All DC bike commuters, PLEASE READ! Need witness!!!
11-03-07, 08:18 AM
#1
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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!
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!
11-03-07, 11:36 AM
#3
Señor Miembro
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Yep, sounds like a lawyer's in order. Too bad there aren't any of those around DC...If your bike is as totaled as it sounds it should be pretty easy to prove who was at fault.
11-03-07, 12:32 PM
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Drunken Master
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Contact a lawyer I would say. But along with that, to add my 2 cents, try to go back to the accident site, and try to remember exactly how it happened. If the taxi says you hit is mirror, what did you hit ? your hand, handle bar ?? ... if it did, how come your hand has no injury ... How was your bicycle totaled if you had hit his mirror ... Things like that... Some times such small details help ... If you can exactly remember how it happened, and account for how exactly your bicycle was damaged, may be you would have a stronger case ...
11-03-07, 03:52 PM
#5
Two H's!!! TWO!!!!!
Sorry, man. Most taxi drivers I've encountered have been despicable scumbags... (of course so are most lawyers...)
11-03-07, 03:55 PM
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Sorry to hear about your accident, sounds like you need a lawyer. For witnesses, you may want to also try the BikeWashington discussion group, https://groups.yahoo.com/group/BikeWashingtonDC/
As an aside, Thomas Circle was restriped about a year ago and it's an absolute disaster. It was criminal negligence to put bike lanes in a traffic circle.
As an aside, Thomas Circle was restriped about a year ago and it's an absolute disaster. It was criminal negligence to put bike lanes in a traffic circle.
__________________
The United States of America is the only democratic nation in the world to deny citizens living in the nation's capital representation in the national legislature. District residents have no vote in either the U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives. www.dcvote.org
The United States of America is the only democratic nation in the world to deny citizens living in the nation's capital representation in the national legislature. District residents have no vote in either the U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives. www.dcvote.org
11-03-07, 04:01 PM
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that bike nut
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I hate taxis. I truly do. I would never get in one or give them any money. Most Police officers feel the same way. If you are lucky you can find one sympathetic and can scare the other taxi b@st@rd out of his story with the threat of jail time.
