Video: Driver left scene of an accident / Update: driver caught

[molder101]

Went to go out to grab some food last night and did a double take... fairly serious damage to my Model 3, front - driver side.

Figured someone wasn't paying attention and accidentally hit & ran.

Check the Nest cam footage and found that the truth is far worse :-(

Now I understand it could be one of two things... 1) envy or 2) Tesla hater.

I'm leaning towards #2 as I don't understand how #1 would lead someone to do what was done - though I know it's definitely possible.

Sentry was not on... I usually park in the driveway... but got home a little late and was going to leave again.

Play it full screen to get the full effect of what was done...

 

[Silicon Desert]

Possibly number 3 !!!
I suppose it could be intentional, but could just as easily be another reason. They do seem to have a newer car with no damage on it. Maybe the cute little Tesla just caught their attention and they backup up to take a closer look at hit it without intending to do it. I just wonder if it was intentional, then why do it in such a nice car.

 

[molder101]

Well I suppose it could be intentional, but could just as easily be another reason. They do seem to have a newer car with no damage on it. Maybe the cute little Tesla just caught their attention and they backup up to take a closer look at hit it without intending to do it. I just wonder if it was intentional, then why do it in such a nice car.

You give the driver a lot of credit... would be hard for a jury to not see this as an intentional act. If you just wanted to see it... you back straight up... you do not reposition your vehicle so that you're diagonal to the car and then step on it... before and after the collision.

Officer couldn't believe it... he really wants to get the perp. Thankfully there are camera's up and down the street, so hopeful one of them gets a plate and/or they can track the vehicle to it's destination (if local).

 

[jebinc]

Possibly number 3 !!!
I suppose it could be intentional, but could just as easily be another reason. They do seem to have a newer car with no damage on it. Maybe the cute little Tesla just caught their attention and they backup up to take a closer look at hit it without intending to do it. I just wonder if it was intentional, then why do it in such a nice car.

I concur. Why would they want to damage their apparently decent car in the process. I would say a drunken F'up on their part, as they backed up to look...

 

[molder101]

Also, if it's not intentional... you just walk up to the door and knock... "saw your tesla and we were trying to check it out... but unfortunately..." ... you don't speed away.

I believe the "waiting" at the intersection was "looking around to see if anyone was watching." There's really no other way to explain it.

 

[molder101]

I concur. Why would they want to damage their apparently decent car in the process. I would say a drunken F'up on their part, as they backed up to look...

Guess that's possible... but you don't fix a "whoops" with a "leaving the scene of an accident." Well normal people don't. Guess if you're drinking and driving you already don't qualify as "normal."

 

[jebinc]

Also, if it's not intentional... you just walk up to the door and knock... "saw your tesla and we were trying to check it out... but unfortunately..." ... you don't speed away.

I believe the "waiting" at the intersection was "looking around to see if anyone was watching." There's really no other way to explain it.

Again, I suspect "alcohol" (and/or drugs) may have played a role in the irrational actions of this driver...

 

[jebinc]

Pictures of the damage to the Tesla?

Guess that's possible... but you don't fix a "whoops" with a "leaving the scene of an accident." Well normal people don't. Guess if you're drinking and driving you already don't qualify as "normal."

Rarely do over intoxicated people use good judgement....

 

[Silicon Desert]

Also, if it's not intentional... you just walk up to the door and knock... "saw your tesla and we were trying to check it out... but unfortunately..." ... you don't speed away.

I believe the "waiting" at the intersection was "looking around to see if anyone was watching." There's really no other way to explain it.

Sounds a little pessimistic. I'll take into consideration that sometimes people just panic and take off. I'm not an "absolutely 100% positive happened this way" kind of person. You could be right, but there are other ways to explain it.

 

[ewoodrick]

I'd also say that they might have been pissed because you were blocking the street when you could have so easily pulled into the driveway! And there were cars not so badly parked on the other side that made traversal of the road difficult.

 

[molder101]

I'd also say that they might have been pissed because you were blocking the street when you could have so easily pulled into the driveway! And there were cars not so badly parked on the other side that made traversal of the road difficult.

