Someone Crashed Into Your Car and Drove Away. Now What?
Your poor car was just parked there, minding its own business, when some careless so-and-so plowed into it. You can accurately consider them to be careless because they drove off, essentially fleeing the scene of the accident. There's no ideal scenario for being involved in a car accident, although it's arguably better if your car was involved while you and your family weren't inside it. And yet, what do you need to do if someone has damaged your car and then driven off?
Contacting the Authorities
While the act of hitting your vehicle might not have been deliberate, the decision to leave the scene presumably was. It can be prudent to contact the police. The actual policy varies depending on the state or territory in which the accident occurred, but in many instances, police will only attend what is considered to be a major crash, resulting in injury and significant property loss. While the damage to your vehicle might not meet this criteria, it's nevertheless important to report the accident, presenting the police with as much information as you can. This will be necessary if the matter requires further investigation. But the safe removal and repair of your vehicle should be your main priority at this point.
No Longer Roadworthy
If your vehicle has been struck and is now obstructing traffic, it needs to be promptly removed. While the vehicle's engine might still be functional, the accident might mean that it's no longer roadworthy, particularly if it has suffered structural damage, broken windows, or its lights are no longer operative. For these reasons, it can be unwise to move the vehicle yourself except over a very short distance if applicable (such as moving it from the street into your adjacent driveway). But how urgent is the removal of the vehicle?
Arranging Removal
If it's currently obstructing traffic, then emergency towing will be required. The status of the location of the vehicle might be subject to change, meaning that it will soon be causing an obstruction. For example, the vehicle might be in a permissive parking zone, and the peak hour restrictions might be about to commence. You can arrange towing yourself from your preferred provider to your preferred repairer, and it can be a good idea to contact your insurance company at this point for assistance. Be sure to remove all your essential personal items from the vehicle before the tow truck arrives.
To drive into someone's car and then drive away can be such an underhanded thing to do. Once you've reported the matter, leave it up to the police and focus on getting your car out of harm's way and repaired as soon as possible.
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