Got rear ended this morning 9am with car full of kids, driver fled the scene, but cops gave ME a hard time.

Submitted by OceanAvenue187 t3_z2af6p in newjersey

In Woodland Park, I was taking the kids to daycare this morning and got rear ended at a red light. The female got out and was apologetic, but then fled the scene when she saw I’m calling 911. It was a busy road, the daycare was half a block to the right of the intersection, so with the police operator on the phone, I got off the busy road and into the daycare parking lot and waited for the police to arrive. The 1 cop didn’t even want to write the police report because I “fled the scene”. The other was more forgiving. They’re not calling this a hit and run because they’re considering me just as guilty for leaving the scene. Has this happened to anyone else?

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QuarterCupRice t1_ixfnyci wrote

I moved my car after I got rear ended and the other car fled as well. The state police where much nicer then your police. I’m sorry they gave you a hard time. I always thought you were told to move the cars if everyone was uninjured and if the cars were blocking traffic.
The cops were just jerks, or at least one was.

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfo997 wrote

THANK YOU!!!! Yes, this is what I needed to hear. I don’t understand how the “don’t move your car” rule is more important than the safety of passengers…?!

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Sirlancemehlot t1_ixg5nz3 wrote

There is no "don't move your car rule" in NJ. You are actually obligated to move put of the traffic pattern to a safe area if your car is operational. Just FYI

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psuedonymously t1_ixh9b0j wrote

> There is no "don't move your car rule" in NJ. You are actually obligated to move put of the traffic pattern to a safe area if your car is operational. Just FYI

It really pisses me off how many people will jam traffic for miles by blocking a lane because they had a slight fender bender and they think they have to preserve the crime scene instead of pulling over to the shoulder, as if a CSI team is on the way to gather forensic evidence on your broken taillight.

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ohnjaynb t1_ixhdmnz wrote

True, but cops are enforcing this behavior so I don't blame them.

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squeaky-to-b t1_ixhlh3t wrote

Yes! It's not a crime scene, pull your car over.

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bbqawss t1_ixih9u5 wrote

did you or u/psuedonymously actually read the post at the top?

OP is quite literally telling you why people don't move. be mad at idiot cops not the people trying to comply with them.

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psuedonymously t1_ixiwm82 wrote

They don’t move because they heard about an idiot cop on reddit this morning?

Hell, let’s say that’s true despite the confusing temporal mechanics that would require. I’m going to take the position that it’s better to get yelled at by one misguided cop than grind rush hour traffic to a standstill for an hour.

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bbqawss t1_ixixtdg wrote

why do ppl play dumb in situations like this? obv i don't believe this exact story is the reason all ppl do it.

but because ppl know that police will do anything to give them a hard time, this story is an easy example of the reason why they do what they do.

and im glad u feel safe enough around cops that "getting yelled at by a misguided cop" is the worst outcome u can imagine for urself here. not everyone is in the same boat.

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psuedonymously t1_ixiz2md wrote

It’s not complicated. Do not leave your operational car in the middle of traffic, period. It’s dangerous, it’s illegal, it’s incredibly inconsiderate.

While the police in the US are a violent, often racist institution are you seriously making the case that you have to break this law because of that? If you encounter a dangerous, racist cop you’re even more likely to trigger them by breaking the law than following it.

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squeaky-to-b t1_ixjo5cb wrote

Yea, I did, I just happen to agree with the user who said that even if they had not moved their car, the cop would have reprimanded them, just instead for blocking traffic.

My husband has been involved in multiple hit and runs. He's been reprimanded for moving, and for not moving, and in one case where the driver didnt flee the scene, the cop insisted there was nothing he could do because he didn't witness the accident despite there being immediately accessible video evidence.

Most cops aren't going to help you anyway, so move your damn car out of the middle of the road.

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thisisntlegaladvice0 t1_ixio5lv wrote

Sometimes it's just fear. I was sideswiped by an 18 wheeler on 287. Couldn't see passenger side without exiting into traffic to confirm car was operational and everyone was zooming by so fast, I was afraid to pull from left shoulder to right shoulder.

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Omegacron t1_ixig5hd wrote

Exactly that officer was trying to not write a report.

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1bohan t1_ixg1bq4 wrote

Also- get the report and make sure the cop wasn’t a jerk and edited it… make sure everything was correct

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BF_2 t1_ixg4an7 wrote

I don't think NJ has a rule not to move your car. IIRC you are supposed to move your car out of traffic. It is not fleeing the scene if you're still in the vicinity.

