KJG

Long post, so please bear with me....

Decided to escape New Orleans for the weekend to visit a friend in Gulf Shores, AL. We were driving North on Hwy 59 through Foley, AL and were rear-ended at a stoplight. No injury to me or my friend and only very superficial damage to the car's bumper -- in fact it's barely noticeable. Got out of the car and the lady who hit me asked if I was ok. Told her I was, but that she hit my bumper. Since we were on a busy highway I pointed to the cross street and told her to pull over there. I turn off the highway and she takes off.

Turned around and pursued her but did not see her beat up Isuzu Trooper anywhere. Called 911 and was transferred to Foley police -- my friend described the vehicle and it's occupants (white female in her 50's who looked like a sun-beaten heroin junkie and her very scruffy, long-haired, bearded male companion) and the dispatcher advised us to pull over and wait for the police to arrive. Since we lost the Isuzu we pulled into a parking lot to wait and got out to take a closer look at the bumper.

I happened to glance down the highway and saw the Isuzu in the median attempting a left turn into McDonald's. We jumped back in the car and headed that way to find our "assailant" in the drive through lane.

Here's where I suppose I lost it.... I cut her off in the drive-through lane so she couldn't pull forward and got out of my car, approached her vehicle and screamed something along the lines of "WTF are you doing? You hit my car and left the scene." She and her passenger denied hitting my car, so I went around to the the back of the Isuzu, punched her license plate into my BlackBerry for safekeeping, then returned to her passenger window. Again argued with her about hitting my car and leaving the scene. She and her passenger still denied it and I told them the police had been called. At that point I surmised that they were both high as a kite based on their speech and demeanor. To my surprise, she put the Isuzu in reverse to attempt another getaway and I ran alongside her shouting, "I have your plate number!" That caused her to stop and agree to pull into a parking spot.

Meanwhile, my friend is watching all this from the Lexus and jumps out of the car as she's concerned for my safety (she mentioned later that they could have had a gun or just physically accosted me, describing them as "scary looking individuals") Once the other car parked, I blocked it into the spot and my friend called 911 again to give them our location. I had a brief exchange with the other couple in which they again denied hitting the car. I told them my friend was calling the police as we spoke to provide our new location. The "gentlemen" took off on foot never to return, and the lady driver told me she had no insurance. She offerred to settle things with her AARP card (huh?) -- an offer I less than politely declined, telling her we would wait for the police.

My friend handed me the phone and the police dispatcher advised that they were on their way but were first trying to locate the Isuzu. Brought her up to speed and explained that I had the other driver blocked into a parking spot. Her response: "You rock!"

To wrap up a long story, the other driver was ticketed for no insurance (AL law calls for license suspension, $100 reinstatement fee with proof of insurance, plus a $500 fine for a first-time offenders). She did not recieve a ticket for leaving the scene as the lack of any real damage to the car boiled down to her word against mine about the whole incident. It was obvious from the way the officer treated us vs her that he believed us (why would we fabricate such an ordeal?), but in order to make it stick I would have to go court to swear to the incident on Monday. This would interfere with my work schedule and also put me at risk of receiving a ticket for leaving the scene as well, albeit to pursue her. I decided to let things go with the no insurance citation, accept the miniscule indentation in my bumper's paint, and take satisfaction in the fact that a wreckless, uinsured motorist received her due.

The point of this lengthy post is a desire for feedback. Did I do the right thing, or did I act irrationally as my friend suggests? My POV is that someone damaged my property and tried to escape blame for it. I did not even think about my response, I just acted on instinct to defend something I've worked really hard for. Her POV is that I endangered myself by confronting these "scary looking individuals" and that I was totally out of control, especially while running alongside their Isuzu on foot. She's known me for years and said she's never seen me be so aggressive.

Thoughts?

Pheonix

until until you confronted herion junkies. they were probably meth junkies, nobody uses heroin anymore. that's besides the point.

you need to use your second ammendment rights from now on. and in alabama it is now legal to kill someone attempting to enter your vehicle provided you're in it. hah - stole that one from texas!

i am sorry, you drive a lexus. you are not badass enough to not have a pistol and thes kill to use it lmao.

llamaboiz

Everybodys gotta die of something right?

Yes you were foolish and reckless BUT its a guy thing, chicks dont understand. Well most dont that is... the sane ones...

I myself carry yourfault insurance (3Dcell maglite) sure its not a gun but it does fit nicely over the forearm *tonfa style* and its not a baseball bat/lead pipe. Afterall a flashlite is a useful tool right?

carbuff

KJG, I am sorry that your car was hit and that you encountered such a low life as the person that hit your car. Fortunately, neither you nor your passenger were injured.

Your comments bring to mind four words, rage and common sense. You were enraged and at the same time did not show any common sense.

