Car accident, I get blamed.
Wow, haven't updated this in TWO MONTHS!!! Since Sep 20th. Yea, that's kinda why I want a tumblr... but I don't know anyone on tumblr and tumblr is filled with nothing but fangirls and porn anyway. :P
So, recent update.
I was involved in a traffic accident. And I was blamed.
The short version of it is like this. I was driving down a two-lane city road, with wide bike lanes, and I came upon a lady driving slow, like she was lost. Eventually she pulled over to the side and stopped, as if she meant to let me go by, or was stopping for some reason. I was still behind her a bit, and I decided to pass her. Before I could even get past her rear bumper she turned left suddenly as if to do a U-turn or turn left, but she turned from the bike lane. I swerved but we collided anyway.
I hit her right behind her front tire on the driver's side, she hit me right on my right front tire/fender. She was able to drive away, my tire was rubbing against the strut because the strut was bent. The insurance expected me to pay for the tow, and would not allow me to tow it to a body shop because the body shop would not be able to take possession of the car. Thanks Progressive, thanks Flo. I was able to hobble it to a favorite repair shop on the spare. I figured the worst of the damage was the strut, and I was right, and it was drivable after $250.
Still, the frame's a bit warped, and I now have a steering leak that I just discovered was from a bad hose. Fun.
I was the one who got the ticket, because apparently passing a stopped car and crossing the yellow line is illegal, irregardless of if the other car is driverless or disabled.
I tried to fight it. I went back to the road and found out that, with the bike lane, two cars could fit side by side without going over the center line. I took evidence of this. I looked up the original law and found out it mentioned nothing about crossing yellow lines.
In the police report and the cop's testimony I found out that the lady claimed she was turning left normally (but never stated clearly where she was turning left in the lane), that she had no idea I was behind her (she didn't bother to check blind spots or her mirrors), she was trying to turn around, IN a driveway (she claimed), and she admitted to not using her turn signals.
Of course the police officer showed up for my ticket hearing. I presented what I could, the images of cars passing without crossing the center line, the law that didn't mention the center line, and asked the judge rhetorically what the proper course of action would be if you come upon a parked/broken down car on a two lane road and need to pass them. But since the cop said that I admitted to crossing the center line (I had said I "might have" done it, but that shouldn't be a yes), the judge, while admitting I might be right, said she had to side with the cop.
I got a fine reduction but I might still get points. Worst of all, I cannot take her insurance to small claims court, and she could do so to mine. I really hope the bitch's skin melts off for lying to the police, considering how much this screws me over.
The thing that bugs me is the fact that traffic court sides with the officer in all cases. You're guilty and have to prove yourself innocent. This makes sense in cases where the officer saw you do something wrong, but in this case the officer did not witness the accident. It also bugs me that it apparently is illegal to pass a vehicle stopped and pulled over to the curb/shoulder, according to this ruling.
So, recent update.
I was involved in a traffic accident. And I was blamed.
The short version of it is like this. I was driving down a two-lane city road, with wide bike lanes, and I came upon a lady driving slow, like she was lost. Eventually she pulled over to the side and stopped, as if she meant to let me go by, or was stopping for some reason. I was still behind her a bit, and I decided to pass her. Before I could even get past her rear bumper she turned left suddenly as if to do a U-turn or turn left, but she turned from the bike lane. I swerved but we collided anyway.
I hit her right behind her front tire on the driver's side, she hit me right on my right front tire/fender. She was able to drive away, my tire was rubbing against the strut because the strut was bent. The insurance expected me to pay for the tow, and would not allow me to tow it to a body shop because the body shop would not be able to take possession of the car. Thanks Progressive, thanks Flo. I was able to hobble it to a favorite repair shop on the spare. I figured the worst of the damage was the strut, and I was right, and it was drivable after $250.
Still, the frame's a bit warped, and I now have a steering leak that I just discovered was from a bad hose. Fun.
I was the one who got the ticket, because apparently passing a stopped car and crossing the yellow line is illegal, irregardless of if the other car is driverless or disabled.
I tried to fight it. I went back to the road and found out that, with the bike lane, two cars could fit side by side without going over the center line. I took evidence of this. I looked up the original law and found out it mentioned nothing about crossing yellow lines.
In the police report and the cop's testimony I found out that the lady claimed she was turning left normally (but never stated clearly where she was turning left in the lane), that she had no idea I was behind her (she didn't bother to check blind spots or her mirrors), she was trying to turn around, IN a driveway (she claimed), and she admitted to not using her turn signals.
Of course the police officer showed up for my ticket hearing. I presented what I could, the images of cars passing without crossing the center line, the law that didn't mention the center line, and asked the judge rhetorically what the proper course of action would be if you come upon a parked/broken down car on a two lane road and need to pass them. But since the cop said that I admitted to crossing the center line (I had said I "might have" done it, but that shouldn't be a yes), the judge, while admitting I might be right, said she had to side with the cop.
I got a fine reduction but I might still get points. Worst of all, I cannot take her insurance to small claims court, and she could do so to mine. I really hope the bitch's skin melts off for lying to the police, considering how much this screws me over.
The thing that bugs me is the fact that traffic court sides with the officer in all cases. You're guilty and have to prove yourself innocent. This makes sense in cases where the officer saw you do something wrong, but in this case the officer did not witness the accident. It also bugs me that it apparently is illegal to pass a vehicle stopped and pulled over to the curb/shoulder, according to this ruling.