Northeast - All DC bike commuters, PLEASE READ! Need witness!!!

I commute from Adams Morgan to downtown on my bike everyday, and I recently was hit by a taxi while going around Thomas Circle. This happened this past Thursday morning at roughly 8:20am. I was wearing jeans and a gray hoody and a black helmet, on a gray and dark blue cannondale road bike. I was hit by a dark brown taxi. If anyone saw this accident PLEASE CONTACT ME!!! I NEED WITNESSES! call me at 484-357-8823, or email me at mlesteve@gmail.com.

The taxi did stop and when I asked for his insurance info he refused to give that or his license to me and left the scene when I said i would call the police and went to write down his tag #. He offered me $20 cash to "fix" my bike. I told him it was more like $1500, and there was no way he was going to give me cash for that. He is now claiming that I ran into his taxi while he was stopped at a red light damaging his side mirror. He has a "witness", another taxi driver who didn't come by until 10 min after the accident, and they both vouch that I said i was at fault and offered him money for his mirror. does that make any sense!? why would i call the cops then??? Anyway, if anyone did see this accident happen, please contact me. my bike is completely totaled ($1500) and the police report now has his fabricated story backed by a "un-biased" witness. PLEASE HELP!

That it seems messed up but I doubt you'll get much help here in terms of witnesses.

Sorry. Can't help as a witness.
What did the police write on the report?

I know this is probably a long shot but could there be a traffic, surveillance or other type of camera in the area?

any local shops, venders, personel who you could ask there (to follow bob's lead above)?
post "request for info" poster in area w/date and time...on area phone-polls, parking meters, etc. with $ reward.
inform the local police of your search and reasoning.
good luck...!

I have the same commute but was totally in bed still at 8:20 on Thursday.

If you need a witness like his, PM me.

bummer.
1)Post here, lots of local commuters
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BikeWashingtonDC/

2) I saw some people standing at an intersection w/ signs asking for anyone that saw an accident at that intersection and that time. You might want to do something similar. Stand at the circle around 8 w/ a similar sign, a few mornings this week. Most people drive at the same time on the same roads everyday.
Charlie

I'd second bobfitzgerald's suggestion. DC has so many traffic/security cameras that there's a decent chance that something was caught on tape. Getting the DC police to review that kind of thing for a traffic incident is probably going to be an exercise in futility, but may be worth a shot.

Someone already posted the bikewashington group link. I'll add the unofficial Potomac Pedlers google group: http://groups.google.com/group/pedalers

Does he have good ID on you? Or insurance info? Besides the claim you busted his mirror, any hint of injury to the driver? I ask because 15 years ago, an SOB cabbie backed into me in DC; just before the statute of limitations ran out, he SUED ME for back injuries and damage to his cab. Had an ambulance chasing atty (who turned out to be buddies with the arbitrator), paid off the passenger, and had a doc who swore up and down on his golf catalog the jerk was injured and it was all my fault. Insurance settled for about $40-$50K, he walked off after paying off everyone with about $25K, way more than he claimed he grossed in his best year (or collected the previous time he had an "accident"), and I watched my rates go up. The insurance company's attorney knew it was a scam, said as much, and also that I couldn't afford trying to win it and as a middle-age/income white male, I'd lose in DC court. Sad but true. Cheaper to pay the premiums and get on with life.

Do NOT underestimate these guys - they are sharp, look out for each other, and know every dodge to play the system and aren't above fraud and false testimony if it will make them some money. You already know they will not play by any rules. Just be glad you weren't driving a car - your insurance company would be setting aside NOW what they think it will take to make him go away. He may assume since you're on a bike you aren't worth suing.

If it sounds like I DISLIKE cabbies (esp the ones in the DC area), I do. I know people who have worked as cabbies and it's a hard life for a lot of them. Too bad - one of them screwed me and I'm confident too many of his colleagues would do the same if the opportunity presented itself. :mad:

Good luck - I hope you do find a witness and feed this jerk what is left of his license. Keep complete records of ALL medical and repair expenses just in case and write up as detailed a log of the accident as you can remember. Probably won't do any good, but it will be cathartic.