This happened a mile from where I grew up and about 20 miles from where I live now:
Hmmm…Perhaps he was auditioning for the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show.
Looks like that steel post that launched him did its job.
Could be a fast and anonymous getaway from a stolen car.
Doesn’t anybody stay at the scene of the accident anymore . . . ?!
A few years ago, some people were staying at my house. The sons of one of my mom’s friends, I believe.
On the freeway, some jerk rearended their car HARD. So hard that the frame on their car was damaged, and the guy that rearended them, the whole front of his car was smashed in, and his hood was facing straight up. There was steam everywhere, just like in the movies.
Well, this was their first accident anywhere. They put their hazards on, grabbed their insurance nformation, and got out of the car. The guy that hit them didn’t stop and exchange information. He didn’t even get out of the car. He just sped off, with the hood straight up. Kind of hard to see anything, driving like that
I saw their rental car and am reasonably sure it was totaled. The car was so damaged, that one side of the car was several inches shorter than the rest. One of the “frame rails” had been smashed together like an accordion. And this was a unibody. Most likely a write-off for the rental agency’s insurance company. The guys had been smart and had bought the supplemental insurance. So they weren’t asked to pay anything. In fact, there weren’t many questions asked at all, when they turned the car in.
When the guys told me what happened, they were still somewhat surprised that somebody would just leave the scene of an accident. I just looked at them and said “Welcome to America” 
In South Dakota it used to be and maybe still is, that no body shop will repair a car without a police tag on it, if it were in an accident. I know when I hit a deer, the highway patrol wrote the tag out and attached it to the steering column for the body shop. Seemed kind of silly at the time but maybe not. Not so in Minnesota though.
A couple of cars pulled over after a rear end accident at a light my guess. Waiting for the police I assume. I was thinking how great, hit and runs are getting far to common. My guess stolen car, take a taxi outa here,
It actually gets a little stranger. This particular gas station is one of those that always charges more than others close by (today - $2.70/gal vs. $1.80/gal all around per GasBuddy.com). It’s not in the best 'hood, and advertises “Exchange your phone for gas or cash” (another new one one me). They also buy and sell iPads, laptops, and PCs.
Perhaps it’s a problem with the clientele that the gas station attracts… 
Huh, maybe instead of rent your TV, its starting a rent your gas shop. Come back next week and pay off your phone loan and get your phone back. Who would have thought? Of course without a buyer there would be no seller.
Actually, sounds more like a fence/seedy pawn shop, set up to pay in gas. "Bring us unlocked phones, gift cards, games, etc…we pay 50%!
Welcome to America? I disagree. It is fairly rare for those in a wreck to run. Yes, I Know it happens, but it is not the norm.
In Mexico, if you don’t have insurance and were at fault you go to jail and stay there until someone comes up with the money, which for the poor could be a very long time. So, since most folks don’t have car insurance, it is absolutely normal for the driver to run as fast as he can.
Yes, I Know it happens, but it is not the norm.
It may not be the norm…but in many large cities the stats are way too high.
http://www.thewire.com/national/2012/12/48-percent-car-crashes-los-angeles-are-hit-and-runs/59721/
I see hit and runs every single day.
And it’s happened to me a few times. I even got rearended by some guy with stolen plates. When I realized he wasn’t going to stop, I quickly pulled over and jotted down his license plate, which I had taken a good look at, as he was pulling away. I called it in, and it turned out the plates had been reported stolen, belonged to a completely different vehicle than the one that hit me. The guy that hit me was probably en route to some unsavory location, got distracted and hit me
I suspect the extremely high percentage of uninsured drivers has something to do with it . . . 
I’ve even seen cases where the guy that GOT rearended took off. Probably his car’s paperwork was not in order. Or maybe HIS paperwork was not in order, as they say :neutral:
No offense intended to anybody with that last example
I carefully chose my words. I could have just as easily said something really insensitive, archaic and outright insulting, but I’m not that kind of person.
If anybody doesn’t like the way I worded it . . . well, that’s your problem, isn’t it? 
There are a lot of people running around with warrants on them for one thing or another. I don’t believe chasing down people for the warrants is a normally high priority but if they get stopped for something, that’s when they check and take the appropriate action. Insurance may be part of it but I honestly think these folks have no idea what insurance is or how to get it. Its just not in their knowledge base.
