Nailed by Hit & Run, Chapter Two

Tomorrow it will be 3 weeks since I was hit by a pickup truck. We all
had fun discussing it here, but in the meantime I discovered a few sad
facts. Yes, the incident was assigned a case number by San Jose
Police, but they had no intention of investigating since the truck was
wearing dealer advertising instead of a Ca license plate. "We don't
have manpower to go searching for a phantom...blah blah, blah blah." I
was not happy about that.

I thought about it and decided that since I'm unemployed and the
police don't have time, I would go cruising through every parking lot
in widening circles around the scene of the incident, looking for a
match. Started in the morning, and found the vehicle that afternoon.
Same color, same size, same dealer advertising. Two blocks from the
hit & run.

Next day I went back to the intersection where I was hit, I waited
there from 9 am until, guess what? At 9:15 I saw the same vehicle exit
the freeway, go into the same lane from which he hit me, and make a
right turn, driving two blocks to the same parking place where I found
the truck the day before. Now I had placed the vehicle at the scene,
at the time of the hit & run, and I had more matching data points than
coincidence could explain.

I started a Word doc to document all of this and began staking out the
intersection, recording times and observations, establishing a pattern
of behavior. My son assisted me by taking surreptitious photos of the
truck since I'm afraid that once the license plates are put on it,
witnesses will never identify it. I also sidled up to it and copied
down the VIN and Temporary ID numbers.

Compiled all of this into a four page report, and turned it in to the
San Jose Police. They have now activated the investigation, you know,
now that I've done half their work for them.

I'm not deeply optimistic since it's all circumstantial and a good
lawyer could probably prevent even an indictment, but I have to
try...and if all the satisfaction I can get is that this pond scum has
to pay a lawyer, well, I guess that will have to do.

I was surprised that my auto insurance covers me when I'm a pedestrian
(which is how they class cycling) for medical, so the nice ambulance
ride and hospital visit will be paid for. Road rash is almost healed,
I am walking un-gimpy again, but my back still feels as if some voodoo
students are using me as a practice dummy.

Advice to others: Get witness names and phones...don't assume that the
police will give them to you, they probably won't, you may need to do
your own investigation and to request a copy of the police report
takes too long, you want to talk to witnesses while the incident is
fresh in their minds.

Cheers,
ABS

wrote:
Tomorrow it will be 3 weeks since I was hit by a pickup truck. We all
had fun discussing it here, but in the meantime I discovered a few sad
facts. Yes, the incident was assigned a case number by San Jose
Police, but they had no intention of investigating since the truck was
wearing dealer advertising instead of a Ca license plate. "We don't
have manpower to go searching for a phantom...blah blah, blah blah." I
was not happy about that.

I thought about it and decided that since I'm unemployed and the
police don't have time, I would go cruising through every parking lot
in widening circles around the scene of the incident, looking for a
match. Started in the morning, and found the vehicle that afternoon.
Same color, same size, same dealer advertising. Two blocks from the
hit & run.

Next day I went back to the intersection where I was hit, I waited
there from 9 am until, guess what? At 9:15 I saw the same vehicle exit
the freeway, go into the same lane from which he hit me, and make a
right turn, driving two blocks to the same parking place where I found
the truck the day before. Now I had placed the vehicle at the scene,
at the time of the hit & run, and I had more matching data points than
coincidence could explain.

I started a Word doc to document all of this and began staking out the
intersection, recording times and observations, establishing a pattern
of behavior. My son assisted me by taking surreptitious photos of the
truck since I'm afraid that once the license plates are put on it,
witnesses will never identify it. I also sidled up to it and copied
down the VIN and Temporary ID numbers.

Compiled all of this into a four page report, and turned it in to the
San Jose Police. They have now activated the investigation, you know,
now that I've done half their work for them.

I'm not deeply optimistic since it's all circumstantial and a good
lawyer could probably prevent even an indictment, but I have to
try...and if all the satisfaction I can get is that this pond scum has
to pay a lawyer, well, I guess that will have to do.

I was surprised that my auto insurance covers me when I'm a pedestrian
(which is how they class cycling) for medical, so the nice ambulance
ride and hospital visit will be paid for. Road rash is almost healed,
I am walking un-gimpy again, but my back still feels as if some voodoo
students are using me as a practice dummy.

Advice to others: Get witness names and phones...don't assume that the
police will give them to you, they probably won't, you may need to do
your own investigation and to request a copy of the police report
takes too long, you want to talk to witnesses while the incident is
fresh in their minds.