Get an attorney. Have the attorney tare that cop a new one for expecting you to remain in the travel lane with a car full of children.

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Flaky-Fish6922 t1_ixgx35h wrote

honestly, consider complaining to whoever will listen(city council?), removing your car (and your kids) to a safe place should never be criticized,

conflating that's with actually fleeing the scene... that's just a prick being a prick,

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BenBishopsButt t1_ixhg26u wrote

Yep. Complaining to the police chief directly is a waste of breath. Probably nothing will happen anyways but at least your council members are elected.

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doglywolf t1_ixhmcrb wrote

take a few pics and move your car - your protecting your kids , other people on the road , not causing huge delays for everyone else - cops should understand that .

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thebusiness7 t1_ixghm85 wrote

Question: what was the degree of damage to your car?

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KhaoticPenguin t1_ixjtvl3 wrote

The safety of you and your passengers is first, those police were just being lazy. Even if a cop is pulling you over, you have the right to wait until their is a safe place to pull over.

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solesme t1_ixi8gpb wrote

Did they ever catch the person? I'm starting to see a trend where people hit and run.

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixj90y8 wrote

Yes, I got a picture of her plates and they traced it to an Enterprise and got her information.

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onelten t1_ixfnskx wrote

there is a self a report form you can use if the police won’t do one.

it’s been my experience the insurance companies figure out what happened, that’s what your coverage does. the report is a guide for them to sort out who owes what, but ultimately they decide.

to each their own, but the two times i was in a crash, i moved my car out of the road-i’m not getting hit again and risking getting hurt. like i said, insurance will figure it out.

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfo162 wrote

Okay, thanks. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s concerned about getting hit again in that situation.

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onelten t1_ixg0g5b wrote

the other thing to keep in mind too is that to you and me this is a rare thing, but to your insurance company this is a daily thing. they work for you, ask them questions if you don’t understand-they’ll explain it to you; just be polite and patient.

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perlelaluna t1_ixh4lw0 wrote

Your car insurance does not work for you. Your car insurance works for itself and its profitability. If it can find you partially liable, it doesn’t have to pay you out- or (bonus!) it can even raise your insurance as well. I was rear ended twice in NJ, no fault of mine, one total loss car, and I wish I had just paid for everything out of pocket.

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onelten t1_ixh8wda wrote

my experience was different. i was very happy with my company. no doubt some companies put the customer last.

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perlelaluna t1_ixhet8r wrote

That would be geico. Ironically, all cars involved in those accidents both times were geico, so there was no winning to be had for them. I guess they just tried to minimize damage to their cash flow.

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DiplomaticGoose t1_ixg784z wrote

if you want to cya I'd always reccomend a cheapish dashcam, just makes life easier in the worst case scenarios

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Deep-Dimension8326 t1_ixhr5wm wrote

I was just about to say this. Having a dash cam is probably one of the best things you can do for yourself if you own a car. You have no idea how many times it will save u from dirty cops to a bad accident. To even catching something that could help someone else’s life if u have evidence.

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Flat_Outcome_6408 t1_ixjue39 wrote

I got in an accident this summer on a not as busy road for that time of day. And, the 911 operator asking me to move my car if I could and before I could the cop was knocking on my window asking me to pull to the side of the road

🤷‍♀️ idk what’s proper and not ..I’m not a cop

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JoPeSup t1_ixfptlm wrote

cops being F’ing useless, yeah, that’s usually about 99% from all my experience.

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cd2220 t1_ixgncux wrote

Maybe the cop knew the rear ender? I mean I know that's some tin foil hat shit without evidence but why would they be so willing to defend someone who just committed a hit and run when taking your vehicle out of traffic if possible is both proper procedure and the safer option for everyone?

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixh2kxi wrote

It felt more like them not caring and wanting to do the least amount of work possible.

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mickhugh t1_ixif622 wrote

They're not defending the person who did the hit and run. They're defending their hope of not having to do paperwork and potentially appearing in court later down the line.

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_TommySalami t1_ixfrcpt wrote

These cops were jerks. You were right to move out of traffic. I've literally had a car hit me and take off while a cop witnessed it (Lyndhurst, big surprise) and he told me to go file a report. He wouldn't pull the person over, he was on a gabbagool break.

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finalremix t1_ixfxc5e wrote

Camden police told me to fuck off and stop wasting their time after they refused to do anything when I was in a hit and run. The response I got at the station was "well, your car's fine if you got here, and you're standing up, so you're not hurt. What do you want me to do about it?"

