Winter Headaches, Including a Hit-and-Run

Yet another snow day.  Yes, sixth day we have been shut down thanks to bad weather (or bad weather cut off the power as was the case last week).  We now have lost a noon dismissal before Easter vacation in April, and two in-services that would have been days off for the students are now moved to afterschool meetings.  Hooray.

On top of that, Friday as I was trying to leave work and traffic was unusually backed up (first day people were out of the house following the ice storm, I guess?), this old guy acted as if he were letting me come out of the school's driveway onto the main road--then sped up and hit me.  Hit me again.  Backed up--miraculously did not hit the car behind him--then made a swatting gesture at me and DROVE AWAY.

I stood there, stunned for a moment, when I got out of my car after backing it into the driveway again.  Co-workers stopped as they were on their way out, and saw me on the phone, car still running, giving a partial license plate and a description of the car and driver.  One teacher waited with me until the police came.  I was starting to get furious as I looked at the bashed-in bottom of my driver's side door.  How could he have just waved me off and driven away?

God bless the guy in the car behind the other driver--he called the whole thing in as well, including the full license plate.  I had two nice police officers who made sure I was all right.  They were even kind as I realized I had forgotten to put my new insurance card in the car just yet (started Feb. 1 but thankfully the same policy as before).  Then I was told it was a waiting game as the other car was registered to someone in another township and that township's police had to contact the guy.  (Yeah, I don't quite get that.)

So I spent the weekend feeling angry and frustrated, and then the past several days playing phone tag with the police after I got a message Tuesday afternoon that said they talked to the other driver and "he has no recollection of an accident Friday and only vaguely remembers being in the area that day."  And I'm thinking, what, the guy blacked out?  That's an O.K. response?

Finally I talked to someone at the police department who knew what she was doing.  I told her I didn't want to keep leaving messages for the office who kept calling at dismissal and then was off the clock so I couldn't call him back.  I just needed to know if the incident report was done and how I could get a copy for my insurance.  I'd just given up.

Didn't the officer show up yesterday morning at my school with a copy of the report?

And then he tells me his partner was the one who went to the other driver's home on Sunday and he was elderly (85+) and had bruises all over his face as he had taken a fall on Saturday.  She was nervous watching the guy back the car out of the garage as he seemed iffy doing even that little amount of driving.  So she stopped him and went in to look at the car.  Scratches all over the bumper, but he could explain them all--except for the new one which was dark paint like my car's.

Wow.  I was stunned again.  And instead of being angry with the old man who hit me, I felt bad for him, and concerned.

They didn't issue citations, but they did require a driving re-test for him.  I didn't know they could do that, but it sounds like a good idea.  I'd hate for him to lose his license, but it would be awful if he did more than just bang up a car, possibly hurting himself or others.  I hope there is someone looking out for him.

I guess someone was looking out for me, too.  I mean, I'm not thrilled to be dealing with a door that's difficult to open and close and makes my car look shady, but it could have been worse considering how awful this winter has made the roads.  If this is the most that happens, I am totally fine with it.



I'm still going to be paranoid about driving until Winter's over, however.