Rt. 80 E Accident 5/18
Hi All-I'm hoping someone may have saw something. This is a long shot. Today at 8:25 am on Rt. 80 E mile marker 38.6 someone hit us from behind. They were driving a gold/tan Ford Sedan. The construction people stopped traffic so that we could pull over to the right shoulder. The other car also pulled over on the right shoulder and was about 50 yards behind us. We immediately called the police. Seconds before the State Trooper arrived the other car took off. Since I was the passenger, I tried getting out of the car to try and take a picture of their plate but was summons by the Trooper who was just pulling up to remain in the vehicle. We informed them that the other driver just took off and turned on Exit 38. She told us there was nothing they could do because there wasn't another officer near by. We told the officer there was extensive damage to the drivers side front end and their hood was crushed and we were surprised she just took off. We drive a Jeep Compass. By chance did anyone see anything. Any help would be appreciated. Unfortunately this was written up as a hit and run and we have a $500 deductible.
Thank you!
Hit and Run Try to get in touch with the DOT they keep a recording on highway traffic cameras.
I'm sure they have one near the accident site. Here is a example what i'm talking about. Good Luck
https://www.weatherbug.com/traffic-cam/?latlng=40.866244,-74.439695
Ruben 
Dawn Peters On Facebook there is a group called: Northern New Jersey All Incidents & it has over 92K people on it. Join it & create a post about what happened as there may be someone on there who saw it & can help you. Good luck.
Luca Luca-we're not on facebook. Is there another way to get in touch with this group?
Thank you ! We looked on the NJDOT and we can fill out an application to obtain the film. It will cost $100 which there is no guarantees the cameras caught anything. That cost and the $500 deductible of our insurance is really expensive for us. Thank you all again.
Hi - the group is only on Facebook. I looked to see if anyone posted about a hit & run & no one did.
My question is: aren't the State Police going to investigate this? Wouldn't they be checking the DOT's cameras? Why should the victim have to do this and spend their own money to see the video? I don't even understand why there is a charge for that. I hope that the groups on FB help these people out.
Lonesome Dove Since no one was hurt, they are unlikely to put anything into it. I was the victim of a hit and run years and years ago and the response was that is why NJ insurance rates are so high. I can empathasize at having to pay a deductible and not having the money to pay when it is someone else's fault and they are not going to be held accountable.
Mel81 Sadly, the $500 deductible is less of a hit than the additional loss in value when you go to sell your car. I had a deer hit on a door. New car, so it was replaced with an original manufacturer door, but it shows as an "accident" on carfax. Perfectly great vehicle, not a scratch or mechanical issue, the dealer said nobody would want it. Final buyer brought it up. Sold no problem, but I think I would have gotten more.
You could call some local body shops, but you don't have much of a description. Good luck.
maja2 Unfortunately we still have car payments. So when you add that with a $500 deductible, there goes two weeks of pay for us. I don't think there's a traffic camera at mile marker 38 and 37. I'll call the NJDOT tomorrow and see what they say.
We would never think of doing anything like this to anyone. I guess we were raised differently. We're not rich and don't have an extra $500. I don't understand why people are like this. My mother said you hear on the news people don't stop when they hit a pedestrian so why would they stop when they hit another car. What has society become.....we're extremely fortunate we didn't sustain any injuries other than the normal stiffness after an accident that a heating pad and a couple of tylenol/advil couldn't hurt. Thank you to everyone for your help and suggestions. We sincerely appreciate your help.
This will tell you all you need to know, unfortunately most Americans are not aware of this and find out later when something bad happens. It's a good read. I am sorry to hear about your misfortune and glad to hear you have no major injury. In the future I suggest purchasing a dash camera, they are inexpensive, can see front and rear, and may have helped you in this situation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_v._District_of_Columbia
dodgebaal What a bunch of bull that the police wouldn’t do a chase or an investigation. Just doesn’t seem right given how much info you gave them. Guess we’re just supposed to give chase ourselves and hope the cops can catch up.