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homeworld t1_ixh5207 wrote

My car was stolen in Hoboken and the cops insisted that if I didn’t see somebody steal it I have no proof it was stolen. It was just a “missing” car...

It’s still missing to this day, 10 years later.

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Agathyrsi t1_ixhxvgs wrote

I've had Hoboken police tell me how they've been informed to juke the stats like that, and I've had old family tell me it's longstanding. Ever since ~2000 they want to pretend there's no crime there and it is a post-grad playground.

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rmoney27 t1_ixhpkaz wrote

If they didn't take your statement and file a report, you could've sued the department.

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Fallen_Mercury t1_ixhpne9 wrote

"Oh this? This isn't stolen cash. It is missing cash that happened to find."

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flashnuke t1_ixhnff6 wrote

Some people I was friends with went to Camden to sell a quad, got ran up on by 2 people with a gun while showing the initial person the bike, bike gets stolen, friends call cops and the cops go 'you guys sound white, what are you doing out here trying to sell a bike' and that was that

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flashnuke t1_ixhngt5 wrote

Some people I was friends with went to Camden to sell a quad, got ran up on by 2 people with a gun while showing the initial person the bike, bike gets stolen, friends call cops and the cops go 'you guys sound white, what are you doing out here trying to sell a bike' and that was that.

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Fallen_Mercury t1_ixhpfia wrote

That's their fucking problem not yours. They dont have to agree with you. Who cares what they think? They don't make the laws and they aren't judges. Although they often think they're both.

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chuchunk t1_ixfzipa wrote

Ahh good old Lyndhurst PD, what a joke

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TheOkGazoo t1_ixhao3m wrote

Lyndhurst and Woodland Park cops are more useless than Uvalde cops

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Chrisproulx98 t1_ixffpxp wrote

Yes. In NJ we are a no fault state meaning they often don't want to assign blame. The insurance company then assigns blame which often results in partial blame even if you don't feel you had any blame. This can reduce the amount they will pay you for damages.

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfh8fo wrote

My insurance said the other car is to blame. Just really disappointed with the way the police handled it.

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No-Wishbone-8922 t1_ixfq9i3 wrote

You don’t even need a police report for insurance. I’ve been rear ended and we just let our insurances handle it, the other guy’s insurance paid for everything.
Do you have the other driver’s info tho?

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfqr1r wrote

Really? That’s interesting. The police had to call Enterprise to get the information.

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RippingAallDay t1_ixgrzw7 wrote

Just chiming in to say the same thing: I was rear ended in late 2012 (relatively minor accident) & insurance just handled it completely.

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CliffLanterns t1_ixh286c wrote

Also want to add I've been in an accident with no police report (minor parking lot hit). I also work in the collision industry and work closely with insurance companies. They definitely prefer a police report but they are not necessary; it's mainly to verify who's at fault from what I've been told.

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poland626 t1_ixgvcsp wrote

I bet they're lying though. Let the insurance handle it

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demwoodz t1_ixfv4zo wrote

Is this the first time you’ve been disappointed by the police? Not to sound judgmental of you but kind of the reality of most people. Thanks m glad you and your kids are safe and I’m sorry this happened to you guys.

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RedForman1776 t1_ixg63xq wrote

This is a misconception. No fault only pertains in injuries not property damage (auto claims rep for 5+ years). It doesn’t reduce how much they pay for damages unless you are going 3rd party. Your own carrier will make you “whole” again by repairing or paying the value of the vehicle minus your deductible if the vehicle is totaled. The other carrier my not offer to pay for 100% of the damage based on their investigation.

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Chrisproulx98 t1_ixg8sgi wrote

I respect your experience but I recall being squeezed by the adjuster who was trying to squeeze some of the blame out of my compensation.

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Dozzi92 t1_ixh5pe8 wrote

A rear-end hit will almost certainly result in liability going 100% to the car in the rear, unless there's some incontrovertible proof that OP did something ridiculous, and then even then it'd only shift partially.

That being said, driver fled, hopefully OP has UM/UIM.

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emveetu t1_ixgebs7 wrote

Guaranteed if you had left your car where it was, this asshole cop would have given you shit for impeding the flow of traffic or some shit because you didn't move it after you got rear-ended.

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nemoknows t1_ixfymb8 wrote

No, you need to stay in the road and disrupt traffic, so everyone gets stressed out and late and if you’re lucky cause some more accidents.

