Originally Posted by dynodonn

No, the police already had the scene cordoned off, and I couldn't get close to the scene, I'm going off the preliminary new reports and photos, and witness statements.

Originally Posted by JeffSG

Hmmmmm...I wonder if they make hi-viz bullet proof vests. You may want to look into it.

Ride safe,

Jeff

Originally Posted by marmot

.... Didn't get a look at the driver, a plate number, or even the make and model of the car.....

Originally Posted by CbadRider

I'm glad you're okay.

What a fine example she set for the four kids in the car. Running into someone, fleeing the scene, then laughing at them when they confront you. Hopefully the kids see that Mom was an idiot, as opposed to thinking it's okay to run cyclists off the road.

Originally Posted by robyr

So that just happened. I was hit by a car on my way home from work this evening. Driver fled the scene. She was arrested shortly afterward and charged with hit and run and improper lane change, and failure to yield. I am OK, just a little scraped up.

I was in my lane, and starting from a red light. The rest of the small amount of traffic that there was had already changed lanes (this was a 4 lane road) and went as normal and is safe, but the driver of a Chevy SUV decided that she just could not wait the 3 seconds longer, and passed me extremely close. I don't know if it was intentional or accidental, but she swerved, hitting me with the right side of her car. I hit the right rear quarter and nearly barreled over, but managed to stay upright even with a few scrapes on my left arm. I expected her to stop because all four of her kids in the back turned around and looked me right in the eye since I had made a pretty loud sound when I hit. She knew she hit someone, but she then fled the scene.

I saw her make a left on to the road that I live off of, and followed closely behind. She pulled in to a fast food restaurant and I followed in, already on the phone with 911. As I was telling her that I was contacting the police and informing her that she hit me, she leaned out the window, laughed in my face and screamed "YOU ARENT SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE ROAD!!!!", and then she attempted to flee again. I followed her back to the main road and saw her go southbound on the highway. At this point I sat down and waited for the officers to come and meet with me. A few minutes later dispatch called me back and said that the police had apprehended her and that it would be a minute for them to come and interview me.

When the officers arrived, I told them the story, wrote a statement, and then went with one of them to identify the driver as the lady that hit me. As we are discussing what actions I want taken, he informs me that she is trying to say that I hit /her/ and ran. He obviously didn't really believe it, but he said I would have to be given a failure to stop ticket as well. At this point I went full on asshat. I demanded that I talk to a Lt. and that I wanted assault and battery charges filed. He went back to the lady and her kids and from there I can only infer that he explained that the law was on my side, and that pushing the issue like she was trying to do would result in a very major criminal charge against her, and that I would likely win. The husband had arrived by this point and apparently talked some sense in to her, because when the officer came back he explained that she would be given a Failure To Yield ticket, a ticket for Fleeing the Scene of an Accident, and a ticket for Improper Lane Change or Signal.

All in all, I am very pleased that she finally took responsibility, and that the law really did work for me this time, but I left with the intense realization of how lucky I was, and how we all need to be on guard for our own safety, even when we are well within our rights and within the law.

Guys, do not take petty assaults and gross negligence lightly. Report incidents to the police. Get tag numbers first and foremost, and PLEASE be careful. This woman, and the rest of her family will now be paying a hefty price for what amounts to a simple impatient action, but I'll bet she, and no one she knows, will ever try it again.

As an aside, South Carolina has one of the nation's strictest, well enforced code of laws when it comes to infractions involving bicyclists. I found that it was a model program for the rest of the country. Check it out: https://www.bikeleague.org/members/pd..._august_08.pdf

Originally Posted by robyr

I am just glad that I wasn't immobilized by the accident and was able to track this "person" down. It is just truly amazing to me that someone would risk a life to get to a fast food restaurant 3 seconds faster. She hadn't even ordered by the time I had run her down and contacted 911 dispatch.

Originally Posted by Digital_Cowboy

Uh, why was the husband allowed to have access to her while the investigation was still underway? Shouldn't he had been instructed to stay away from his wife until she was released?

Originally Posted by robyr

She was in cuffs . . .

Originally Posted by 2wheelcommute

Boy, is that a great mental image.

Originally Posted by robyr

She was in cuffs, he was there to take the kids and the car. Also, there is no investigation at this point. She ran from the police. Period. She was getting arrested regardless. The only variable here was whether the police were going to also ticket me.

Originally Posted by Digital_Cowboy

That came to me as I was getting ready for bed. But still they shouldn't have been able to interact being as she was under arrest. I know that some say that just because one has been handcuffed that that doesn't mean that they're under arrest. I'd like to know how they come to that. As if one is handcuffed they no longer have the freedom to leave, therefore they are under arrest. Yes, they may let the person go and not take them to jail. But for the time that they are handcuffed and/or sitting in the backseat of the squad car they are under arrest.

As also usually if one resists being handcuffed they can end up facing a charge of resisting arrest, so doesn't that also reinforce that once the cuffs go on that one has been arrested?

It doesn't make any sense that they'd also ticket you. As victims don't usually run away.

As others have said, I am glad that things worked out for you.

Originally Posted by robyr

She was in cuffs...

Originally Posted by robyr

...It is just truly amazing to me that someone would risk a life to get to a fast food restaurant 3 seconds faster. She hadn't even ordered by the time I had run her down and contacted 911 dispatch.

Originally Posted by robyr

You don't seem to understand that the cops do not decide the law. They were going to have to ticket me based solely on her accusations, the same as how my accusations caused her to be ticketed and picked up. The interaction between the detained and family generally isn't restrained, either. The investigation had been performed, the police already had both parties statements, the only question was whether a party would recant them. She did thusly, hence the whole malarky blaming me was dropped.

Look, I didnt want to make something big of the whole ordeal. If she had stopped and asked me if I was ok, I never would have called the police. She brought it all on herself, and the husband was truly mellow and easy to deal with. He apologized to me profusely for her attitude and her accusations. I am not some militant that just wanted to ruin someones day. Someone ruined mine though, with no sort of apology, or even care at all, so she got what was reasonable.

Originally Posted by Digital_Cowboy

That came to me as I was getting ready for bed. But still they shouldn't have been able to interact being as she was under arrest. I know that some say that just because one has been handcuffed that that doesn't mean that they're under arrest. I'd like to know how they come to that. As if one is handcuffed they no longer have the freedom to leave, therefore they are under arrest. Yes, they may let the person go and not take them to jail. But for the time that they are handcuffed and/or sitting in the backseat of the squad car they are under arrest.

As also usually if one resists being handcuffed they can end up facing a charge of resisting arrest, so doesn't that also reinforce that once the cuffs go on that one has been arrested?

It doesn't make any sense that they'd also ticket you. As victims don't usually run away.

As others have said, I am glad that things worked out for you.

Originally Posted by neotheone

Wouldn't in be delightfully Ironic if she lost her license and had to get a bike? I bet she'd ride some piece of crap dual suspension Walmart mongoose.

Originally Posted by neotheone

You're not under arrest until the police declare you are under arrest, up until that when you're sitting in the back of the cop car you're being "Detained" It would really suck to have an "Arrest" on your record foreverytime the police THINK you might of done something wrong.

Originally Posted by neotheone

Wouldn't in be delightfully Ironic if she lost her license and had to get a bike? I bet she'd ride some piece of crap dual suspension Walmart mongoose.