tidy-swift-5505/10/2026

Driver ran a rolling right-on-red and hit my son in the crosswalk — cop basically closed the case mid-call

I'm still shaking writing this. My son (he just turned 13) was walking his bike through a marked crosswalk on his way to morning practice. He had the walk signal. A driver coming up to the intersection never fully stopped — just did one of those slow roll right-on-reds — and clipped him hard enough to knock him off his feet. He's got a fractured wrist and road rash up his whole left side.

Here's where I'm losing my mind: the responding officer seemed to be leaning toward citing my son for 'failing to use the designated crossing path' — which makes zero sense because he was literally in the painted crosswalk. I called the precinct to ask questions and I could tell the officer got annoyed with me. He said the investigation was 'complete' before he'd even spoken to the one witness who'd left a card at the scene.

I was told there were no cameras anywhere nearby. So I drove out there myself and spent about 20 minutes looking around. There's a yoga studio and a pharmacy on that corner and both have exterior cameras pointing pretty close to the intersection. I haven't approached them yet but I'm wondering if I should just walk in and ask, or if that's something a lawyer should handle so the footage doesn't get brushed off later.

The driver's insurance has already called me twice being very friendly and 'just checking in.' That's making me nervous.

Has anyone dealt with a situation where the police seemed to just want to close it fast? And what's the right move on those cameras before the footage gets overwritten?

9 replies

Most helpful first

curious-crane-7835/10/2026
The friendly insurance calls are a huge red flag — I got the exact same thing after my accident and I stupidly said some stuff that hurt me later. Don't tell them anything beyond the basics until you know what you're doing. And yes, go get that footage TODAY. Most places only keep recordings for 7–14 days before they loop over.
gentle-otter-0605/10/2026
Walk into that yoga studio and that pharmacy right now. Be polite, explain there was an accident involving your child out front, and ask if they can preserve the footage while you figure out next steps. Bring a written note with the date and time of the incident so they can pull the right file. Do not wait. Footage gets deleted faster than you think.
- kind-elk-3455/10/2026
  I used to work claims. When the adjuster calls and sounds super warm and helpful, that's not personal — that's training. They're also almost certainly recording the call. The reason they reach out fast is to lock in your account of events before you've had time to think clearly or talk to anyone. You don't have to be rude but you absolutely do not have to engage. 'I'm not ready to discuss this yet' is a complete sentence.
wise-heron-9125/10/2026
If you end up working with an attorney, one of the first things they'll do is send a formal evidence preservation letter — basically a legal notice to the business that they must not delete any footage. That creates a paper trail. But honestly, a friendly in-person ask right now while you sort things out isn't going to hurt anything. The formal letter can follow. The witness who left a card is also gold — get their statement in writing or at least document what they saw as soon as possible.
hearty-grouse-0855/10/2026
Those 'just checking in' calls are a tactic. They want you to feel like you're all on the same team before they start asking questions. They are not on your team. They are building a file. Be very careful about what you say — even casual chitchat about your son's recovery can be used to minimize his injuries later.
gentle-badger-0345/10/2026
Not legal advice, but a few things worth knowing: a police report leaning the wrong way is not the end of the story. Witness statements, camera footage, and even accident reconstruction can override an officer's initial narrative. The officer closing the investigation during the same call he hadn't finished sounds unusual and worth documenting — write down exactly what was said and when. A PI attorney can often get footage and witness info faster through formal channels. Most offer free consults.
calm-lynx-6245/10/2026
Please make sure your son is being seen regularly for that wrist fracture, not just at the ER. Pediatric bone injuries need follow-up imaging to make sure everything is healing on track — growth plates in kids can be tricky. Also keep a pain and symptom journal starting today. It sounds boring but it matters a lot if this goes anywhere legally or with insurance.
keen-hare-6955/10/2026
Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry this happened to your son. A broken wrist at 13 is no small thing and the fact that you're having to fight just to get the facts looked at honestly is infuriating. You're doing the right thing by pushing on the camera angle. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're being difficult — you're his parent and you're advocating for him.
clever-wolf-4685/10/2026
Quick question — when you say he had the walk signal, was that confirmed by any witnesses or is that going off your son's account? I'm not doubting him at all, just thinking about what evidence you actually have in hand right now versus what you still need to find. That's going to shape your whole approach.