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Entire_Standard2969 t1_ixfxc0o wrote

I was hit by a car in NJ and the driver fled - police told me that there was nothing they could do to help me since I didn't take the time to get the license plate. Still not sure how I was supposed to get the license plate of a fleeing car at night.

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RedForman1776 t1_ixg68vo wrote

Not sure exactly what happened for you, but the police aren’t going to launch in an investigation to locate that car unless injuries were involved.

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nancymeadows242 t1_ixh7pl4 wrote

Finally! if there are no personal injuries or substantial loss of property, the police will not do CSI:New Jersey. Crashes without personal injury and/or minor property damage, take pictures of the cars positions and move out of traffic.

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wipeyourtears t1_ixgma6h wrote

If you really want to address the issue really peeving you - the rude police officer - you can make a complaint. It’s more straight forward if its State police but since its local you’ll have to deal with local pd. This link has a great guide as to how to file complaint and also informs you of your rights in filing a complaint. Sorry this happened to you. NJ.Gov File Complaint against Officer

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OGMcGibblets t1_ixg7ae9 wrote

can we replace our police with useful people?

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lost_in_life_34 t1_ixfj1g0 wrote

get a dashcam, if you had this on video you could have tracked down the driver and filed a claim with their insurance and not yours. or next time also buy a car with cameras that can record an accident

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfln8h wrote

I actually got a picture of her license plate before she took off. I got out the car and that’s the second thing I did, after dialing 911. Wasn’t going to take a chance. But still couldn’t believe she took off. I guess this is a common thing, hit and runs. Disgusting.

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Shishkebarbarian t1_ixg3l76 wrote

so glad you took a pic. that's 100% the very first thing that needs to be done in an accident. video or photos. soooo many people flee. I'm angry for you at the way the police treated you. wtf.

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RedForman1776 t1_ixg6en3 wrote

Let the insurance company know, they’ll be able to perform a plate search for the car and then be able to pull the other parties insurance info and then they can subrogate for damages

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lost_in_life_34 t1_ixfn671 wrote

which doesn't really prove anything since you didn't catch the event

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Videoboysayscube t1_ixfzn8a wrote

There would be some sign of damage to their car, and the GPS data on their phone would pin them at the exact location as OP. The evidence is there, it's just a question of being able to obtain it.

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfndkk wrote

This is true.

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Duamerthrax t1_ixg1h3h wrote

There should be corresponding damage on her car. Scrapped paint at least that should match yours. As long as you act before she can get it fixed, you should have a case.

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Skerppp t1_ixfi4j7 wrote

You can move your car if you don’t feel safe, it just has to be “reasonable” or within reason.. but once the car is moved it makes it harder for the cops to properly investigate the accident.. so it’s best to not move the car. In NJ your insurance covers you regardless of whether or not the police find the other driver…. So you don’t really have to worry too much about that. The only difference it makes is if the other driver isn’t found, then they get away without getting tickets that they might deserve.. which is annoying but it’s not the end of the world for you.

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Dang3rCl0se t1_ixfxqtm wrote

Police always give conflicting response about whether it's okay to move after an accident or not.

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RedForman1776 t1_ixg6bzm wrote

I know insurance cards used to have the direction to not move your car from the scene of the accident, but cops will tell you to move it to free up traffic/create a safer environment

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Goldfish2022 t1_ixfriwj wrote

I'd try to get surveillance footage from cameras to get the license of the person who hit you. Maybe something an insurance investigator might do?

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixh2spj wrote

I got a picture of the license plate before she fled

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Goldfish2022 t1_ixhy3cr wrote

If someone hit your car how can the cop say you fled the scene?! smh I'd pursue it with the insurance company to find the guy

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RedForman1776 t1_ixg6jyc wrote

Negative. Most places won’t release the footage without a subpoena. So unless there was injuries this is kind of sunk.

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Goldfish2022 t1_ixgfwdx wrote

Yep, understood, that's why I thought maybe insurance investigator might be an avenue to get it, bc they would know how to obtain it with all the legal i's dotted and t's crossed.

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rtk117117 t1_ixfza6o wrote

I have no issues with you moving the car to a safe location. Common sense thing to do.

The cop not wanting to write a police report because you moved your car is unfortunate. I guess he was going to give you a state form, which you fill out yourself and submit it to your insurance company.

Them not calling it a hit and run because you moved your car I think is harsh. Obviously, you called 911 and provided your info to the police unlike the other driver.

