Hit and run driver was ID'd at the scene — but the police report says 'unknown'??

Almost the exact same thing happened to me — report came back with basically nothing useful on the other driver even though I gave the officer everything at the scene. What I did was go back to the precinct in person and specifically ask to speak with the reporting officer. Brought all my own notes. Turns out there was a data entry mistake and they were able to amend it. Took a couple weeks but it got fixed. Definitely worth trying before you assume you're stuck.

Reports get amended more often than people realize — it's not a sealed document the second it's filed. You'll want to contact the records or reports division of the department that responded and ask about the supplement or amendment process. Bring your own documentation: your notes from the scene, any texts you sent that night with the plate number in them, and ideally get a written statement from your witness. That plate she wrote down on paper could be really useful as supporting evidence for the amendment request.

Also — if the officer verbally confirmed the plate matched a real registered vehicle at the scene, he has to have that somewhere in his notes or his CAD log. That system records a lot of things automatically.

From the inside — when an officer runs a plate in the field, that query gets logged in the department's dispatch system automatically. It doesn't just disappear. If you request the CAD (computer-aided dispatch) log for your incident in addition to the narrative report, you may actually see the plate lookup documented there even if the officer forgot to include it in the written report. That CAD record could be the key to getting the amendment pushed through faster.

Not legal advice, but worth knowing: in most states you can pursue the at-fault driver in small claims court for out-of-pocket losses like a deductible or unreimbursed rental costs without needing a lawyer. The challenge is serving them, which requires a name and address. Getting that plate onto the official report — or having law enforcement run it for the purpose of the investigation — is the linchpin. A quick consult with a PI attorney about your uninsured motorist rights might also clarify your options if the report can't be corrected.

This is so infuriating to read. You did everything right — you stayed, you cooperated, you gave them the information — and somehow the system just… dropped it. I really hope the witness is still reachable. That written plate number she kept could make a real difference.

Three things to do right now: (1) Get a written statement from your witness while it's fresh, including the plate she wrote down. (2) File a formal request for the CAD log, not just the narrative report. (3) Go to the precinct in person — not a phone call, not an email — and ask to speak directly with the officer or their supervisor about the omission. Paper trails and in-person pressure move these things a lot faster than waiting around.

How sure are you the officer actually ran the plate versus just saying 'yeah sounds right' to move things along? I'm not doubting you, genuinely asking — because if he actually ran it in the system there will be a record, but if it was more of an offhand confirmation it might be harder to prove. Either way the CAD log idea above is solid.