Cheers,
ABS

Well done and I hope the police nail the driver.


--
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

In article
,
wrote:

Tomorrow it will be 3 weeks since I was hit by a pickup truck. We all
had fun discussing it here, but in the meantime I discovered a few sad
facts. Yes, the incident was assigned a case number by San Jose
Police, but they had no intention of investigating since the truck was
wearing dealer advertising instead of a Ca license plate. "We don't
have manpower to go searching for a phantom...blah blah, blah blah." I
was not happy about that.


snip

Well if you want something done right, you gotta....

Good for you. There's no reason why the case shouldn't be pursued now
that, as you've noted, most of the legwork has already been done. Let
us know how this all ends.

On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:28:54 -0800 (PST),
wrote, in part:
\
They have now activated the investigation, you know,
now that I've done half their work for them.
\

Congratulations and good luck pursuing it further.

Thanks for not taking this cynic's advise to "get used to it".
--
zk

Hello Alan

Glad your mending.

I think you have a have a NBC Dateline story in the works here,
seriously.

Best of Luck - Mike Baldwin

On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:28:54 -0800 (PST) in rec.bicycles.misc,
wrote:

I was surprised that my auto insurance covers me when I'm a pedestrian
(which is how they class cycling) for medical, so the nice ambulance
ride and hospital visit will be paid for.

Give a copy of your report to them... they would be happy to go
after the miscreant's insurance to pay your expenses!

aka Alan B. Stew(art?) wrote:
Tomorrow it will be 3 weeks since I was hit by a pickup truck. We all
had fun discussing it here, but in the meantime I discovered a few sad
facts. Yes, the incident was assigned a case number by San Jose
Police, but they had no intention of investigating since the truck was
wearing dealer advertising instead of a Ca license plate. "We don't
have manpower to go searching for a phantom...blah blah, blah blah." I
was not happy about that.

I thought about it and decided that since I'm unemployed and the
police don't have time, I would go cruising through every parking lot
in widening circles around the scene of the incident, looking for a
match. Started in the morning, and found the vehicle that afternoon.
Same color, same size, same dealer advertising. Two blocks from the
hit & run.

Next day I went back to the intersection where I was hit, I waited
there from 9 am until, guess what? At 9:15 I saw the same vehicle exit
the freeway, go into the same lane from which he hit me, and make a
right turn, driving two blocks to the same parking place where I found
the truck the day before. Now I had placed the vehicle at the scene,
at the time of the hit & run, and I had more matching data points than
coincidence could explain.

I started a Word doc to document all of this and began staking out the
intersection, recording times and observations, establishing a pattern
of behavior. My son assisted me by taking surreptitious photos of the
truck since I'm afraid that once the license plates are put on it,
witnesses will never identify it. I also sidled up to it and copied
down the VIN and Temporary ID numbers.

Compiled all of this into a four page report, and turned it in to the
San Jose Police. They have now activated the investigation, you know,
now that I've done half their work for them.

I'm not deeply optimistic since it's all circumstantial and a good
lawyer could probably prevent even an indictment, but I have to
try...and if all the satisfaction I can get is that this pond scum has
to pay a lawyer, well, I guess that will have to do.

I was surprised that my auto insurance covers me when I'm a pedestrian
(which is how they class cycling) for medical, so the nice ambulance
ride and hospital visit will be paid for. Road rash is almost healed,
I am walking un-gimpy again, but my back still feels as if some voodoo
students are using me as a practice dummy.

Advice to others: Get witness names and phones...don't assume that the
police will give them to you, they probably won't, you may need to do
your own investigation and to request a copy of the police report
takes too long, you want to talk to witnesses while the incident is
fresh in their minds.

You could consider filing a civil suit against the driver.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

wrote in message
...
Tomorrow it will be 3 weeks since I was hit by a pickup truck. We all
had fun discussing it here, but in the meantime I discovered a few sad
facts. Yes, the incident was assigned a case number by San Jose
Police, but they had no intention of investigating since the truck was
wearing dealer advertising instead of a Ca license plate. "We don't
have manpower to go searching for a phantom...blah blah, blah blah." I
was not happy about that.

I thought about it and decided that since I'm unemployed and the
police don't have time, I would go cruising through every parking lot
in widening circles around the scene of the incident, looking for a
match. Started in the morning, and found the vehicle that afternoon.
Same color, same size, same dealer advertising. Two blocks from the
hit & run.

