Confessions of a Hit and Run Driver

All of the following statements are from actual cases involving hit and runs, and some DUI cases. All of the cases have been adjudicated in court, so they can be used in this forum. Some of the statements are from vehicular manslaughter cases as well. Most of the confessions were taken over the phone, and some were in person. Remember that I have handled about 1,000 cases in the past two and a half years, and 22 vehicular manslaughters. Note, some of the grammar is poor as these are the suspect's words, and not my own.

M, Hispanic, 22 years old. Telephone interview at 1130 hours;

I was in the parking lot and he hit me in the back. He followed me to my sister's house. He then attacked me. He came into my sister's house and attacked me. I hadn't been drinking on that day. I don't have insurance. I know that I shouldn't be driving without car insurance. I didn't see the police. I went to the back yard hiding. He attacked me before he went into the house. I don't have any damage to my truck. The beer can and bottle was from the week before the accident. I didn't know that I had a warrant.

Two independent witnesses contradicted his statement about being attacked and the DUI. Hit and run, and DUI charges were later filed.

M, Hispanic, 24 years old. Telephone interview at 0830 hours:

I don't have a drivers license. I was driving after drinking two beers (2 16 ounces Miller Light) and I crossed the line and I hit the other car. I wasn't driving real fast. After the accident, I ran away because I didn't have a license or insurance. I didn't try to help anyone who was injured. I ran to my house. I was driving my friend's car without permission. I wanted to go see a friend to have beers with. I have a mustache.

Hit and run, along with DUI charges were later filed.

F, White, 82 years old. Telephone interview on 6-5-06 at 0800 hours;

On May 30, 2006, at around 1:45 in the PM, I was driving alone. I remember hitting the curb as I went into the parking lot but I don't remember hitting a car. I didn't get out to look. I was in a hurry and I had to get into the bank. Had I thought I hit a car, I would have stopped. The security guard did not say anything. I parked my car, went into the bank and then left after I did my business in the bank. I noticed damage to the right rear end of my car on the day after I hit the curb. I didn't report it because it was so minor, I didn't even get it fixed.

Later charged and convicted of hit and run. The damage estimate was $1,200.

F, Hispanic, 35 years old. Telephone interview at 1350 hours:

I took the Pontiac to my new home address. It died on me in the middle of the road on Main and 7th. This guy pushed it over to the curb but I wasn't allowed to park there without getting a ticket. I went home and got my Plymouth, and I was in the Plymouth pushing the Pontiac with a person that I saw on the side of the road. I told him not to turn but he did and he hit the other car. After the accident, I pushed him to my new house less then a block away because I didn't want to keep blocking the road. It took a while to get the car into the parking space and then I went back to the road and there was nobody there. I don't have car insurance on the Pontiac but I do have it on the
Plymouth.

Criminal charges were filed on the female registered owner even though we never found out the name of the driver of the other car. (Remember, if you are the registered owner of the car, you also have a responsibility to remain at the location if you are involved in the collision or have immediate knowledge thereafter).

M, White, 57 years old. Telephone interview on 10-6-05 at 1340.

I have a beautiful Mercedes CLK 320, I was behind this other guy, and he pushed the brakes intentionally and I was very close to him. He jumped out of the car and he stated, "You hit me!" He said, "You touched me!" I got out of my car and saw that there was no damage. He said that we have to wait for the police, but I said I don't think so because I did not touch you. He started yelling and jumping, I got into my car, and then he jumped in front of my car. I told him that I didn't have time to wait here, so I backed up my car, there was nobody behind me, and then I go around him on the right hand side and continued on Oxnard and took a right on Vanowen. I had business to do so I had to leave. I did not hear a loud noise when I was driving around him. As I drove away he followed me for about two blocks but I did not call the police.

Hit and run charges were filed.

F, Hispanic, 26 years old:

On November 10, 2007, a Saturday. I was at the Target shopping center on South Street. I was driving with my little cousin, 14 years, and my son, 17 months old. I was pulling out of the shopping center making a left turn. I was stopped waiting for traffic to clear. I then pushed the gas pedal a little, he was coming on the street and I hit his front side of his car. I made the left turn, I looked at him and I motioned and told him that I was going to park. I then made a right onto South Street and he was behind me. I was going about 30 to 35MPH on Main Street because there was a lot of traffic. When I turned onto Franklin Street, I was trying to find parking. He started swerving into me and hit me three times. He tried to push me into parked cars.

