can do the tracking for you.

[backscatter712]

20. Could be...

I'm not entirely familiar with how things work, but if it's something that's obviously the other guy's fault, the insurance company very well may want to retain you as a customer and treat you right.

[leftofthedial]

21. Call Jane Harman.

I'm sure she can help you find the person.

[Hawkeye-X]

22. OK. Here are the pics of the T-bird. Fire away.

[TorchTheWitch]

23. This is a job for the police to handle

DMV will not give you the information on this person as they have no idea if your intent to find out who they are is for nefarious reasons. That's why they told you to talk to the police... only they are entitled to request from the DMV the personal info attached to a license plate number. If you gave the police the photos and the witness statement you need to find out which officer is handling the case and speak to them. They can tell you when the police report will be completed and when you can go in to get a copy (there will probably be a small fee for the copy). It's doubtful they'll give you the info on the phone, but they might. Although your insurance company will get this info once they receive the completed police report, that will take a hell of a lot longer than if you can get that info from the police yourself and provide it to your insurance company so they can contact the guilty party and their insurance company (if she has one) right away.

You can also call the insurance company claim's rep handling your case and give them the temp tag number, and they may call the police to get the info themselves, but it may be a lazy claim's rep willing to just sit on it and wait for the police report to be sent to them. They want to go after the guilty driver since they want HER insurance company to have to pay for the repairs to your car. If it turns out that she doesn't have collision coverage and there is no insurance company but yours to pay for the damage, you'll be stuck with having to pay the deductible.

When I worked in the claims dept. at Progressive (and that's going back a loooong way) we always called whoever we could to get as much info as possible as soon as possible. If we knew what police dept. was writing the report we called them to get as much info as possible over the phone so we didn't have to wait for the report to be sent in. Most of the time they were helpful with that, but not always.

[orleans]

24. how were these pictures taken--i was under the impression she just

drove off, but apparently she parked after she hit your car? how weird is that if you're fleeing an accident?

[Hawkeye-X]

27. To answer that question

A witness (a Good Samartian) saw the accident as it happened, and then took pictures of the accident and left me his business card.

[Hawkeye-X]

25. kick

Kickity

[LeftyMom]

26. You're not going to get $1000 out of the person who drives that car.

Unless he/she has insurance, and I kinda doubt that.

[Hawkeye-X]

28. All I want the insurance to pay for the damages to my car.

Plus, Colorado law mandates that EVERY car owned in Colorado has insurance.

If that woman doesn't have insurance, then she'll be facing a lawsuit to recover damages, lawyer fees, and basically a forced repossession of her car to pay off MY damages.

[SoCalDem]

30. DMV would not have issued the sticker without insurance

she may not want the mark on her license or for her insurance rates to go up..

but since the damage is on the rear bumper, she may say YOU hit her from behind, if the damage is to the front bumper of your car... (stranger things have happened)

[arthritisR_US]

31. um, he has a witness who has stated that SHE hit HIM...his car was parked at the

time of the accident.

[Hawkeye-X]

35. That is correct. I have his statement, and it's been turned over to the police.

And I sent in for their official report ASAP so I can find out who that person is. Cost me only $10.

Hawkeye-X

[arthritisR_US]

39. once they find the jerk who hit you and lay on them a few tickets like

hit a run, failure to report an accident, leaving the scene of an accident... I think you should have no problems getting your vehicle repaired and NOT on your dime!

[LeftyMom]

32. CA law does too.

I still carry uninsured motorist coverage, because there are a hell of a lot of uninsured drivers on the road either because they can't afford it, don't care or aren't legal and can't get it. And California will cancel your registration if your policy lapses, so if there are uninsured drivers all over the damned place here I'm betting that CO isn't any better in that regard.

I'm just telling you, as somebody who deals with this kind of stuff all the time (my family owns a car service) that with the factors involved (a crappy older car, a hit and run) the chances the driver is actually carrying insurance are minimal. That car (if nobody's told you yet, it's an early-mid 90's Ford Thunderbird, and a rather sorry specimen of that unlamented breed) isn't worth more than a grand, when you factor in your time, lawyer fees, the tow, etc, you're not going to be able to get what you're owed out of it even if you manage to pin down the owner and take her to court. And that's unlikely- she probably got the car from a "buy here pay here" low rent used car lot, and if she catches wind that the cops are looking for the car she'll stop making payments and they'll repo it, so all you'll have is a piece of paper that says Mrs. Bad Driver owes you some money and no real way of collecting. Especially if she's illegal, which seems to be a factor in a lot of hit and runs here.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but like I said, I deal with this kind of thing all the time, and in all likelihood you're going to be throwing good money after bad if you get a lawyer and go after this lady. Besides, your insurance company will do that for free if they think there's any significant chance of collecting. Just make sure that your agreement with them specifies that they will attempt to collect your deductible from the responsible party/her insurer and will remit that money to you promptly should they receive it.

[madinmaryland]

33. Is this the actual car that hit you?

[Chemical Bill]

34. It's after '94, probably "96 or '97. n/t

[SoCalDem]

29. Your own insurance company may be your best bet

They surely don;t want to pay the balance of the repairs, so maybe they'll follow up.. They probably have avenues open to them, that you don't..

[Maru Kitteh]

36. Just thinking out loud. You could file a suit in court,. You can sue an "unknown" for damages and

use the power of the court to get access to all kind of information including the DMV info.

[Mike 03]

37. Paint chips, I would guess. Forensic science is probably your best bet, and sometimes

a "fixer" (lawyer with your best interest in mind) can make things move along faster.

Good luck with this, and I mean it. It sounds totally unfair.

[RB TexLa]

38. All you should have to do is want a few days and answer your phone when the police department calls

you with her insurance information.