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Hit and Run

Anyone ever been involved in a hit and run car accident? This happened to me recently and the events leading up to and after have been stressful and not over yet. I signed up to volunteer for a huge charity organization event on a Saturday. I was in my company car, my family was out of town for the biggest competition of the season ( I haven't missed any up until this point) and about fifteen minutes before my scheduled arrival according to my GPS at the time, I receive a disturbing call from a family member that my younger brother was found unresponsive in his apartment this afternoon (my brother lives in a different state). So of course I was caught off guard and shocked to hear this and asked if they knew any more details. So I told them I was almost to where I was going and I will make some calls when I arrive. So of course my mind is thinking of what some possibilities could be, he was barely breathing and was not responding and on his way to the hospital. So, my exit was near, I was 3 minutes away from the hotel where the event was being held downtown, I was at a standstill waiting to go down the exit ramp, an SUV to my right was trying to squeeze by my between my car and the wall. He stopped about 3/4 of the way past me so he wouldn't hit the front of my car. Meanwhile, I look up at my rearview mirror and as soon as I looked down, I heard the screeching of the tires so I braced for impact and WHAM! I got tagged in the back and propelled into the SUV next to me. The force of the hit caused me to go forward then the impact from hitting the SUV caused me to go right back. I was shaken for sure, none of the airbags went off, my head didn't hit the windshield, and I was hesitant to get out right away. The other drivers were out first and seemingly on their phones, they came to my door I rolled the window down and then made my way out. There were cars beeping and trying to pass us and it was not safe. So we all agreed to move to the side further down the exit ramp. We got out again, I started to get my insurance and I thought the guy in SUV was calling the police so I started taking pictures of my car's damage and the Chevy truck that hit me and caused all this without yelling or blaming anyone for what just happened. I was in a major fog, my mind was not clear, I only got one clear shot of the truck that hit me, and he asked both of us to pull around the corner before we get hit because the exit was getting more and more traffic. So happened to notice the truck didn't have a front plate, so as he was walking away, I took a photo of him, and as I started to follow the SUV in front of me, the guy in the truck cut a bunch of cars off, and was trying to make his way to the other side of the exit. I knew he was fleeing at that point, so I tried to get the attention of the guy in the SUV and I got out of my car to try to at least get more photos of this guy and I saw there were no back plates either, and as I took out my camera to snap more photos, he drove down the one way section and was gone. I had to get back in my car because it was dangerous and looking back, I shouldn't of gotten out of my car.
So me and the guy in the SUV pull around the corner and park at a parking lot, exchange insurance info and take photos of our damage. I explained to him the call I received prior to the accident and was on my way to a charity event. I was unsure which insurance to use so of course both my personal and company cards expired the month before, but I had coverage just didn't have the updated cards. So we swapped info, I drove to the hotel since it was right around the corner, the car didn't drive right due to the accident and because it's almost six years old, was due for new tires this month, 80k service, inspection and more, with the damage I think it will be a total loss. I checked in at the volunteer area and explained my situation and they were very understanding. Meanwhile, I was having to answer questions about my brother's medical history, I was trying to track down other family members to make them aware and get more status reports. Things were not looking good from the information I was getting. I was asked if they could not revive him, if I was willing and able to make a "decision" about life support. So now I am in panic mode. I am sweating, feeling like I am about to pass out. After about an hour removed from the accident, I start to feel soreness in my shoulder, neck and upper back. It continued throughout the day. I called every number for the police department that I found and they were all just ringing and some I had left messages with. Then I called my personal insurance and company insurance and they were closed. Finally I get ahold of my personal insurance broker and they told me it will most likely be my company insurance. I now start to get more call backs from my family out of state. I get more messages about my brother being moved to ICU, he's on assisted breathing and waiting for a bed. I find out what hospital he is at and someone is there. I finally get a hold of a police department and tell them about the accident and they said since there were no injuries or fatalities to file it online or in person. I had no ride so I had to get someone to get me. As I was waiting, I was getting more anxious about my brother. Then I had to inform the hotel about the car and it will be there for a while until my company has it towed. They give me a note and a ticket to place on the windshield but then they said I had to give the keys to their valet company who owns the parking lot. That ordeal took another 40 minutes. The ride back home was longer than it was to me, I was calming down a bit, hungry, and feeling more soreness every few minutes. I still had to file this report (tried on my phone but you have to download a form) I also needed to check myself into an Urgent Care to make sure I was ok.
After I was home, ate and changed, I secured a vehicle to drive and filed the report in person, emailed all my company reps to inform them and texted my immediate supervisor, and went to Urgent Care. It was now past 9pm so Urgent Care becomes and ER visit at that point, so I decided to wait until the next day to do it in the afternoon. I went home, found out my brother was sedated and in the ICU resting at least. I took a shower and fell asleep so fast. I didn't sleep great but I woke up early and wanted to see if there were any updates on my brother, mid-morning I was told he was conscious, breathing normally with a ventilator and will be moved out of the ICU into a regular room. So that was of course good to hear. I felt foggy all day still, my upper back, shoulders and wrists were still sore, went to the Urgent Care, got X-Rays and they checked me and everything was ok. They gave me prescriptions for muscle relaxers and pain killers, neither of which I filled. I took an Advil and one more that night and that's it. Thankfully, I am ok and my brother is still recovering but out of the hospital after five days. He has a long road. That truck that hit me was most likely not paying attention and was driving about 40 or so mph at impact. I had a second to anticipate the impact which may of really helped me escape more severe injuries. I am lucky to be alive and so is my brother. I am still dealing with all of this, insurance, company issues, I may not get a replacement company vehicle, I have a rental coming and due to vehicle shortages and a hail storm, rentals were booked a week out which is why I had to wait. I certainly didn't plan for all this to happen, I definitely didn't plan to possibly have to buy a car this year, and I hope that isn't the case. If you read this entire story...WOW and thank you! I don't know if I would've stuck with it myself but I am grateful and I hope you don't find yourself in the same situation.
Hit and Run
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