Since our commutes are less, good driver history, few years on the cars, my deductible is at $1,500. Recently, some yahoo plowed his white driveway marker stone into the road causing $2,500. Nothing I could do/prove so I feel your pain.
StrangerDanger Hit and Run, I’m very sorry this has happened. Perhaps, keep up your persistence and diligence so this does not get lost in the system. In the meantime, keep in mind, when it seems that irresponsible people do not have consequences for their actions, they will eventually. They create their own karma.
Best of luck!
Positive According to the "Decision" section
'In a 4-3 decision, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals affirmed the trial courts' dismissal of the complaints against the District of Columbia and individual members of the Metropolitan Police Department based on the public duty doctrine ruling that "the duty to provide public services is owed to the public at large, and, absent a special relationship between the police and an individual, no specific legal duty exists". The Court thus adopted the trial court's determination that no special relationship existed between the police and appellants, and therefore no specific legal duty existed between the police and the appellants.'
So that could be interpreted as their job being to fill the coffers of the community, aka "public at large", via ticket blitzes and speed traps, as well as harassing and arresting some person that just wants to relax with a joint after work, creating a "criminal for life". That flies in the face of both good and exceptional police work as we have known it.
Apparently you have to be a friend or family member or a known member of the court to actually have the police be required to assist you properly. They'd do that anyway, especially since they have the "license" to do so by virtue of "I got this badge, I got this gun, and I got the love of Jesus right here in these pretty green eyes"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=BWhI-c5xRfY
However YOU can be charged if you don't assist an officer when asked. If you're armed and trained, it just makes sense to do so, however since they apparently now have no obligation to protect you, that's a hella double standard, especially if you're an unarmed bystandard.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refusing_to_assist_a_police_officer
That said, I support the police that do an exemplary job of supporting their community AND who work to weed out the "bad apples", because we all know, there are some bad apples that can end up helping rot the department. David Toma told me this, back in the mid 70's when he came to SRSC (now SRU) and spoke with us, just after his father passed away. He was speaking out about alcohol and drug addiction before most and actually doing something by talking to younger folks. Just as his bio says, he hung out in the lobby of the Student Union after his lecture was over until they threw us out and closed the place down!
He is the standard I measure other cops by.
Best of luck "Hit and Run", I hope that some body shop in the area notices the damage and notifies the police, though even if everything is logged and in a generally accessible database, I sadly doubt a local PD will even bother to check. Even without direct plate evidence, you'd have thought the officer would have followed the other vehicle after telling you to stay there, or at least radio to a local PD off that exit to stop the car for "reasonable suspicion" or at least to detain them pending investigation.
Phil D. Phil,
Congrats for taking the red pill. Your interpretation is correct.
If I were a high school teacher, I would make every child in my class read and understand this document and how it may affect their lives sometime in the future. The story behind it is a brutal one, but it clearly shows how the court system works and who it works for. It's why it's called the "pursuit" of justice, it has to be chased down and many times with no help from those paid to find it or those paid to apply it. Sometimes the pursuers do a good job, only to have the justice system fail miserably.
Hit and Run, this is a good read for you as well, and a lesson learned. Sorry you had to find out this way.
By the way, I somehow didn't transfer the link to David Toma's website. The old "Toma" TV series was based off of his life as a Newark Cop, and as a Detective with the Vice and Narcotics Unit. Sadly when Tony Musante the star decided he didn't want to be "pigeonholed" as an actor, he refused to re-up for the second season of this popular series:-( David Toma appeared as a supporting actor in the series and in a number of other ones. The series was changed a bit and renamed, becoming "Baretta", with Robert Blake, who later in life, did the crime and paid the time. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) He had a 98% conviction rate and never fired his gun, but was injured multiple times while arresting armed suspects. Semper Fi, Mr. Toma!
http://davidtoma.com/liffe-story
StrangerDanger, I hit a white driveway stone plowed into the road during a snow storm several years ago. I know how that hurts the wallet.
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