So, I'm sitting eating lunch and see a hit and run accident

[Marisa6826]

We were in the car, parked, snarfing down bagels before jumping on the highway to run errands. The street we were on is a pretty busy downtown one, where it's pretty well known that you can't make illegal u-turns to grab a parking spot (on-street parallel ones).

But of course, a guy driving a Volvo XC70 wagon comes along in the opposite direction of where I was parked, does a hugely inaccurate K-turn and backs into a brand new Toyota Sequoia's front left wheel well. I mean, he spanked it hard. The entire thing bent in and then popped out.

He came out of the turn and I thought he was going to stop (there were people everywhere who saw this). Nope. He bolted. Completely took off. He had handicapped plates - you know, the ones with the little wheelchair guy and just the four numbers, so it wasn't hard to remember. I sat there, thinking well, should I call the police?

The next thing I knew, he came back around the block! And did ANOTHER illegal u-turn! And pulls into one of the only handicapped spots on this avenue. Out of the car comes this positively *ancient* old man wearing one of those big furry Russian fur hats and the loudest red plaid pants. His wife was walking with a cane. They walked into the bagel place right in front of where we were parked, never even acknowledging that they whacked this car.

So, I sat there, still thinking about whether I should call the cops. On one hand, I didn't really want to get this little old man in trouble, but on the other, if it was my car he hit, I'd be ****ED.

Well, Sophie asked me why the man didn't stop and if it was wrong. Yes, ultimately I called the cops and explained how ancient the guy was, how I didn't want him hauled off to jail, etc. The cops pull up, and this lady, who clearly is the owner of the Toyota comes running out of the same bagel place screaming, she hit me?!!

After much discussion, the lady decided that she wasn't going to press charges against the man, but she wanted a report number just in case her lease company hassled her. The old man eventually came wandering out , asking if she wanted his info. She said no, and he didn't even thank her. He turned around and went back inside. This lady had three little kids with her. I couldn't believe how inconsequential he seemed to think it all was.

I still feel kind of weird about it. I feel like I turned in Grandpa, though he seemed to have gotten away with it. But there's no WAY he couldn't have known he whacked her. Oh, and his car had way more damage than hers did.

Strange day.

-m

[elektra]

It was a good thing you called the cops. Even though he was probably a sweet old man, it sounds like he should not have been driving and it really doesn't do anyone any good to just let it go.
My mother was a horrible driver, and we were only able to get her to stop just this year. She was completely clueless as to how bad of a driver she was, and her excuse was always that she hadn't been in an accident or that no one had ever complained (outside of our family). I would have been so grateful to anyone who would have just picked up the phone to call in her license plate to the police. It was seriously stressful for my family since we worried on a daily basis that she would get in a wreck and get hurt or god forbid hurt someone else.
So you really did the right thing by calling the police.

[Radosti]

Ancient people notice less and less things while driving. You'd be surprised. An ancient little old man in front of me and dh stopped and showed a left turn. DH went to go around him on the right. The guy swung to the right at that same moment running us completely off the road and actually scraping his tire rubber all down the side of my car. We ended up in a field. The guy came out and started screaming at DH. DH pointed out that the guy had a left signal on. The guy actually said, "Why would I have done that, I live right here" and pointed to the nearest driveway on the right. I finally recovered from my fright and was so mad that this guy was yelling at us and not the least bit apologetic for almost killing us. I mean, if a curb was there, we'd have flipped over.

I ripped into him in a somewhat calm manner explaining the gravity of what he did. It finally sunk in for him and he gave us his insurance info. Luckily, my car wasn't damaged and the tire marks came off the side of the car. But that guy was clueless.

You did the right thing.

[vludmilla]

You definitely did the right thing. I think I might have felt a bit weird about it too though, if I has been in your situation. Just a thought though, about "ancient" people. I think sometimes we assume that all elderly people are sweet and while I'm confident that many or even most are sweet, there are definitely some who are not sweet at all. I know this from experience. My great-grandfather was one such example. The poor, pathetic man was in the hospital dying and my father (his grandson-who he had abused as a child) was visiting him regularly and bringing him the newspaper and various things (coffees, etcetera). Do you know what he did? Yelled at my father for bringing him a "f'in, sh*t, liberal newspaper"--the NY Times). He also referred to his very competent and unbelievably calm and forgiving, black doctor as a (n-word). Nice, huh? He also called his daughter (my grandmother) a fat pig when she visited him and took care of him regularly. Now, if you were to visit him he might not have seemed so bad to you if you hadn't been privy to these rants (he was NOT delirious or insane--these were old behaviors). On the other hand, he was actually kind of nice to me and my sister but he was a major a**hole to pretty much any other family member who was caring towards him. Anyway, major digression here, I suppose, I just wanted to mention that maybe this guy wasn't so sweet and maybe he was demonstrating that in his cavalier attitude toward the whole accident.

