When it first happened the kid driving the car tried to get in my face really bad. I laughed at him. People were watching. I was hoping he would try to hit me... but he did not.
When the cop got there the kid tried to tell him it was my fault. I kept quiet. When it was my turn to talk I referred the officer to the damage to both cares and reminded the officer of the assured clear distance statue.
The officer agreed and sited the kid. Then the officer took me aside to ask me if it was Ok to subpoena me for the kids court trial. He said the kid was sure to fight it in court and he might need me as a witness.
That said to me that this kid has enough points on his license that if he gets convicted for this offense it will cost him his drivers license.
The officer urged me to fill out the voluntary accident report so he could use it against the kid. He explained to me how to do it. I told the cop I would be glad to testify.
Too bad about the kid. I hate to see one go bad. Maybe this will be the thing to set him straight.
/john
Several years ago hubby and I had been out shopping and, after stopping for lunch, were leaving a shopping center. Hubby stopped at the stop sign but, because of the bushes planted along the entrance, he couldn't see traffic on the busy street onto which we would be turning (a U.S. highway that passes through the middle of town). So he eased the car up a little and stopped again to wait for traffic.
All of a sudden we felt this terrific jolt and a horrendous noise. We looked around to discover a city bus up on the back fender of my little Dodge Omni.
We were totally dumbfounded when the driver of the bus opened the door and asked US what in the h*** we thought we were doing. HIS bus was on the back end of my car and he wants to know what WE were doing. HA!
I guess since the bus sat up so high, the driver could see over the offending bushes and didn't have to make that second little stop. But that didn't excuse his not paying attention or not seeing the oncoming traffic and realizing that we would have to stop before pulling out.
Several of the bus passengers were indignant at the driver's attitude.
Ironically, the shopping that hubby and I had been doing that day was for a new car for me. We had only stopped at the shopping center to grab a bite of lunch. The city's insurance paid for a rental car for me for nearly a month ..... it took a while for them to decide how to settle the case (they ended up considering the car "totaled" ...... both the back and side panels as well as the hatchback would have had to be replaced .... and the car was nearly 10 years old). They continued to pay for the rental car until we had chosen a new car for me.