I'll take any advice here:
On Thursday August 5, I was in a minor traffic accident in Newport Kentucky. I was turning right on red from Churchill onto Grand Avenue. I pulled through the light, then stopped, as I saw a car coming down the hill on Grand. Two or three seconds later, I was hit from behind, causing $1,000-$1500 damage.
The young man (Kevin) who hit me is from Arkansas, working for the summer at Old Coney as an entertainer.
Before the police arrived, I left the young man alone because he appeared to be quite upset. I told him he should probably have his license and insurance card ready for police.
The Newport police arrived, spoke to each of us separately. Officer Arnberg took voluminous notes in a notebook, told me Kevin had valid insurance, and it appeared to be case closed.
Before anyone left the scene, I expressed reservations about not having contact information - like address and phone number - so I could contact Kevin. Officer Arnberg assured me he had all the information and told me to obtain the police report in two business days, as that would have the information.
Well...I got the police report. They don't put phone numbers on police reports - It's a matter of policy. Nor is there a local address. And in a subsequent conversation with Officer Arnberg, he does not have ANY phone number from Kevin, nor any local address.
As it turns out, Kevin hasn't paid his insurance premium, and Farm Bureau of El Dorado, Arkansas won't pay on the claim.
I did some sleuthing, and found Kevin's car parked in a lot at the Gettysburg apartments at the top of the hill. Not being able to determine what apartment he lived in, I left a note on his car, giving him information to call me and Farm Bureau Insurance. (I drove by a couple hours later and the car was gone.)
Kevin has not contacted anyone.
I refuse to put this on my own insurance. My deductible is $500, and I'm not going to pay (again) for damage that clearly is not my fault.
Ironically, after a little Google search, I found that Kevin just graduated from a religious college (Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas), so apparently the Christ-based education done him real good!
Anyway, I'll take any advice here. I'm going to file charges, but I'm not even sure the Arkansas address is valid. And I refuse to put this on my own insurance. As a matter of policy, I think it's better to not file a claim if you don't have to.
And for the record, this is a REAL hot button with me. Last August someone sideswiped my car (hit and run) on my brother's small side street in Burlington, leaving a 6 inch dent in my door. A street of $350,000 homes, and they couldn't leave a note.
And 3.5 years ago, a woman drove through a stop sign at the corner of Blue Rock and Cherry, which resulted in a collision. The woman was on probation, was driving her aunt's car who let the insurance lapse the day before. To make things more interesting, the police officer had to visit the hospital to write up the ticket, and the mother let the son take the rap for it, even though he wasn't driving. After three trips to court (once to juvenile court to explain that the mother was driving, not the son, and twice to municipal court to testify against the mother), I still had to have my insurance pay. A few days later, I was in the emergency room having trouble breathing because of a bruised lung. And to add insult to injury, the cop blew the testimony, and I found out he had dated the mother's sister.
Good times. Comments?
<font color="#000002"><font size="1">[ August 19, 2004 08:23 AM: Message edited by: reason ]</font></font>
<font color="#000002"><font size="1">[ August 19, 2004 08:25 AM: Message edited by: reason ]</font></font>
<font color="#000002" size="1">[ August 19, 2004 09:00 AM: Message edited by: reason ]</font>
