How is it that someone can come from another state, do a hit-and-run, and get away with it?

If you still have the plate number and description you might post it here and someone might help identify it for you.
You never know.

My guess is the cop was not being very cooperative. I’m sure there is a national database for plates. There’s a national database for other driver’s information. I know this personally because I got a ticket in Illinois in 1985 and never appeared for it. I moved to Arizona before my court date. 22 years later while attempting to replace a lost driver’s license here in Arizona it showed up on my record and I had to take care of it. Besides, what if she’s a recent transplant to your state and if they’d have filed a report when she went to get her New York registration and turn in her other state’s plates they could’ve cited her then.

The idea of a national license plate database would be somewhat impractical, given the number of cars on the road in the road. I would venture a guess that were you able to identify the state you might have some recourse. Perhaps this would be helpful.

Are you okay? Were you injured? Is your car drivable?

I had something similar happen several years ago. My husband was driving my three month old car to a basketball game in another state. He was on the expressway at 1:00 am, taking a friend home, driving relatively fast, when someone rear-ended him, going about 80 miles an hour. The person hit the back end of the car about three times, and then took off. My husband chased the guy while his friend called 911 to tell the police what happened. They followed the guy off the expressway, and up and down side roads. The police said they couldn’t charge the guy, because the accident happened in another county and there were no witnesses.

@prescottman2008: i think what happened with you may be different as the infraction was on you as a driver, not on the car. I did google “how to research a plate #” and it seems the first thing you need is the state. I don’t know the state, i know the plate was white with black or blue lettering. when i told that to the cop, he stated that a lot of states have white plates with black or blue lettering. when i researched state plates on the internet, i find he’s correct.

@PandoraBoxx: yes, i was not injured, the car is drivable. I think because nobody was injured that’s why it’s not a high priority on the police’s list of things to do.

@worriedguy: I thought of that – the plate is 2vc 2535 and it’s an old Chevy Astro, dull (primer) black. it may help for insurance purposes, but according to the cop they would not send someone to the other state to ticket the owner because it’s only a violation, so i guess not worth the trouble.

it just sucks because i’m left with the insurance issue, deductible, etc. while the other lady drives off scott free.

when i thought about it more, i realize also, another thing the driver can do is just switch the plates on the vehicle and then that van no longer has crime attached to it, and there’s no proof of who was driving what, when.