Because you instinctively felt that the woman was impaired, you should have backed-off and allowed law encorcement to find, ticket and apprehand her for at the least leaving the scene of the incident.

Why in the world did you put yourself and your passenger in harm's way? Macho is best left to movie hereos.

It is taught in civilian concealed weapon training classes that the best course of action is to withdraw from an attack and not fire one's gun. This may not be in keeping with the code of the West, but it sure beats getting dropped by a person high on drugs or alcohol.

Advice is cheap, especially when the one giving it is not involved in the moment's excitment. But I know from personal experience that it takes a cool head, common sense and yes, maturity to back away from a confrontation.

Thankfully you were not injured in the incident and the other party was processed by the police.

Next time, keep your cool.,

MD350

I would have gotten the plate number and let insurance or the police handle it. There are too many nutty people out there today, it is not worth to risk your life.

A few years ago, two people at my local grocery store were flighting over how many items were placed on the belt in an express checkout line. In the parking lot, one customer stabbed the other customer.

You are talking a few hundred dollors to fix a bumper, something very simple. I understand the principle of it all, but risking your safety is not worth it.

Get the plate, call police, call insurance. Stay safe!

Just my two cents.

MShybrid

I'm glad to hear that you and your friend was not hurt.
I can understand your being upset and the actions taken. Was it the right thing to do?? Probably not but I'm sure you felt like it was at the time. What really would chapp my butt is the fact they were driving around without insurance. We have the same problem in MS. It's not right that we have to pay for the actions of others.
The main thing is that everyone is ok and the car can be fixed. How serious is the damage? Can it possibably be polished out?
Lloyd

KJG

Thanks everyone for the responses. After a few hours of sleep, my friend and I have rehashed this again. With a much cooler head, and after reading your thoughts, I can see her point. (She's gloating a little.)

She's also pointed out to me that had we been back in New Orleans instead of sleepy little Foley, the lowlifes would have very likely had a gun. I don't have one, but had been considering purchasing one given the current state of New Orleans. Have decided after this not to proceed with that purchase -- probably not a good idea to have access to a gun while in a fit of rage.

Once we found the other car I should have copied down the plate number and waited. No need to get out and vent my anger at these lowlifes.

Lesson learned.

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

dude i would've done the same thing, my car is probably my most prized procession and i wont let no dumb $#@^& hit it and run. but when u hit the license plate with ur phone, that part was kinda dangerous cause the occupants in the car could've came out and did some damage to you/car. good luck getting a settlement of some sort.

KJG

The damage is very minor -- just a small ding really, but not something that could be polished out.

You're right about the insurance issue -- I pay a small fortune to insure this car and this lady doesn't feel she has to obey the law by carrying the mandated liability coverage.

kingofire

The way I understood the statement, he said he "punched" as in typed the license plate into his blackberry, not physically punched the license plate.

mrshyvley

You did the right thing.
I would've done the same.
If you had just reported the license number, nothing would've happened, and this driver would still be on the road, having suffered zero penalty.
At least this way, the driver has an additional strike against her, and if she keeps on driving, is closer to being locked up eventually.

As far as them possibly being armed.
I definitely am armed every place I go.
I may have not just run up to the car (in case they planed on pulling a gun on me), but would have definitely blocked them from driving off, told them the police are on the way, and kept a watchful eye in case they tried to get violent.

KJG

That's correct -- I did not touch them or their vehicle. I e-mailed myself the plate number.

Spoke to my insurer and arranged for repairs. I will have to pay my $500 deductible, but they will not hold the claim against me. They plan to pursue the other driver to reimburse the deductible, but offered no guarantee they would succeed.

15951

I doubt the dispatcher told you that you "rock" for taking it into your own hands. I was in a similar situation about 5 years ago, and when I called it in to 911 and explained that I was following the guy that hit me, the first thing they told me to do is to pull over and stop. The police don't want you escalating the situation.

I understand why you reacted the way you did, but in the future your best course of action is to call it in and stay put until a cop gets there.

By the way, I can't believe you didn't accept the AARP card...those things are gold, baby!

<VENOM>

seems like everything went well for you and you certainly always had the upper hand in it with scaring the 2, I'm impressed and probably would have acted in a similar fashion, I applaud your efforts at trying to rid the streets of uninsured drivers, granted we don't realize it but having that uninsured/no fault on our policies we are paying for these drivers.

anyways, GOOD JOB pat yourself on the back and don't worry about those who are constantly thinking what if, it's said and done

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

As others have said, they could have easily had a gun and crackies are so unstable/paranoid/agressive who knows you might have been shot.

With that said, I probably would have reacted the same way - once the adreneline starts pumping one doesn't stop to think.

I'm happy to hear you weren't injured in the accident nor by a gunshot.