At this point, I was scared for my son and my cousin, I went further and I was scared to pull over. He had a friend in his car with him. They were cursing, yelling at me. I don't remember what words he was saying. I then pulled over about a block and a half after Main Street. He came up to my car and he started hitting my car with closed fists on the hood, then he came over to my door and was hitting the door panel. My window was down. After that, he said that he was going to call the police and I told him to go ahead and call them. I didn't have a cell phone on me but he did. So he called the police and they showed up after 15 to 20 minutes later. I then identified myself to the police.

My boyfriend has car insurance. I don't have a license at this time. I don't drive that often, but I applied for my license about three years ago but I never finished because I stopped driving. As a result of him hitting me several times, the damage to my car is on the driver's side, from the front to the back. When I got hit, he pushed me into a parked car on Franklin. I brushed up against it. I later checked it, and there was no damage. I think that it could have been a mini van. When I first pulled over, traffic had to go around us, I told him, please, I'm not trying to run away, let's try to find parking. I saw a red zone three to four houses down and I told him that I was going to pull right there. He again hit my car, I don't know what he was thinking. He got out of his car, and I got out but I realized that there was too much traffic, so I drove around him to park. I know that you have to exchange information after an accident. I was just trying to find parking. There was a red light to go straight onto Main, that is why I turned right. I want to file (charges) on him for road rage and reckless driving.

Hit and run charges were not filed, however, driving without a license charges were filed.

The following two statements are from a vehicular homicide case:

M, White, 24 years old. In person interview:

I jerked my car to the left to try to avoid him (a motorcycle), I don't know how fast I was going. He hit the front of my car and I spun around (broadside or T-Bone collision). After the accident, I opened the car door and immediately got out and ran (The victim was thrown off of his bike approximately 100'). I didn't even see where he was. I was scared so I ran. I went to Richard's house but then didn't want to bother him. I sat down on a curb and when I saw the officers, I stood up and went towards them. I know that I shouldn't have ran; I am an EMT and I wanted to be a police officer so I should've stayed.

I got a DUI a couple of months ago. I went to court in my Air Force uniform but I had to leave to go to the base. The public defender told me that he would tell the judge that I was here and to go to the base. I didn't know that I had a warrant. My license is suspended but the judge gave me a four-month extension. I had a red light ticket a while back. I went through driver's training at my high school in 1997. The teacher showed us Red Asphalt. He also told us to not drink and drive, and that drinking, driving, and speeding can cause injury, or what happened tonight, death. I haven't had a drink
in 3 1⁄2 weeks before last night.

Statement of the suspect's friend: M White, 27 years old, telephone interview at 1120 hours:

We went to this little topless bar, he was going to leave for the Army in two days. I had like two or three beers; he had like four maybe before we left. We got two, or three, we'll go with three, pitchers of beer; I'm not exactly sure at that point. We then went to a bar. He had three beers and a Kamikaze at the bar. We left there and he grabbed my steering wheel and tried to crash us. I then pulled over near the Toyota dealership at the mall. We went to Taco Bell and I tried to get him to eat but he wouldn't eat. We got into a physical altercation. I called 911 but got transferred to 311. He then choked me, and then I choked him in self-defense. I drove him back to his car. That was the second time I ever saw him drive the Monte Carlo. He then was sitting on the curb as I went into my house. Twenty minutes later, he came back to my apartment and he tried to get into my house. I wasn't going to endanger my fiancé or my life since he already attempted to kill my (he had me on the ground and was choking me earlier). I couldn't see him when he came back to my house, I could only hear him, and I told him that I was going to call the cops. I don't want to press charges for him choking me as long as he stays away from me.

Arrested for vehicular manslaughter. 3 years state prison. The suspect was already in the Air Force Reserves, and was scheduled to go into the regular Army two days after the collision. Needless to say, he didn't get to make his date with Uncle Sam... I don't think that he will ever make it to the police academy as well.