Heading back from my folks’ place this afternoon on South Congress because the interstate had killer traffic from a fire earlier in the day. I’m going through an intersection with the green light… and BOOM!
I got rearended by a Yukon. First instinct was to check out my son - he’s exactly in the car seat, perfectly alert. Little shocked but looked fine. I’m shocked as hell, obviously, and manage to pull over, put the flashers on, and call 311. They’re great and get my info and dispatch a police officer.
Now, which of these white SUVs hit me? There’s one about 50 feet in front, guy hops out and asks if I’m okay. I say yes and “hey, did you just hit me?” It wasn’t him. Luckily there’s about ten people at a bus stop pointing at another white SUV in the parking lot across the street. That’s who hit me.
Back of my bumper is futzed up. Basically the hatch has been bashed in, can’t open it. Strangely enough all of the lights work. No broken glass. The rear right door opens, but can’t close completely. But the bumper did its job and absorbed most of the impact, it seems.
I figured SUV hit me at about 40 mph and I was probably going about 30 or so.
The driver is still in the car. She doesn’t speak English. Younger girl in passenger seat hops out and tells me they don’t have the insurance papers in the car, but they’re covered… starting tomorrow. So could I just say the accident happened tomorrow? I inform her that the cops are on their way out, so that won’t work. She insists that they won’t do anything, and the insurance companies will work together, and could I help them out by just saying it happened Monday and not Sunday?
I say sorry, but I’m concerned about my son and my car, and I’m not really interested in “helping her out.” She claims her brother has the insurance paperwork and the policy number. I say prove it. She calls him to bring it to the scene.
Cops come out. Very polite. They help me get the car out of the road, and into a parking lot. I ask about the other driver’s request. They say that if they’re not covered, it’s a civil case and I can sue. That sounds like a really bad deal.
Brother turns up as police are getting the info. It turns out the car is actually covered. I have a “brown form” which has the driver’s info, insurance, and so forth. Turns out the driver is unlicensed. She gets cited for not having a license and for following too closely. The girl claims that the car in front of me was braking. I say, I don’t remember, but even if that’s true, I didn’t have to apply my brakes very hard and guess what? I didn’t hit the car in front of me!
Call the rents and my wife to get the kid back home. Call the insurance peeps and get a case number. Car gets towed to the house. I feel a little stiffness and freak out and decide to take the kid and I to the ER. We get checked out and the docs say we look fine, here’s some Vicodin and Flexall if you need it. Get back home and put the kid in the crib - out like a light.
So… did I do this right? What kind of scam was the other driver trying to pull? (She could have just been incorrect about the coverage, too.) What else should I be doing? (Besides thanking God for letting us get out of the wreck with no scratches.)