Next day I went back to the intersection where I was hit, I waited
there from 9 am until, guess what? At 9:15 I saw the same vehicle exit
the freeway, go into the same lane from which he hit me, and make a
right turn, driving two blocks to the same parking place where I found
the truck the day before. Now I had placed the vehicle at the scene,
at the time of the hit & run, and I had more matching data points than
coincidence could explain.

I started a Word doc to document all of this and began staking out the
intersection, recording times and observations, establishing a pattern
of behavior. My son assisted me by taking surreptitious photos of the
truck since I'm afraid that once the license plates are put on it,
witnesses will never identify it. I also sidled up to it and copied
down the VIN and Temporary ID numbers.

Compiled all of this into a four page report, and turned it in to the
San Jose Police. They have now activated the investigation, you know,
now that I've done half their work for them.

I'm not deeply optimistic since it's all circumstantial and a good
lawyer could probably prevent even an indictment, but I have to
try...and if all the satisfaction I can get is that this pond scum has
to pay a lawyer, well, I guess that will have to do.

I was surprised that my auto insurance covers me when I'm a pedestrian
(which is how they class cycling) for medical, so the nice ambulance
ride and hospital visit will be paid for. Road rash is almost healed,
I am walking un-gimpy again, but my back still feels as if some voodoo
students are using me as a practice dummy.

Advice to others: Get witness names and phones...don't assume that the
police will give them to you, they probably won't, you may need to do
your own investigation and to request a copy of the police report
takes too long, you want to talk to witnesses while the incident is
fresh in their minds.

Cheers,
ABS



Yeah, it's wonderful how you can stir the cops into action once you give
them the case on a plate. If the hit-n-run bottom feeder walks you can
always let all his tyres down and pour a bottle of sulfuric acid over his
hood.

Many many many years ago, in a more trusting age I lost a motorbike to a
test rider who never came back. The cops closed my case because my bike was
listed as "recovered". That is, my licence plate was recovered attached to a
dumped frame of a completely different make. I became friends with Pat, the
owner of the dumped frame and we teamed up to track down the perp because
the cops weren't interested. And we did track him down. Storage shed full of
stolen motorcycles being torn down and the parts being trucked interstate
for resale.
Pat and I were both in the spectators gallery at court to see justice done.
The defendant's lawyer told a moving story of a deprived childhood and an
abusive stepfather which caused his client to grow up and make a career out
of thieving other peoples property, Result? Two years probation which in
perpworld is the same as getting off.
Pat was lurking outside the court when the defendant walked out and Pat gave
him a little something extra to remember him by. When Pat's case came up he
got a $250 fine for assault and that was in the days when $250 was two weeks
wages. I've never had any faith in court administered justice ever since.

PH

In article ,
writes:

I started a Word doc to document all of this and began staking out the
intersection, recording times and observations, establishing a pattern
of behavior. My son assisted me by taking surreptitious photos of the
truck since I'm afraid that once the license plates are put on it,
witnesses will never identify it. I also sidled up to it and copied
down the VIN and Temporary ID numbers.

Compiled all of this into a four page report, and turned it in to the
San Jose Police. They have now activated the investigation, you know,
now that I've done half their work for them.

I'm not deeply optimistic since it's all circumstantial and a good
lawyer could probably prevent even an indictment, but I have to
try...and if all the satisfaction I can get is that this pond scum has
to pay a lawyer, well, I guess that will have to do.

I do hope the guy who clobbered you (and subsequently took off
in a cowardly manner) gets his judicial come-uppance.

The System /can/ work for us, but sometimes we've gotta prime
the pumps ourselves, as you have done, and exceptionally well.

And I hope you derive the resolution to this matter that's
most satisfactory to you, and Pond Scum Guy doesn't hereafter
hurt anybody else.

But I /especially/ hope you haven't lost your joie de velo.
As I recall, you initially were considering hanging it up
and quitting cycling after this bad experience. Well, that's
your call to make, and not really anybody else's business.
I just hate to see some jerks spoiling things for good folks
like yourself.

May your life be festooned with blessings and good fortune
from now on.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On Feb 29, 11:11*pm, (Michael Baldwin) wrote:
Hello Alan

Glad your mending.

I think you have a have a NBC Dateline story in the works here,
seriously.

I agree. If I were in your shoes I would give some serious thought to
sending this story, along with your data, to all the local news
agencies, spaced a couple days apart. All it takes is one slow news
day and one reporter who thinks "hmm, this could be a good human
interest piece" and you're golden. I'd bet if you can get this into
the news the cops will get themselves into gear properly, and the
crime will be prosecuted as it should be. It's unfortunate that this
is the state of affairs, but since it is you may as well work the
system.