# leaving the scene of an accident?



## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)

I was driving down the road today and upon turning into the paring lot of the store, I was hit from behind by another car.
He pulled into the parking lot and explained that his brakes were not working too well...I inspected my car and there was no damage. So I didn't take any info and just told the kid it was ok.
Now in thinking about it, it prolly wasn't great to let the kid go because he was operating faulty equipment but I had stuff I had to do...on the other hand there was no damage so it was my understanding no damage and no injury means no real accident and I would have wasted an officers time.

Thoughts?


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## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

$1000 damage and/or personal injury and public way must be met for filing a crash report.


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## Goose (Dec 1, 2004)

Personally, I would have gathered his info anyway. I've been burned before.

The latest was when I had some dumb chick going home (presumably) from a bar in Cambridge at 1:15am, who rear-ended me when I stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk on Mass Ave. She refused to exchange stating that it was my fault that I had "just stopped" in the middle of the road, and took off when I was on the phone with Cambridge PD. Too bad for her I already got her plate before I got back into the car. 


If the damage is under $1000, all parties are present, and there are no injuries, then it's a civil matter and up to the people involved as to how they want to handle it (typically exchanging info and reporting it to their insurance companies). The police really only need to be involved if there are injuries, it's over the $1000, someone refuses to exchange (it's a law under Ch 90, but I don't think there's even a fine attached to it), or if the other driver is impaired, the vehicle is not registered or the operator is not duly licensed, or does something really stupid and obvious that would warrant getting them a ticket if the officer didn't observe the accident. I think I got everything, but someone else may chime in with more.

Of course, if they produce a Brazilian or expired license, then I would call it in too.


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## 94c (Oct 21, 2005)

frank said:


> .
> 
> The police really only need to be involved if there are injuries, it's over the $1000, someone refuses to exchange (it's a law under Ch 90, but I don't think there's even a fine attached to it)


Chapter 90 section 11 (the same law as requiring you to have your license and registration in possesson.) $35.00


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## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)

I guess my only concern was that he hit me because his brakes were not working, and by not notifying someone (like a police officer) this kid might have hit other cars or a pedestrian or something.


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