Message to silver Toyota pickup Hit and Run Driver

[LKT]

To the Driver of the silver Toyota four-door pickup truck who hit and run on SW Dawson Street Sunday night:

1. Shame on you.

2. I sincerely hope you are not hurt.

3. We found your truck, and it looks like you did, too, since it was moved today. I’m glad you remembered where it was.

I would like to resolve this as simply as possible. I invite you to contact me and take the opportunity to do the right thing. I try to be fair and reasonable and would prefer not to spend precious holiday time on conflict. My email address is lindytd@comcast.net.

Should I not hear from you I will, of course, need to pursue other avenues of resolution. If you feel more comfortable dealing directly with the police, our case # is 11-382940.

Take care.

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[Bostonman]

I am glad you found the truck.

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[365Stairs]

Very very tolerant of you…

Just curious – if the truck was found and a case # supplied – why not have the truck impounded for evidence?

I assume you took pics and license plate and already know who this is by now?

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[LKT]

To 365Stairs: Of course the police came and took all the photos and information they needed, and were going to follow up with the owner. All this will be available to me when the police report is filed.

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[WSratsinacage]

Hit and run is serious. I’ve heard there is quite a fine as well. I hope the truck owner gets what is coming to them and I hope LKT gets a satisfactory resolution. Good job finding them LKT, although it’s sad that it basically takes the victim to find their “attacker” these days. Peace.

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[sbre]

Well handled LKT.

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[waterworld]

I am confused — was this hit and run of a pedestrian or another car? Either way it’s a crime, although the charges are more serious when it’s car-on-pedestrian. Now that it’s in the hands of the police and the perpetrator has been identified, he or she will have to deal with SPD regardless of whether he or she contacts you, LKT, so I am confused about why you are inviting this person to write or call you. (Maybe it’s obvious and I’m missing something — it wouldn’t be the first time…)

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[LKT]

Thankfully, the truck hit my car which was parked in front of my house rather than a pedestrian. My neighbors saw the it as it sped away, and SPD responded very quickly (and I’m grateful for that).

Though my experience with crime is very limited (!), I don’t think the police do any facilitating in helping the victim get restitution other than take down the insurance information and put that in the accident report. (They will issued citations for infractions, though.) Assuming the truck driver has insurance then “my people” can deal with “his/her people” and it will be taken care of. In the event that this driver has no insurance, the options are to deal with each other directly or for me to file a civil suit. I just thought I’d give the other driver a chance at the former since he didn’t “leave a card” at the accident scene, but maybe had a shining burst of conscience since then. And I hate putting good energy into stressful situations if I don’t have to.

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[waterworld]

Okay, I get it now. What happened with your car is called “hit and run unattended,” under RCW 46.52.010. It’s a misdemeanor. In cases involving more serious crimes, like gross misdemeanors and felonies, the court awards restitution to the victim when the defendant is sentenced. But with simple misdemeanors, this is not automatic or required by law. There is a provision that allows the court to substitute restitution for a fine, and under that law, the amount that would be imposed would be double the amount of your loss. That doesn’t mean you would get all that money — I’m pretty sure that you would get only your actual loss amount. But you are right, the best way to recover your loss is either for your insurance company deal with his or her insurance company, or for the two of you to settle it up (if possible) on your own. You might want to stay in touch with the officer who came and wrote the report and ask him or her to make sure that the case gets sent over to the city attorney for prosecution, and then find out which team in the city attorney’s office is handling the case. I think there’s a process for you to submit proof of your damages (like receipts for the repairs) so that the prosecutor can at least try to get some kind of restitution ordered. Squeaky wheel and all that, you know.

.

(P.S. This is not legal advice.)

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[amalia]

I’d give them the gift that keeps on giving: high insurance rates for life. Let the insurance companies deal with it. The driver didn’t have the conscience to take responisbility for him/herself and they don’t deserve your generosity. When I got hit by a negligent driver, his $124 ticket was inadequately punitive, in my eyes, so I let my insurance company go after his. He still did not have to pay anything more, but I hope his insurance is forever affected.

.

But then, I don’t suffer fools. You might be more tolerant than me.

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[LKT]

To Waterworld- thank you for your “not legal advice”. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

To Amalia- it’s not so much about being tolerant as being weary. I’m at the tail end of insurance proceedings resulting from an uninsured driver (another West Seattle resident- what gives??) hitting me last year, resulting in loss of car, injury, etc., and I’m just trying to go easy on myself. I will be fair, but I absolutely expect restitution and will do what I must to make it happen.

That being said, the driver of the truck has come forward and wants to work things out, so I am cautiously optimistic that it will happen. Thank you again to WSB, my alert neighbors and fellow bloggers for being such a great community. WIshing you all peace and safety in the Season.

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[yeah-me]

I saw your little car with the front end damage yesterday.. Glad you found out who hit you and he is working with you. I have a special fondness for your car as I had one just like it in high school.

– neighbor on 44th

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[dbsea]

YOU are extremely restrained. Very impressive.

If I ID’d someone that did that to me I think I’d be gunsablazin’ before I knew it.

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[JanS]

question for LKT…did the driver say why he left the scene? I’m just curious. Was he impaired in some way and didn’t want to be cited perhaps? I’ve known at least one person who did that…

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