Sheriff Office Lost Important Information

[tianicole06]

I was in a hit and run accident at a gas station. While I was in the gas station a truck had backed into the side of my car and then left the scene. Luckily a gentleman that was pumping his gas seen what had happend and had came into the gas station to tell me and he had got the license plate number of the truck that struck my car. So I called the sheriff office and they came to file my report. I gave him the license plate number the man had wrote down along with the mans name and number that witnessed the accident. The sheriff ran the plate numbers and told me that the truck was registered in pike county and n he would get back to me as soon as he got a hold of someone. Well that was a month ago So I called to speak to the Sheriff that took my report and he stated that he hasn't got a hold of the man that hit me and now says he doesn't believe the plate number was right because it was out of pike county? I don't understand that. Also he said for me to get a copy of my police report (which I have) and send it to my insurance company but the police report has now info on it that would be helpful to my insurance because i only have liability. The sheriff didn't even put my correct info in the system. Also I gave him 2 phone number which were my house number and my cell number and the report has NEITHER. Also when I asked the sheriff why the mans license plate number wasn't in the report he said "it isn't? Well I'm sure i have it somewhere" What am I suppose to do in this case. Obviously the sheriff couldn't care less about my situation and I need to get this issue resolved. I tried speaking to the head sheriff in the county and he asked me for the mans license plate number and the witness's name and number. I told him the sheriff that took my report had taken my paper with all the information on it. He didn't get back to me for about 2 weeks and after numerous emails the head sheriff then e-mailed me back and said they can't find the truck or person that hit me. But i had a feeling they lost my information thats why they're saying that. So I asked for the information so I could give it to my insurance company and the Sheriff has yet to get back to me and that was 2 weeks ago. What can I do if they lost my information and get my car fixed?

[retdetsgt]

If you only have liability, your insurance isn't going to pay for getting your car fixed.

And I doubt they will do all that much to track down the guy who hit you since they have no obligation to repair your car to begin with. So getting the info to them is a waste of time, I suspect. If you carried collision insurance, it would be a different story.

Ask for a copy of the report of their final investigation and that should have what they've done to find the person who hit you. You have a legal right to the report and that will tell you what they actually did.

For what it's worth, if the person who hit you doesn't have liability insurance, you'll be stuck with the repair bill anyway. I've been there.

[Ispbear]

There is a good chance that the License plate number the witness gave the officer was not the correct plate number. It happens all the time, a "D" is confused for a "O" or they reverse numbers, letters, etc. I will agree that the information should have been included in the report narative, but there might actually not be much they can do for you. I will also say that if your Insurance agent tells you that "you" have to find this information out, and that you need to do this and that, find a different insurance company. That is what you pay them for, either the policy covers the accident or it doesn't.

[PapaBear]

Contact the manager at the service station. Explain your involvement in the accident and ask if he will get you a copy of the videotape - if they have one. You can then use the information on the videotape to seek civil damages in a civil court.

[DeltaV]

We do not put the license number of an alleged hit and run vehicle in the report unless we can confirm that it was involved in the crash. And by confirm I mean actually either seeing the damaged vehicle ourselves or obtaining a confession from the driver. I'm sure you can understand the problem with just writing a police report indicating someone is responsible for a criminal act without actually verifying it. What if someone in a county on the other side of your state gave YOUR tag number to an officer investigating a hit and run? Would you expect them to put in the report that you're responsible for the crash just on the word of a witness?

Additionally, a hit and run crash involving a vehicle from a distance away can end up taking up a lot of investigative resources. Understand that it's the job of law enforcement to make arrests and clear criminal cases. If neither you nor the witness can actually identify the driver that hit your vehicle, the chance of the case being successfully prosecuted is slim. The sheriff' office isn't going to expend a lot of resources just so you can get money to fix your car. That's the job of your insurance company and is why they also employ investigators.