[momma_boo]

You definitely did the right thing by calling the police. (not only to set an example for Sophie - so that she could see that what the man did was wrong) but also in case there was more damage to the parked car.

I would not have felt bad b/c the driver was an elderly man - it probably would have made me call even sooner. I think sometimes when they are really old, they have no clue of what they do when they drive.

A few months ago, we were in the city and waiting for a light to change. There was a car a few feet in front of us that was parallel parking. The car bumped into the car in back of it (not so unusual to see in NYC, especially if it's a tight spot). But the guy didn't stop. He kept going and was proceeding to push this other car back by at least a foot or two. When we finally got a look at the driver, we weren't shocked to see that he was pretty old and seemed clueless.

[chlobo]

I wouldn't feel too bad. There isn't really anything the cops can do anyhow (except write him a ticket). I was riding my bike and an old guy ran me off the road. I took his info to the police station & they said that old people driving is the 3rd rail of politics. No one will touch it & unless the guy killed or seriously wounded someone all they could do is go talk to him & urge caution.

[Marisa6826]

You definitely did the right thing by calling the police. (not only to set an example for Sophie - so that she could see that what the man did was wrong) but also in case there was more damage to the parked car.
E--

I think that probably was the impetus for me calling them. After her asking me why the guy didn't stop, I couldn't very well abide his behaviour, kwim?


Vludmilla-

Believe me, I've had my fair experience with not-so-pleasant seniors. I'm sorry that you had to deal with that firsthand at such a young age. :(


Carren-

Yeah, the cops said they couldn't do anything since they didn't witness it firsthand. They did take down his plate number, though, so I guess they kind of keep a file going of 'potential' problems if he lived locally?

-m

[elizabethkott]

Marisa,
You totally did the right thing. My 90 year old grandmother, bless her heart, still drives. Granted, she only does it with someone in the car with her - usually her aide, and she never goes far, but it's terrifying. She's doing it less and less, but it's still scary.
Not only did you do the right thing from a civic-responsibility point of view, but you are a great examble for your kids! :) Good for you!

[JustMe]

I agree you did the right thing. As you and others have already said, being "ancient" does not tell us anything about his character, etc. It wouldn't make anyone feel better if he killed their family member while driving recklessly.

[jvorhis]

Yes, you did the right thing. An old lady backed into a friend of mines van and she was going to drive away. She acted like she did not understand why she was making a big fuss over her dented bumper. My friend felt sorry for the old lady but I would not have. I think she was trying to scam her and get away with it. Her dented bumper cost the old ladies insurance $700 to fix.

[KBecks]

You totally did the right thing. Thanks for looking out for people.

[kijip]

Man, I wish someone would call my dad in. In fact, if you are ever in Seattle and see a VERY dented green gray Grand Caravan with a grumpy 60s something man wearing a beret, PLEASE call. PLEASE. :) My dad is not particularly old, but his MS affects his driving abilities and the man will give it up and then pick it up again when he really just needs to STOP.

You did the right thing. The woman should have gotten his info and pressed charges.

[Tondi G]

He shouldn't be driving. He broke the law not only by hitting someone's car and not stopping to at least leave a note with his phone number but with his illegal turns too!

I used to feel really sorry for older folks on the road but then my DH was nearly killed in an accident by an 80 year old woman. She was firmly convinced that she wasn't in the wrong... speeding through a stop sign (onto a very busy street) and plowing into the side of my DH's car. He was very lucky to be alive. It is amazing to me that elderly drivers don't have to go through some kind of testing later in life to be sure they are competent drivers. I suppose accidents like this is what car insurance is for. You did the right thing..... for the woman who's car was hit and to show a good example to your children.

[Kungjo]

I think that you did the right thing. Just because he's ancient doesn't give him an excuse to damage someone else's property. Don't think about the age and ask yourself, if it was a young man doing it, would you call the cops? I bet you would. Being old is not a defense especially since it will cost a person a few hundred to fix even the slightest dents these days.

[Melanie]

I think you did the right thing, but there's a good chance he didn't even notice. As my grandparents got older their car looked like it had been through battle. :( And they are NOT the type to hit and run, ever. But I only heard of one or two incidents and their car showed many more. (and yes it scared me to death that they drove and I tried to get my mom to report them to the DMV program we have here, since I didn't have the info necessary but she wouldn't do it).

[ShayleighCarsensMom]

Yikes! I would not feel bad about calling the cops at all. Perhaps its time for grandpa to turn over his license and be thankful it was just a car he hit...