What you can do is go to municipal court and sign a ticket yourself against the other driver, but then you have to go to court, which may be a hassle.

Finally, if you are not happy with the way the cops handled your stressed filled incident, you can simply call the station and make a complaint.

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RedForman1776 t1_ixg5u3o wrote

Not sure about Woodland Park, but I know in Newark, Jersey City and NYC the cops won’t write a report for an accident unless there are injuries or the car is disabled.

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dlstove t1_ixgkll0 wrote

First of all, it’s West Paterson.

Second of all, that first cop is a piece of shit. If local cops are telling you that they consider you fled the scene then they are punting it to the state police. Best of luck to you

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onlyme1984 t1_ixgo8gu wrote

  1. I’m with you on the name always being West Paterson lol!

  2. Guess not much has changed over the years b/c cops in that town have always sucked…

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sovinyl t1_ixgob7g wrote

I was hit on 80 in Paterson, driver fled the scene. I was dead stopped and on the phone with 911, was told to move my car to the safe area. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I have geico and they wanted a police report. I waited 4 weeks for a police report and geico contacted me every few days following up for one.

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infomanus t1_ixfipbf wrote

Newark police do not respond to accidents unless there is an injury Should be uniform rules

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Basedrum777 t1_ixfoh03 wrote

Their job should always include going to accidents. In most towns they're not busy otherwise anyway.

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homeworld t1_ixh58de wrote

Then that means they are not reporting crash data

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JimTheJerseyGuy t1_ixgu77f wrote

Getting the kids to a safe area would seem to be paramount. Given that the facility was that close and that you were already speaking with the police this seems a no-brainer.

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jrdidriks t1_ixh5ej1 wrote

Oh no what will we do without the police!? Who will come late and not help at all? When i voted for defund I meant defund. This is ridiculous.

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[deleted] t1_ixfov61 wrote

In Garfield my mom was hit on the side and the cops and the person at fault seemed to be on the same side to the point where she had to u turn all the way down the street come back a2 mins later she’s back a the scene where the two cops and perp disappeared into thin air

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Smuldering t1_ixgyrf3 wrote

I have also had a terrible experience with West Paterson police when it comes to a minor car accident. So, my condolences.

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[deleted] t1_ixffn97 wrote

[deleted]

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfgunc wrote

The cops have explained this to me, but as a mother, am I really supposed to wait on a busy street and hope no one hits us again…?

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[deleted] t1_ixfhfia wrote

[deleted]

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iamgamerman t1_ixfuwah wrote

This is absolutely not true. You are the type of person parking it in the middle of the road and causing dangerous traffic trying to navigate around you. You can 100% pull your car to the side of the road or a parking lot. And absolutely do not get out to stand in the middle of the road, pull over to a safe location. I see this all the time and in NJ and it is both bewildering and infuriating.

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LinguineLegs t1_ixh2rgp wrote

Was never like this back in the day either. Some idiot cop probably scolded someone for pulling to the side of the road in the early 2000’s, this person then probably began spreading this misinformation as law, then internet word of mouth did internet things and here we are…

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfhnfe wrote

Next time I definitely won’t move my vehicle. But I moved it today only because the woman who hit me fled the scene and I wanted to get off the busy road. But I see now that was the wrong thing to do.

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Katyann623 t1_ixfhzyd wrote

I’ve seen my fair share of ridiculous police tickets. I had a friend in college get a ticket for fleeing the scene after she returned to the scene of an accident she WITNESSED. She was in front of the car that crashed and saw it in her rear view mirror. She in no way caused the accident or was involved and still had to pay the fine for fleeing the scene.

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LinguineLegs t1_ixh2xei wrote

No, definitely move your vehicle, just don’t drive a mile down the road. Get front and back dash cams.

People also confuse a police report as proof for insurance. Even if the police report says you are 100% absolved of fault, the insurance companies very well likely will side differently.

Dash cams are irrefutable proof.

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LinguineLegs t1_ixfod98 wrote

No, no you’re not. Don’t listen to all the false information in this thread. Bunch of know nothing, no it all’s.

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rxbandit256 t1_ixfj7xs wrote

This is not true, as a matter of fact, you don't even have to have to call the police if you don't want to. You can exchange information and file your own report via the Department of Transportation website. That report gets sent to the state police.

Edit: hahaha changed Department of Transpiration to Department of Transportation.

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KevOK80 t1_ixfnppv wrote

Thank you for calling this out. The amount of people who sit on the highway causing miles of delays while waiting for the cops to show up for a fender bender is infuriating. Move off the fucking road, exchange information and be on your way.

