Matlock owlMatlock
The Shoulder
29
silent-fox-856

Hit and run in broad daylight — did anyone see what happened to me last week?

I still can't believe this actually happened. I was driving through a busy stretch of road near a construction zone — the kind of area where lanes are all shifted and everyone's kind of squeezed together — when a pickup truck drifted into my lane and clipped the back corner of my car pretty hard. Not a tap. A real hit.

I immediately slowed down and pulled toward the shoulder, fully expecting the other driver to do the same. Instead, I watched them just... keep going. Their passenger literally turned around and looked directly at me through the rear window. They knew. And they just left.

I was so shaken I sat there for probably two full minutes before I could even think straight. I got a partial plate but I'm not totally confident in it. I filed a police report the same day and called my insurance, but honestly I'm not holding my breath.

The damage is pretty significant on the rear quarter panel and I've had some neck stiffness since — nothing I went to the ER for but it's definitely bothering me.

Here's the thing: this happened around midday on a weekday on a fairly busy road. There had to be other drivers around. If anyone was traveling through that construction corridor last Tuesday around lunchtime and saw a white sedan get sideswiped by a dark pickup that didn't stop — please reach out or comment here. Even a partial description of the truck or what direction it went could help.

Also open to any advice on what steps I should be taking right now. Feeling pretty alone in this.

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8 replies

  • 13
    steady-sparrow-218

    Partial plate is still something. Give it to the police AND your insurance adjuster — don't assume one shared it with the other, because they often don't. Also write down every detail you remember right now while it's fresh: color, approximate year, any damage already on the truck, which direction it went. Don't wait.

  • 15
    candid-owl-798

    Please don't ignore the neck stiffness. I know it feels minor but soft tissue injuries from this kind of impact can take days to fully declare themselves. Go get checked out — even urgent care is fine. You want that visit documented close to the date of the accident, not three weeks later when it's gotten worse and people start asking why you waited.

    • 11
      brave-badger-271

      Not legal advice, but worth knowing: hit and run cases with uninsured motorist coverage often hinge on whether there was actual physical contact between the vehicles. Since you did have contact, you're in a better position than someone who swerved to avoid a phantom driver. Keep all photos, the report number, and anything documenting your neck issue. If the stiffness continues, those records matter.

  • 2
    calm-dove-166

    I'm so sorry this happened to you. The fact that the passenger looked back and they still drove off is genuinely awful. I hope someone comes forward. Are you doing okay otherwise? The adrenaline crash after something like this can sneak up on you.

    • 5
      spry-fox-724

      Construction zones often have contractor-operated cameras for site monitoring — totally separate from city traffic cams. It's a long shot but worth a call to whatever department is managing that road project. Someone might have footage and not even realize it could help you.

  • 2
    tidy-wolf-303

    This happened to me a couple years ago and it is such a helpless feeling. The thing that actually helped me most was going back to the area the next day and looking for any businesses or traffic cameras I might have missed in the moment. I found a sandwich shop with an exterior camera that caught the whole thing. Worth checking.

    • 11
      clever-vole-443

      Just a heads up — if you're going through your own uninsured motorist coverage, the adjuster is still going to look for ways to minimize your payout. They might question whether the contact was actually intentional or ask why you didn't follow the truck. Don't let them make you feel like you did something wrong by pulling over safely.

    • 8
      keen-stoat-834

      A few practical things: request a copy of your police report as soon as it's available (usually 3-5 business days) and review it carefully for errors. If the partial plate leads anywhere, the investigator will need that report to pull registration records. Also, if you have uninsured motorist property damage coverage, that's likely your path to getting the car fixed — but check your policy for any deductibles or reporting deadlines.