Major Wreck Today w/ Cop Car NOW W/Pics

[Arthu®]

Just glad you are ok, at least so far. I would get yourself checked out at a hospital though. Trucks can be replaced, would suck if you loose money on the whole ordeal but at least you'll live.

Arthur

[Darkness]

Get to the hospital ASAP and get checked out quick. Glad to see you're still alive but, worry about the truck and insurance later. Take care of your health for yourself and your family's sake.

[hemihead]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune.I am glad you are still able to tell this story.
I have the utmost respect for the Civil Servants that deal with the emergency and protection facets of our lives.But in my city the Police have a major god complex.They can do no wrong and feel they are just in the liberties they take.Around here they don't understand that being a Policeman is just a job.

[Charger_Fan]

Damn Chris, that sucks. I'm hoping your next post says something like "I just got back from the hospital & my cabbage exam checks out ok".

Glad you weren't injured worse than you were & that it wasn't the Charger that took the hit...every one of us would be weeping on our keyboards, if that was the case.

I hope everything turns out ok for you, good luck!

[Chris G.]

Ughhh.....

[BrianShaughnessy]

Ouch!!!  Sorry man...    I don't think Zaino's gonna fix that  .   Get yerself fixed up first.   Glad you came up today tho! 

[Wakko]

The UnderSheriff is just that...the next highest guy under the sheriff.  Usually it's a sworn position, but not always.  You need to find out the agencies pursuit/code 3 policy and find out if he was breaking it.  Regardless, it's his fault since YOU had the right of way.  Some will say it's failing to yield to a police vehicle, but you didn't knowingly do so, you simply didn't hear the sirens (if there were any).  He should have stopped and cleared EVERY LANE just like I do.  

Go to the hospital and find out from your insurance company where you sit.  You may need to get a lawyer, but I feel that they'll accept liability.  Also get a copy of the offical police report as soon as it's available and check the wording.

[Chris G.]

...

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Damn bro, looks pretty bad.....they aint fixin that.  Definately has frame damage.  Looks like the frame took most of the hit

Good thing he hit ya low.  It could have been much worse

[70charginglizard]

Thanks for the well wishes guys. I'm not looking to slam law enforcement here. I mean the guy was very nice about the whole situation. I do however have the cards stacked against me though. According to my insurance company, they say that the county is self insured and they have some sort of "Article 19 or 49 or something" that says they have no liability in accidents. Now I don't know how true that is, but if that's the case then I need to go to court. I am also not looking for some big payday. Yes my head hurts and now my left side is getting sore, but all I really want out of this is for them to pay from my 2003 19K mile truck. I highly doubt they will even consider it, which means not only will I be out a truck for it's book value, but I will need to buy another truck or car which will probably cost me more than what I get from the insurance company. I figure to lose 10K after all is said and done.

Of course all this happens on Friday and Labor Day weekend, so a lawyer will have to wait until Tuesday.

Sucks to be me...

I'm just glad to hear that you were not seriously injured Chris. Things can be replaced but cool people can't.
Get yourself into the doctor and have yourself cchecked out and worry about all the other crap after the holiday.

Good thing it didn't occur in that beautiful Charger of yours.

Fell better bud.

later

70charginglizard

[Mike DC]

 
Glad you're all right, man!  That wreck looks pretty serious.   

------------------------------------------------------------

Some valid complaints have been brough up, but I don't think this calls for a big cop-bashing thread just yet.

IMHO you should not be held liable at all (assuming you had a green light to go in the first place).  It should either go down as the striking cop's fault or else at least be declared a no-fault accident.  I don't know what you could do to recoup the indirect costs of the wreck.  I think getting reimbursed for the indirect costs like that is something that usually falls under a more extensive form of collision insurance.


I would defintiely start gathering info to "arm yourself" against being blamed for this wreck, though.  Not saying it will happen, but the potential is there and there's no shame in protecting your rights.  Get going right away to verify whether that cop really had just reasoning to be racing through the intersection with lights on, and stay in touch with the witnesses at the scene until you know how this is all gonna settle out.  If it turns out the guy had no justification for speeding at all, then you might end up with less financial damage in the long run.

 

[Arthu®]

Ouch that is extensive damage to the truck, so did you get yourself checked out yet? Hope everything works out for you.

Arthur

[472 R/T SE]

Cheer up dude, it doesn't suck to be you.......

Could still be worse.  You could have been more seriously injured, or you could have been driving the Charger at the time.

Your pimpin' ass could have turned out like me or worse.  My accident was nothing compared to yours...
I just seen this.   Gotta get yourself right first and not worry about the other crap. 
Get well buddy.

[tan top]

seeing them pictures , you was lucky . if it were higher,  doesn't bear thinking about

[Darkness]

That truck should be toast. I agree with what everyone else is saying. Stay on top of this until you get things straightened out. Get a lawyer and have him pull some stuff out of his sleeves because at this point the cards could be and would be possibly stacked against you. Even though you had a green light and you had the right away  they will try their hardest to make it look like you was the one at fault. Bottom line, the cops and the city at this point are looking to keep their buts off the line.

[dkn1997]

that will buff out....

seriousely, though, shit happens.  If what you described is correct, then he screwed up. period.  happens to everyone, cops are not immune.  I don't see the need for some people to start bashing the cops for running red lights.  running them is risky, but necessary.  sometimes it does not go well. 