Happened to me. Thanksgiving week, 2007. Got rear ended on the south beltway during the evening rush hour. Was stopped for traffic. Waiting for it to begin moving again when I happened to glance in the rearview mirror. Saw a truck coming at me, and knew there was no way he was gonna get stopped in time. WHAM!! As I was shaking the cobwebs off, I realized the truck that hit me had pulled around me and was taking off. My rear fenders were rubbing on my tires so I couldn’t chase him. Then next person behind him came to my window to check on me. “He took off!!” he exclaimed. "No &%#@ I said. Did you get a license number? “Nope” Thanks.
I figured he:
A: Didn’t have insurance.
B: Didn’t have a valid license.
C: Was drunk on his butt.
or most likely.
D: All of the above.
Had to eat a $1,000 deductible on that one.
He really popped me. My car had a lot of damage. I was amazed his truck still ran.
It happened to my partner about a decade ago. Driving home from his volunteer gig in the middle of the night, he stopped at a red light and a guy rear-ended him. Guy just backed up, zoomed around partner’s car and was gone. The lesson learned was that uninsured motorist coverage only applies if the other motorist is identified. That made our deductible higher. He had been hit twice before in that car, with one uninsured, but both of them had stopped. One didn’t have too much choice as he’d managed to back his truck into us at a gas station. Somehow he didn’t see us. I guess that’s a risk if you drive a jacked-up truck. For a red car that poor Civic was a magnet for collisions.
When I was in my 20s I was sitting at an intersection waiting for the light to turn with my girlfriend in the passenger seat. We had had a couple of drinks and had an open container in my car, and were on our way home from a local bar. Neither of us was likely legally drunk even by today’s reduced standards, and I don’t remember feeling impaired at all, but hey, in my 20s I wasn’t as cautious nor conscientious as I am now.
I noticed an older Suburban flying up on me in my rear view mirror and said to my gf: “Hang on, that guy’s going to hit us!” and took my foot off the brake. He hit me and knocked me halfway into the intersection. He drove around me and started to take off, but by then I’d gotten out of the car and gotten his plate number. I had a big old boat of a Chrysler New Yorker and there was no damage to either vehicle. At that point the passenger in the Suburban leaned out the window and said “I’m sorry man, my friend is really drunk!”
These were days well before cell phones and I’d had a couple and an open container in the car, so I just angrily said “Get the @#$! out of here!” Not sure what was learned or accomplished by the whole situation, but thought I’d relate my anecdote of mutual stupidity.
@db4690 “I’ve even seen cases where the guy that GOT rearended took off.” Wow. Not that anyone who posts here would rearend anybody, but hey, that’d be your lucky day wouldn’t it? If you hit someone and you knew it was your fault, and the person you hit just took off. In addition to the abovementioned reasons, he could be hauling contraband i.e. drugs, guns, running numbers, large amounts of cash and not wanting the cops exploring the contents of his car.
I know back when gas prices were over $4 a gallon, there were stories in the local news about women (and even a few men) offering certain favors of a sexual nature in exchange for a tank of gas. This mostly occurring in neighborhoods where these types of favors were already being offered in exchange for ca$h.
@“Ed Frugal”
It wasn’t me that rearended the other car, but I observed the whole incident. I’ve actually seen this happen quite a few times. And in some cases, the damage was quite severe.
What are you supposed to tell your insurance? “I just rearended another car. The guy took off, and I don’t have his name, driver’s license number, insurance information or license plate. I need my car fixed.” The insurance companies probably encounter this scenario all the time, I would guess.
But I’m not perfect, I have rearended other cars, but I think the last time was in 1999. I wasn’t paying attention. I was a good boy and remained at the scene of the accident and exchanged insurance information.
A former colleague told me about something that had happened to him. He was drunk, and stopped at a red light, when he got rearended. He and the other guy got out of the car to examine the bumpers. My drunk colleague told the other guy that he’d like to just forget the whole thing, since there wasn’t any real damage. However, the other guy was nervous about not reporting an accident, so he flagged down a patrol car, who just happened to be passing by. My colleague spent the night in jail and lost his license
I think when the officer showed up and smelled booze on my colleague’s breath, he shifted his entire attention to him. My colleague was hauled off to the police station, and his car was towed away. He was bailed out the next morning by his mom, who also paid the impound fee.
I think the officer told the other guy to take off, and I believe in the end, no accident was ever reported.
That story was relayed to me, so I don’t know if all the details are correct
My colleague was a parts counterman. One day I showed up to work and he wasn’t there. I asked the other guys, and they said he just didn’t arrive that day. And he didn’t call in, either. I guess he had his reasons. Nobody knows what happened to him