The U Police Department received 11 reports of hit and runs in the first two months of Fall Semester.
Of the 11 cases, only two were auto-pedestrian collisions. In both of these cases, the victims got up, said they were OK and left the scene before police arrived. The drivers at fault reported the incidents “out of caution,” according to police reports, in case the pedestrian decided to report the collision later. Both incidents occurred after dark.
Sgt. Arbon Nordgran said there are a wide variety of hit and run incidents on campus.
“We’ve had a person killed at a crosswalk,” he said. “We’ve had people leave a note (on a dented car) and some people just drive off.”
Eight of the other incidents consisted of a driver leaving a dent in another car, but no note.
Talisha Riggs, a junior in psychology and sociology, found a fresh dent behind her left car door a couple of weeks ago. The driver of the other vehicle did not leave a note.
“If they had left a note, I would have called them to see what happened and asked if they could help pay for the repair, but more importantly, I would have thanked them for leaving a note,” she said. “When people cannot own up to the most trivial things, it doesn’t leave you much trust in humanity.”
Riggs decided against filing a report with campus police.
Nordgran said it’s always worth it to file a police report, but finding the offending driver is very difficult.
“We had a hit and run. All we had on the ground was a taillight,” Nordgran said. “We went through and were able to match the taillight to the make and model of the car. Now we’re looking for this particular car. But still we don’t have proof. You may have the car, but now you have to prove who is driving. If we find that person, then it’s just circumstantial evidence.”
Paint transfers and car parts left at the scene compose a visual profile of the car that police can use to identify suspects, but that evidence does not amount to proof without a witness or further evidence.
“Witnesses come to us all the time with license numbers,” Nordgran said. “Police can also get license numbers from cameras stationed on parking terraces in the hospital.”
Nordgran also cautioned that drivers are required by law to leave a note if they collide with another car. Failure to leave a note is a citable offense.