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[deleted] t1_ixfjczx wrote

[deleted]

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rxbandit256 t1_ixfkexc wrote

Your move the vehicle if you're in an unsafe location. For example, on a highway, police will advise you to pull to the shoulder. In this case, leave the middle of the intersection.

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yad76 t1_ixfp65s wrote

That is completely false. You are supposed to move over to the shoulder unless the car is damaged to the point that it won't move.

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fieseldumes t1_ixfjjqs wrote

Except in New York City, if there are no injuries you will wait hours for police response and if you don’t move out of travel lanes the cops will pull up and force you to and then drive away while you wait for a different cop to come take the report. Ask me how I know lol

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SnooWords4839 t1_ixfln55 wrote

Did you get a picture of her plate?

Any businesses in the area that may have cameras?

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OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfmjjd wrote

I got a picture of her plate, so the police tracked her information down.

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SnooWords4839 t1_ixfv9ud wrote

That's great!! Your insurance company should take care of the rest!!

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Jsnooots t1_ixh6omy wrote

Garbage people.

They yelled at my coworker for staying in the road....in her car that was broken from an accident.

"Move to the side lady, you are blocking the road and traffic and making it worse."

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arthuriurilli t1_ixhjbr0 wrote

Yep. Got a ticket (in Philly, not NJ) for "failure to clear the scene of an accident" because it wasn't safe for me to pull over.

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metsurf t1_ixhedi4 wrote

You are allowed to move to a safe place in the vicinity of the accident. These cops are dicks

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hydrosis_talon t1_ixhh6pb wrote

Finally my town gets a reddit post and it's about the cops. They're one of my favorite topics. I have lived in Woodland Park my whole life and I have a huge problem with the cops here. All they care about is "keeping Paterson out" as they put it.

When I was 17 I was an asshole, on Halloween me and my friends took all the candy someone left out in a bowl. So the drunk guy whose house it was jumped in his car and searched the neighborhood for me. When he found me he jumped out of his car and started screaming he was a cop but wouldn't show any ID so when he tries to grab my bag I tell him no. He doesn't like that so he starts beating me. He then pulls me into a small deli where he knew the owner and slammed me to the floor and held me there until the cops arrived after the deli owner called them. So when the cops show up they don't even take a statement from me or my 4 friends who were witnesses. They just believe everything he says even though I kept telling them he was lying. Apparently he's a prison guard and all the cops know him so his word on the matter was final. Afterwards we took it to the police to try and get him charged with assault. That went no where. They wouldn't even interview my friends.

They did nothing because he's a law enforcement officer and they only care about keeping Paterson out. I got stuck with fairly serious PTSD from the incident and he basically got a pat on the back by the cops for assaulting me.

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xBaconater t1_ixhhqqs wrote

Sounds like jersey cops to me from my experience

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Electronic-Nature114 t1_ixh9qpr wrote

Seems like he was just looking for a convenient excuse not to work…

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BulbasaurCPA t1_ixhelih wrote

I wouldn’t expect anything else from jersey cops unfortunately

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CHEMICALalienation t1_ixhesv0 wrote

One time someone slit my tires while I was parked on a public road and the cops threatened me because my car was registered to my grandpa, not me

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Routine-Unit-3086 t1_ixhooyl wrote

If you get hit don't move. Because now things can get complicated fast.

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JoeMarini t1_ixhphsi wrote

Because cops are assholes

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TuesDazeGone t1_ixgq69g wrote

I've been in 2 rear end accidents and both times we all pulled out of traffic. The police weren't upset, especially bc the one time we were all in line at a busy light waiting to crossing a highway.

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lordGwillen t1_ixh1q7o wrote

Get a dash cam! So next time (hopefully you never need it) there’s no question about what happened

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doubtfulisland t1_ixh5jpt wrote

They can only investigate an accident as it is not as it was(I learned this the hard way). Record cell phone video and take pics as soon as you exit the vehicle. Never move your car unless your life is in danger.

Call the cops supervisor they were behaving like dicks saying you fled.Always have cams in your car and take pics/record from your cell phone in case they flee.

I hope you and your little ones are OK I'm sorry this happened.

