Cop issued my wife a speeding ticket with zero evidence she was speeding — can they just do that?

This happened to something almost exactly like this happened to my brother. Single-car slide-off on a gravel road, no witnesses, and somehow he still got a speeding citation. He went to court, pled not guilty, and the officer basically had nothing to back it up with. Ticket got dismissed. It's absolutely worth fighting — don't just pay it and accept it.

Step one: do NOT pay that ticket yet. Paying it is an admission. Contest it. Show up to court, bring photos of the road conditions, note the lack of any speed-measurement equipment in the area. Make the officer explain exactly how they determined her speed. Most of the time they can't, and judges know that.

For a speeding citation to hold up, there generally needs to be some basis for the officer's determination — radar, laser, pacing, or at minimum a documented observation. 'She went off the road so she must have been speeding' isn't really a legal standard. When you request the officer's notes through discovery (which you can do if you contest the ticket), look at what they actually wrote down as the basis for the citation. That document is really telling. Also, impound authority varies by jurisdiction but officers usually have discretion — the problem is that discretion cuts both ways and it's hard to undo after the fact.

Just a heads-up from my old job: if your wife's insurer sees a speeding citation on her record tied to this incident, it could affect how they handle the claim and potentially her future premiums — even if the citation feels totally unjust. I'd really push to get that ticket contested and ideally dismissed before it hits her driving record. Once it's there it's a pain to remove.

Also watch out — if your insurance company gets wind of a speeding ticket connected to this, don't be surprised if an adjuster tries to use it to reduce or complicate your claim. They love any hook that suggests driver fault. Fight the ticket AND be careful what you say to your insurer in the meantime. Stick to the facts, don't speculate about speed.

Not legal advice, but this is genuinely worth a free consult with a traffic or personal injury attorney. An officer issuing a speeding citation without any objective speed measurement and no witnesses is the kind of thing that often doesn't survive a courtroom challenge. The impound side is trickier — officers typically have broad tow authority — but some jurisdictions do require them to consider alternatives like a licensed driver picking up the vehicle. An attorney can tell you quickly if either of these is worth pursuing where you are.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this on top of the stress of the accident itself. Your wife must have been shaken up enough already without getting interrogated and ticketed on top of it. I hope you're both doing okay emotionally — that kind of thing really messes with you.

Make sure your wife gets checked out by a doctor if she hasn't already, even if she feels fine. Adrenaline after an accident can mask soreness and whiplash symptoms that show up 24–72 hours later. Getting that documented early matters a lot if anything comes up down the road.

I don't doubt your account, but a couple of questions: did the officer say anything specific about WHY they thought she was speeding — like did they mention the distance the car traveled, tire marks, anything like that? And was there a posted speed limit on that road or was it unposted? Those details could matter a lot for how contestable the ticket actually is.