On August 5, 2017, I was the "victim" of a hit-and-run in the parking lot behind Rise-n-Dine in…read moreEmory Village. This is an often crowded parking lot that's shared with multiple neighboring businesses such as Ali's Cookies, Double Zero, and Wagaya.
Around 10:30 AM, I pulled straight ahead into a parking spot on the far side of the lot, next to the fence that borders Druid Hills Golf Club. I noticed the car parked to my left, a black (or dark grey/silver) Accord (mid-2000s, I believe) with a Spelman College Georgia plate, wasn't parked straight in its spot. The back of the car was over the parking stripe and in my space. I made sure to leave plenty of room for this driver who did a bad parking job (as I normally do in situations such as this, as a precaution).
It turns out this driver is as bad, if not worse, at pulling out of a parking spot than they are at parking because they scraped my driver side rear bumper and took a bunch of my car's paint off with them. I discovered the damage when my girlfriend and I returned to my car around 11:45 AM.
This person didn't have the courtesy to leave a note or anything. They knowingly damaged my car and left the scene. They're pretty selfish and inconsiderate.
I called my insurance company and then 911 so I could have a police report filed for my claim with the insurance company. This was my first experience with the DeKalb County Police Department. My other experience with the police in metro Atlanta was with the Atlanta Police Department when someone rear-ended me on 10th Street in Midtown years ago.
I was surprised at how fast the DeKalb Police responded to my minor hit-and-run incident. It was less than 20 minutes from the time I called 911 to the time Officer A. Fred-Figueroa pulled into the parking lot. I remember APD taking well over an hour to arrive at my accident in Midtown.
Officer Fred took my driver's license and insurance information and went back to his car to file a report. Minutes later, he returned with a card that contained my case number and other relevant information so I could obtain a copy of the police report of the incident. Officer Fred was really nice and friendly. He asked us how we were doing and just seemed like an affable guy. You don't always get those vibes from cops.
While I was on the phone with my insurance company and waiting for Officer Fred, my girlfriend checked with each of the businesses that use the parking lot to see if any cameras may have caught the hit-and-run. Unfortunately, I was out of luck.
The card Officer Fred gave me said I could pick up a copy of my report at the DeKalb Police Central Records Section in Tucker. It also said, "Please allow 5 working days to obtain a copy of your report." My insurance company, through a third-party service, was able to obtain a copy of the report before lunchtime that Monday, so my report was actually ready in less than half a working day!
Thanks to the police report, my insurance is able to cover the damage from this hit-and-run (after my $250 deductible). If I didn't call the police and get a police report filed, I would have had to pay for the repairs myself. If you're wondering what coverage this parked car hit-and-run incident falls under, it's covered by having uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD). I think every vehicle should have this coverage.
Moral of the story: Always get a police report, no matter how minor the incident.
As far as the DeKalb Police go, they exceeded my expectations in every way. Specifically, in the areas of speed, friendliness, and efficiency. After returning from breakfast to my damaged car, I had my insurance claim phoned in and a police report filed all in about only 40 minutes, thanks in large part to the speedy DeKalb County Police. Five stars!