hit and ran in Tucson, AZ advice needed

[twinkiex]

I was stopping for a red light and a car decided to pass the cars going straight, go into the bike lane the same time I was, he turned hard right came within a few inches of the curb and gave me a choice or getting run over or pulling my bike up the curb and out of the way, as I was trying to drag my bike up the curb he hit my body and I was knocked down up the curb. He looked at me with that look of surprise and took off. I got his licence plate and called the cops, they still havent contacted me, so I called again today and complained that still havent contacted me. I guess because I didnt need medical attection the cops dont care.
My back (i already have a problem with a disk-thats why I got a MB) hurts from twisting the way I did to fall on my right hand. I cant afford to go the doctor and anyway I dont take pain pills.
Any advice?
Just yesterday here in Tucson a little boy, Jose Luis Rincon was buried because he got knocked over the same way I did but he died.
People always try to go around cars in designated bike lanes when traffic is heavy. Sometimes I cant even pass traffic because cars are all piled up. Its gets frustrating that people dont know how to drive.
Last year my friend got a ticket for turning right in the bike lane. I wish cops would ticket more peope.

 

[azbill]

I am glad you are ok
( I know you hurt, but, it could have been much worse)
I would go to a police station and file a report...
faster than waiting for them to respond to a 'low priority occurance' (why else would they take so long?)
if you had hurt the car, for sure they would have been quicker

 

[mojoruss]

Whew, glad you came out of it relatively all right.... I can relate.. A few years ago, I was hit while walking my bike across an intersection, according to the traffic lights.. The guy ran the red light, hit me, and then left the scene.. I went to the hospital because I had a broken and disslocated collarbone... The hospital did nothing but offer me an ice-pac because I did not have any insurance, so the shoulder healed itself and not correctly... I'd suggest you go to the police station and ask to speak with someone... They might have a community affairs officer, or a liason type person... Tell them you are concerned that the police are shirking thier duties as far as protecting cyclists... Maybe contact the local paper, speak to a reporter and ask them to do a feature concerning bike safety and aggressive drivers. Point out the story about the guy that died.... Good Luck....

 

[Large Filipino]

Go here:
http://www.tucsonaz.gov/ia.html

File a complaint here:
http://www.tucsonaz.gov/ia-form.php

And if they're still kicking their feet,go here:
http://www.tucsonaz.gov/cparb/faq.html

Type in that plate number and tell your story.

http://www.tucsonaz.gov/cparb/contact.html

EMPHASIZE that your back is hurt and you don't have medical insurance. You need this man caught so you can file a small claims court against him so you can have proper care.
Ask also if there are resourses you can go to for medical care. Just keep the bills they give you then get it back in court.

Good luck.

 

[Tom]

That is outrageous. I think cagers are so selfish in more ways than one, especially when they drive aggressively. Wow.

We should all get some form of rear-view mirrors so we can see traffic coming up behind us.

 

[twinkiex]

Thanks all and LP for the great info.
I filed complaints electronically.
Back hurts.
Back rim pretty bent but the bead is holding.
I will be more careful, but in this case I dont see how I could have avoided it, he came at me from behind.
The accident happend about 100 yards from the Police Station lol.

 

[Large Filipino]

Hey if your back hurts you can get a free attorney. They get paid later from the insurance company the driver has.
In the meanwhile you'll get great medical care and down the line your injury will get pro rated and that driver that didn't care less about you will pay dearly.
It's a hurt back today,what's to say it's gonna be better tomorrow?
You could have slipped a disk or pinched a nerve.
I pinched a nerve from an accident that required surgery. And it just felt sore like it was no big deal. But the MRI scan showed I could have been paralized.
That's your back. Don't get all tough about it.
Get it checked out.

 

[SirJakesus]

Cops are useless. If theres no revenue in it for them it's a "low priority" incident. Sorry to hear about it Twinkie, I too have had many close calls on bikes, MB's motorcycles and in the car. I think people have a fundamental shift in their microbrains when they hop into a car...."MBc EDIT - This post contained content that is listed in the MotoredBikes.com rules as unacceptable."Just keep a good bearing on your surroundings so you can get out of the way as you did if you need to, and keep his car and license plate in your mind. He may very well live, work or shop around there and MBc EDIT continued

 

[Torques]

I consider this amazing since you were injured and the *** ran. Do you know it should be a class 6 felony that that person committed. You better contact the police or maybe contact the media to tell them the cops seemingly don't care since they won't contact you. Maybe that guy ran because he has warrents out for him, maybe he's a bank robber, rappist, or murderer and the cops haven't contacted you yet?

 

[twinkiex]

conclusion

I filed a complaint about police response and was called back by an officer. He explained that every week there are over 1500 hit and run type situations and there are 8 officers to investigate them. They are prioritized in order of monitary damage or injury. My back rim is $90 and I refuse to go to the dr so even a private lawer wouldnt take a case based on so little monitary damage.
The reason I got a MB is because my back hurts. Its hurt anyway because I used to go a little crazy on my mountain bike. I dont want to waste my time going to the dr for pills I wont take.
Even thought it was a crime for the man to hit and run he hit the crime lottery because I didnt call 911 from the street yelling that I cannot walk.
I choose to drop it because the cop told me I do not have any kind of a case. No witnesses, no broke bones, no case.