I tend to doubt this guy was just late for a meeting though.  In this day and age, when everyone  is speed dialing their lawyer before the paramedics arrive,, I don't think any responsible person, cop or otherwise, would blow red lights unless they had to.

[Lightning]

no pics of the cop car?


Glad to hear that you're ok.

[Chris G.]

I tend to doubt this guy was just late for a meeting though.  In this day and age, when everyone  is speed dialing their lawyer before the paramedics arrive,, I don't think any responsible person, cop or otherwise, would blow red lights unless they had to.

I don't know what to tell you dkn, but he was not a police officer. I'm not looking for any pay day either. I also didn't see any county officers grab whatever "important" documents he had, and rush them to where he was going. Yeah, there may a lot of wrongful accusations against police officers, but this isn't one of them. Take a look at the truck pics and tell me he was going through a red light with caution. I guess you can always ask the only two witnesses who stuck around and see what they saw.

This was a serious impact, and I guess it's typical in this day and age for NOBODY to even stop their car and see if anyone was hurt. The 2 witnesses were not in vehicles BTW. Nice world we live in huh? I'll bet we gave them all a good story to share with their buddies this weekend about how they saw a wreck and kept on driving. New Jersey at it's best. 

Lighting06: I don't have pics of the police car, because I didn't have a camera at the time. I went to where my truck was yesterday and got pics of mine. Just picture an unmarked silver Crown Vic with the entire front smashed in, and you will get the picture. I am thankful he came out without a scratch.

Again, thanks to most for the well wishes, and many good comments/suggestions have been made. I thank all you guys and gals. 

ps- Some of you say thankfully I wasn't driving the Charger. If I was, I probably wouldn't be posting about this accident. Someone else would be telling you guys how I died with my boots on...so to speak. 

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

ps- Some of you say thankfully I wasn't driving the Charger. If I was, I probably wouldn't be posting about this accident. Someone else would be telling you guys how I died with my boots on...so to speak. 

I dont know about that bud.....that car is made of real metal and probably would have faired pretty well & protected you too boot.

Now if it was that other POS you drive.....(I'm not referring to the Tizz-tastic either.....)

[bad1032]

Yep alot of people see the Police turn on the lights to go thru an intersection but they have no clue where or what the Police may be going,they always think they didnt want to sit at the light, the way the codes work is you use the lights to go thru the intersection, sometime we leave them on some time we turn them off.  Even if we go thru a red like we have to use DUE CARE AND CAUTION, that is the key, you may have to get a lawyer involved, if they did not use that they should just get you a new vehicle and pay your medical bills.

[dkn1997]

If what you described is correct, then he screwed up. period.  happens to everyone, cops are not immune.  I don't see the need for some people to start bashing the cops for running red lights.

I am not saying at all that you are not telling the truth, sorry if it came out that way.  I don't think you are looking for a payday, but you know how a lot of people are, and cops probably are more aware of that more than most people.  that's why it boggles my mind that any sane person would blow through an intersection like that unless he had a damn good reason.  If he really was just late for a meeting, then he deserves whatever he gets out of this.  you did not deserve what happened, glad you are ok.

[Charger_Fan]

One of those paintless dent removers & some bailing wire would fix that right up.

I'm glad you came out of it as well as you did...glad your head didn't go through that window either.

[resq302]

Chris,

Glad to hear you are ok.  Now if I can be of any help, let me know.  Working for a police department has its advantages with getting free police reports.  Anyway, police, fire, and ems are to OBEY ALL TRAFFIC LAWS even when responding to emergencies.  I am a volunteer fireman also and when I drive the fire truck, I come almost to a dead stop at any intersection where I do not have the right of way.  Since you had a green and you could not tell he was a cop since he was in an unmarked car you should most certainly have the court on your side.  The cop, no doubt, was in the wrong. I would call whatever department it was and ask to talk to a supervisor about it and have an internal investigation done.  Be it a cop or no cop, they have no right to disobey the laws just because they work for a police dept.  My job I see it all the time... do as I say.... not as I do.

Most definitly I would go to the hospital and have yourself checked out.  Injuries dont aways show up right away.  Also, it is good to have your injuries documented and MAKE SURE on the accident report it is shown that you had injuries. 

Again, glad you are ok and that it wasnt one of your antiques.  If I can be of any help, let me know.

Brian

[B5 Charger]

By law, at least in Missouri, an emergency vehicle is not an emergency vehicle unless it has emergency lights and an audible siren active.  If I understand you correctly the car only had lights on.  Also I don't think a non-commisioned civilian is authorized by law to make an emergency run in a police vehicle.  I'm glad your ok.  I'm not a big fan of lawyers and lawsuits but, if what you say is true, they need to pay you for your truck in my opinion.  If they refuse I guess a lawsuit is your only choice.  

[Afflyer]

Chris,

My hat is off to you, my friend, for what you had to endure there.  Best of luck to you with your case- if I were a bettin' man- I'd put my money on you winning the settlement.  Giving the circumstances, I think you've got a good chance. Just make sure you have a good lawyer.  And be patient- it may take a while.

Hope you didn't get banged up too bad.  By the look of the pictures, it looks as though it could have been much worse on your end.

Bradley