Plenty of parking on the street... typical and plenty of space in the lane of travel. It's the city. Reviewed three hours of footage to find the culprit and more than 50 vehicles passed through in that time with no problem.

I actually thought it was incredible that someone would accidentally hit the car just because there is so much space... figured they were on a photo or something.

Never had an issue since I've lived there (10 years).

P.S. I don't understand your "badly" parked comment. It's parked perfectly fine right in front of my driveway.

 

[molder101]

Pictures of the damage to the Tesla?

They are attached under the video.

Definitely could be worse (like door not opening), but it's bad enough.

 

[jebinc]

Pictures of the actual damage???

 

[Silicon Desert]

You give the driver a lot of credit... would be hard for a jury to not see this as an intentional act. If you just wanted to see it... you back straight up... you do not reposition your vehicle so that you're diagonal to the car and then step on it... before and after the collision.

Right. That's what I would do. However, I guess we can all speculate on the reason. Maybe they just aren't as good of a driver as you are. I don't understand why doing something like that in a newer car. I hope you can get to the bottom of it. Maybe someone living in the neighborhood, but doubt they will go down that street again any time soon.
Some of the posts just remind me that it seems in this day in time, lots of people think negatively and aren't very objective. Jump to conclusions and make assumptions. That's not me.

 

[dsvick]

I didn't cast a vote since none of the options are realistic. I would have said throw the book at them, assuming it meant the maximum allowable by law but none of the ones you listed references what's actually legal. On the other hand, as much as it would suck, if you're parked on the wrong side of the street you may be held partially at fault as well.

 

[jebinc]

I didn't cast a vote since none of the options are realistic. I would have said throw the book at them, assuming it meant the maximum allowable by law but none of the ones you listed references what's actually legal. On the other hand, as much as it would suck, if you're parked on the wrong side of the street you may be held partially at fault as well.

At a minimum, it's either (and/or both) "Leaving the Scene" / "Hit and run". If caught, they might also find DWI/DUI an appropriate charge...

 

[WilliamG]

Jeez. That just sucks. I just cannot explain why someone would damage their own (clean looking) car in the process.

To me, after watching the video a few times, it looks like the person reversed to check out your car, misjudged it, and took off after the hit.

 

[Silicon Desert]

Plenty of parking on the street... typical and plenty of space in the lane of travel. It's the city. Reviewed three hours of footage to find the culprit and more than 50 vehicles passed through in that time with no problem.

I actually thought it was incredible that someone would accidentally hit the car just because there is so much space... figured they were on a photo or something.

Never had an issue since I've lived there (10 years).

P.S. I don't understand your "badly" parked comment. It's parked perfectly fine right in front of my driveway.

That's helpful. It gave me another thought. Since you have door bell footage and I wonder if you have cloud storage, have you seen this car come by there before? Possibly same time of day? Just guessing it is a local person. Not that it will help you solve this mystery, but might give you an idea if it is a regular person in the area.

 

[molder101]

I didn't cast a vote since none of the options are realistic. I would have said throw the book at them, assuming it meant the maximum allowable by law but none of the ones you listed references what's actually legal. On the other hand, as much as it would suck, if you're parked on the wrong side of the street you may be held partially at fault as well.

In NJ, over $5k damage is a 4th degree felony punishable with (up to) fines plus jail time.

No wrong side of the street... both sides can and are parked on. There is plenty of space in the lane of travel (greater than 15 feet even with cars parked on both sides).

 

[molder101]

That's helpful. It gave me another thought. Since you have door bell footage and I wonder if you have cloud storage, have you seen this car come by there before? Just guessing it is a local person. Not that it will help you solve this mystery, but might give you an idea if it is a regular person in the area.

This was a Nest outdoor cam. I did go back through the footage for the day and it was the only time this car came through. I only have five days of archive footage... but the Nest app does allow me to go through it quick... I think I will check the other days. I expect it's a local individual... it's not typical to get folks on the street who aren't trying to get to their home, apartment, etc. Many of the vehicles I knew as folks from the hood.