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SCDaddy1 t1_ixh79qr wrote

I have had an accident in NYC, truck driver left saying he didn’t do it. I followed him and the police stayed on the phone and caught up with me a few miles down the road. They didn’t issue him a summons, they filed a report, and I gave my dash cam video in to the insurance. Problem solved. Cops were cool. No issues with 100%payment. Other driver never even responded to my insurance company.
Accident in jersey, in my town of hamilton. Rear ended. Called 911. Informed no one was hurt, they said to move to side of road, came by in about 15 minutes and filed a report. Cops were great, again. Sent in dash cam video to insurance, and no issues with 100% payment again…. My insurance hasn’t raised because of this either.
Moral of story…. Get a DASH CAM!! Then, Pray it isn’t your fault!, if it is, don’t send them the video!

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Electronic-Nature114 t1_ixh99yl wrote

Same thing earlier this month, we both moved into a parking lot. No.

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Demonkey44 t1_ixhemaf wrote

In general, take a picture of the car license plate when you get in an accident. Take pics of both cars timestamped right after the accident. I find this also limits false injury claims.

Do that first thing and you’ll limit the runners.

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ptowndavid t1_ixhix47 wrote

Woodland Park cops. Uff. If you are a person of color- double uff.

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DatPukLyfe t1_ixhktd3 wrote

OP did you have a dash cam?

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mike403252 t1_ixhl8yh wrote

You should not move your vehicles until police arrive and your instructed to do so.

If you got the other vehicles registration you could do a self report.

Taking everything into account the police should have just done the report.

Especially in a small Passaic County....

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Zedoplastico t1_ixho5jq wrote

Kinda happened to me once, got rear ended on Park Ave in Linden, the driver came out and was apologetic but then became upset once he saw that I was calling 911. I did the opposite of what you did, first got his license plate, then did not move my car.

One cop was annoyed that I was blocking traffic, the other filled out the report and was able to ID the other vehicle based on the Info I provided.

Good luck to you.

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chrisnj5 t1_ixhoc57 wrote

I was a 911 dispatcher, idk if I would consider that leaving the scene but some would. You could fill out a NJ self accident reporting form. Typically when we take crashes we say pull to the side of the road out of the lane of travel, half a block down doesn’t typically qualify tbh. But traffic cops (who take a lot of the crash reports depending on the town) aren’t the friendliest guys in the world worthier

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StableGeniusCovfefe t1_ixhqtib wrote

most cops cant be bothered with car accidents and resent having to handle them...and honestly, they shouldn't be involved.

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bassbeater t1_ixhsfub wrote

Don't you know it's your fault?

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Zypher042 t1_ixht6mi wrote

Yeah, they want you to stay until the police show up. I've had this happen. It sucks and is so anti-intuitive.

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solesme t1_ixi93mq wrote

Wtf is up with people rear ending people and running away. This happened to me a few weeks ago too, and I figured the lady was intoxicated if she is willing to turn an simple accident into a hit and run.

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Sirgent53 t1_ixije3k wrote

I am an UBER driver and I got assaulted in my car in Patterson. I went to the PD and they told me that if I couldn't give them the name of the rider, there was nothing they could do. UBER refused to cooperate and I ended up writing the whole thing off as a bad experience. The police in Patterson were helpless. I don't understand why we pay so much in taxes for the lack of service that we receive. I am sometimes tempted to go to a town council meeting and bitch out the cops in public.

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mklinger23 t1_ixio49s wrote

Damn. Guess I'm just gonna be that asshole that doesn't move their car when I get into an accident. Sorry guys.

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Cabincleaninglady t1_ixis1xk wrote

A girl once blew a red light and sideswiped me. My credentials all fell off the passenger seat onto the floor and all the airbags went off. The first cop told me not to retrieve my license because the fumes are toxic. Later, a second cop gave me a ticket for failure to show my license.
My car was totaled and I refused to walk to court to fight that ticket on principle. Of course, I didn’t win there. Infuriating!

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metal_melisha t1_ixists9 wrote

If you have the license plate, go to the police station and make a report yourself, and speak to the chief. Cops are way too quick to be aggressive to the victim in a situation. I was involved in a hit and run, and was physically assaulted. The cop was nasty to ME. Thankfully more cops showed, and a policewoman took my defense, and showed up at the runners door with a warrant (Tracked him through the plate) The cops failed to protect you and the children in the car. Sorry you had to go through this.

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Ksilv82 t1_ixj8opn wrote

Yes insurance companies want a police report but we also know most cops won’t come to the scene of the accident anymore. They may just want your phone records to confirm you called them.

