ak08820

Today, I was hit by a pickup truck making a left turn while I was going on a bicycle in the same intersection in the opposite direction. My rear wheel was hit and is severely damaged but I was not physically hurt. The truck driver did not stop and I could read only the first 3 letters of the lic. plate. The rear wheel of my bike is severely damaged and out of true, needing pro repairs.

I called 911 to report and while I was on the call, about 10 min in, a truck that looked like the original came from the direction it went and made the same turn towards where it came from. (as if going back to where it came from). I assumed that it was the same vehicle and reported it on the ongoing 911 call. I waved the truck and he stopped for a few minutes a little far from where I was and then drove away.
The police caught up with him and brought him to the scene where I was waiting. We did not exchange any info initially but there were no fresh scrape marks on the truck that I could see and the driver said to the police that he did not cause any hit and run.
The policeman on the scene was quite antagonistic to me and treating me like a 10 year old instead of 60+, was telling me that it was my fault and when I got angry he just proceeded to his car to enter the report. He gave me a number and said the report will be ready in a week.
Do I have the option to call/go to the police station and indicate that I may be mistaken about the truck identity and they need to find the right one from the first 3 digits I reported earlier.
Even if it was my fault, is it not a clear case leaving the scene of an accident?
Any other advice?

mbailey

Read the sticky thread above about being hit by a motor vehicle.

indyfabz

I’m confused. Did you not look at his plate when he was brought back to the scene?

ak08820

I could not see/memorize completely first time. When he returned, I felt that it was the same vehicle and I reported the full number on 911 because I felt that it was the same vehicle. However, the driver claims it was not him.

CB HI

Hit&run drivers will often stop down the road and inspect thier vehicle for any noticable damage. They also do a drive by or walk back to the scene to see what damage they caused. So if your are at the scene of a Hit&run, pay attention of what else happens around the area that is out of place. OPs situation seems to fit.

In my Hit&run, the driver drove down the road a mile to the first point he could get off the road and hide behind a building while he inspected the car. He did not see the paint smudge on his side mirror that hit the rubber of my handlebar. The next day I found the car and took pictures. The smudge was visible in the picture and helped with his decision to confess. But the biggest reason he confessed was that the car was registered in his wifes name and the guy was so small, with long hair, I thought and reported that it looked like a woman driver that hit me; plus she most often drove that car.

Another time, I saw a car park one street over from a main highway next to the soccer field I was warming up on. As I warmed up, a man and a women got out, walked half a block, stopped and argued. I heard a siren, but that was not odd next to the highway. The man looked like he was slightly drunk and seemed he wanted to leave. The guy pissed me off because he tossed his cig package on the ground. With that, I noted the car type,color and license plate. The woman insisted they walk to the highway and they did, leaving my view. Many minutes later, they walked back to the car, the guy wanted the woman to drive, she got pissed and threw the keys at him and he drove them away. Several minutes later, a friend of mine came to the soccer field from the highway and told me about the cyclist that got hit in the bike lane on the highway. He saw the color of the car, but nothing else, and yes it was a match of an odd car color. I discribed the couple to my friend and he said he saw them walk up to the scene and hang around watching. Cop came to the soccer field to get his statement and I told the cop what I saw, said I could ID the couple and I wrote out a police report. I did ID them later in a photo line-up.

Bmach

I’m confused also as you said you had the first 3 letters of the plate. Where they the same as the truck pulled over?

ak08820

I wish I had a bike dash cam running. I have asked for the 911 call transcript to see what I reported as the first set of 3 digits/letters. I am unable to remember them.

Iride01 

Me too! I had a wreck last year and no memory of what happened or for any of the 5 miles prior to the accident. If you just keep wishing for the camera, you won't have it when the next event happens.

Mine was a solo crash. Possibly run over by a deer.

Chistophe516

When you reported the driver. Did you mention the make(not year) of the truck and any specific identifying characteristics about the truck(two-door or four-door, color, standard or Mag wheels, twin horizontal/vertical pipes, fog lights on bumper, added grill work on the front of the,engine, raised suspension, tinting, tires like those on a monster truck)?

Chistophe516

Their claim of not being involved. Goes against, why they even drove to scene after the accident.

Daniel4

Don't say "accident". Say "collision". The word accident implies no responsibility.

ak08820

Litespud

Think you’re going to have to suck this one up. You have no evidence that the truck that came back through was the truck that hit you, except that you “felt” that it was. It sucked that you were hit, but it would equally suck to be accused of a hit & run when you had nothing to do with it, because you reported the second truck to the cops based on no evidence other than your feelings. Depends where you are, of course, but I doubt the cops are going to expend much energy looking for a “white truck” in connection with a collision where the only victim was a bicycle wheel

Litespud

given that there’s no evidence that it was the same truck, how do you conclude that the driver “drove to scene” as opposed to, you know, just driving past? Give that it was on a public road, was every other vehicle that passed also “driving to scene”?

Chistophe516

The OP said:

While the OP admits that he assumed it was the same truck. The driver of the 'second' truck only stopping, and getting out. But not coming directly to the scene. Is suspicious behavior.

Litespud

the driver of the second truck stopped after the OP waved to him. If a cyclist waved to me as I was driving past, I might stop also. Means nothing. So the OP reported the second truck to the cops based on (i) it was the same color as the truck that hit him, (ii) it passed the scene of the collision and (iii) the driver stopped and got out for a minute after the OP waved at him. If someone reported me to the cops based on that evidence, I might consider pursuing some legal action of my own.