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Flaky_Plastic_3407 t1_ixjjil7 wrote

I had a similar incident. As I was passing someone, they decided to change lanes into my car and hit me. It was a busy road, So I pulled over about 10 feet ahead so I had some room. This person decides to just sit there and never get out of their car. Finally after a few minutes I get back in my car because it's raining and they end up leaving and turning down the next block. I go home, and about a half hour later I get a visit from from police that I fled the scene.

I had to hire a lawyer to get the charge for fleeing the scene dismissed because it would've been a big hit to my driving record.

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QuarterCupRice t1_ixjzh4d wrote

Yes, the state police were great. They searched the area and found the other vehicle.
I would not have done anything if they didn’t flee. It was just a cracked tow hitch cover. Unfortunately I got screwed because the police report goes to some kind of reporting agency and it effected the resale value of my car since it had been in an “accident.” No one’s fault, just bad luck. :(

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Cerebralbore t1_ixkeeni wrote

Hit and runs suck. I've had it happen as this guy who was in a turning lane tried to overtake me so that he go straight. He was driving a U-Haul truck and broke my mirror. I didn't stop because it was right in the middle of the intersection and there was the street in this area is narrow with no place to pull over. I followed him for a while thinking he would stop but of course not.

Called the police and they said the same thing - I left the scene so my only option was to do a self-report which is pretty much useless. I did it and they sent me something saying that it's been documented, that's it. Called U-Haul reported the driver and plate. They claimed no damage was on that vehicle, driver denied everything, and I had to come out of pocket almost $200 to fix my mirror. The end.

Sorry, that happened to you though.

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glorydaze2 t1_ixoe6tt wrote

90% of police would want you to move .sound like they are lazy douches

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Bloodbathowl t1_ixpqxp2 wrote

Just curious, how far from the red light was the daycare center? If it was right there on the corner, then thats no big deal. But if you drove away from the scene to a whole other area, you'd have to complete and submit your own accident report to the state ((self accident report)).

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lightgreenspirits t1_ixh69s5 wrote

Must have been township cops.

The state police would never give you a hard time like that I don’t think

Sry you had a bad morning friend

0

Fallen_Mercury t1_ixhpqk8 wrote

Cops are neither lawyers nor legislators. Many of them do not accurately understand many of the laws they're supposed to enforce. Just because they say something doesn't make it so.

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Psychological-Ad8175 t1_ixh4ira wrote

Need front and back cameras standard on all cars. These idiots fleeing scenes need to get chased down and hunted like the animals they are.

Had a drunk driver rear end me years back at a red light. He tried to restart his car to flee which started a fire. They asked why I didn't try to help him get out since he nearly died before the cops rescued him. I said it's just what comes around. His blood was at a .1.

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Flimsy-Ask-7531 t1_ixhd5k8 wrote

Lmao how about you reach out to a lawyer instead of Reddit

−2

dethskwirl t1_ixh6yzr wrote

You don't have to call the cops or leave your car at the accident.

In fact, you should just get the other drivers info, call your insurance and their insurance, then move along with your day.

The cop was probably just annoyed with you for being that typical karen who calls the cops and starts crying about a literal accident.

He probably condescendingly said, "well you moved from the scene too, so I have no way of knowing what happened and who was at fault"

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arthuriurilli t1_ixhjkl1 wrote

Insurance companies often demand a police report.

Which is stupid as hell, but somebody isn't a Karen for calling the cops after somebody hit and run them.

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thirtythr33 t1_ixhsam5 wrote

yes, but you can file for a police report without police responding to the accident if there is not significant damage or physical injury. the police report serves as a legal document swearing the accident occurred under penalty of perjury or other criminal charges if falsely filed.

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[deleted] t1_ixfil5h wrote

[removed]

−10

spiritfiend t1_ixfvu3o wrote

This is wrong information. OP identified themselves to police and told them exactly where to find them. Just because you get in an accident, you shouldn't block the road and make everyone's commute miserable if your car can get to a safe place to wait for law enforcement.

The cops were just being pricks because nobody wants to work.

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Linenoise77 t1_ixfmfti wrote

before we start crucifying people.....

What kind of damage was done.

−14

OceanAvenue187 OP t1_ixfna63 wrote

My car got minimal damage (I’m in a Suburban, she had a Ford Fusion) but the whiplash was pretty strong, (it jolted my lower back) my 1 toddler got a concussion.

3

No-Wishbone-8922 t1_ixfr0l0 wrote

This is serious. Concussion is no joke! And if the other driver fled the scene of accident, she may get in big trouble. Make sure you save all medical reports, etc.

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