Rough week

[boatman37]

Well the week started out good. Son started a new job in his field. Graduated from college in 2016 with a degree in Safety Management but couldn't get a job in that field until now. Fast forward to Thursday. Step-son is a detective at a local PD. His partner didn't show up for work Thursday morning. All of the officers went looking for him. Step-son went to the gym and found him laying on the floor dead. 44 years old. About 5 or 6 years ago there was a police chase and the suspect crashed into another police car killing the officer. My step-son is the one that found him too.
So daughter has a Wrangler with lift kit and big tires but needed a car for business meetings (looks more professional in her line of work). So my mother bought a brand new car in 2007 but retired a few years ago and the car only had 40,000 miles on it. My daughter bought it from my mother 2 weeks ago. Friday she was coming back from a business trip and was a mile from her house and was stopped at a red light. Man rear ends her and pushes her into the car in front of her. This car was spotless without a mark on it. Now the front bumper is cracked and all scraped up and the rear bumper is trashed, trunk lid has a dent and trunk lid won't latch. Daughter paid cash for the car and only put liability insurance on it figuring if she wrecked it she would pay cash to fix it and if somebody else hit it their insurance would pay. Well turns out the guy that hit her had no drivers license (expired in 2015) and apparently has no insurance. So now it looks like she will have to pay about $3000 out of her pocket to get this fixed because some low life has to be irresponsible. On top of that she will be responsible for the damage to the car in front of her. So now she has to pay to get 2 cars fixed when she was sitting at a red light stopped. I'm furious. Step-son showed up at the scene and said he had arrested the guy a few times before. The insurance card the guy gave was an old policy that was cancelled for non payment last year. It looks like there was a different policy after that with a different company but still trying to confirm that and the driver isn't answering the police calls so they can't get any more info from him until they do. And even then his girlfriends insurance (it was her car) could deny the claim because he had no license and wasn't supposed to be driving.

And hoping step-son will be ok from finding his partner dead.

The good thing is she wasn't hurt. Sorry but had to rant. Still fuming.

[bdpeters]

hang in there, it seems that the bad stuff tends to come all in one bunch and some times seems like it will never end. give your step son all the support you can.

[Dice]

Very tough on your step son. Long story short, because of age and locality, I had to identify the body of a co-worker at the hospital one morning. This was someone I'd worked with and within 15 feet of every day for the previous 8 years. I didn't really even need to walk in the door as I recognized his shoes before seeing anything else.

What your step son needs (if he's like me) is time to reflect and realize a person that's become a big part of his life won't be there anymore. I imagine with cops there's an even bigger feeling of family and friendship between them.


The insurance thing is equally as frustrating to me as I've lost a vehicle to someone with no insurance, no license, and no money to sue them for. It sucks as the vehicle was paid off, lower mileage, and still looked nice. So what can you do? In my case nothing. Guy didn't even have a job.

[Phonetek]

I haven't been in this particular situation but take it from someone who was a bad luck magnet for 10yrs in a row. It does get better. Time, family and friends are all integral parts of a support system. Make use of them. Hang in there buddy.

[boatman37]

Yep. Heading to the funeral home shortly. I don't think I have ever met the guy but my brother-in-law is also a police officer in that same town so going there to support them. And when the one was killed in the chase a few years ago they had an officer stationed at the head of the casket (in 1 hour shifts) at all times during the viewing and my step-son has his 1 hour duty tonight. They also have had a police car and officer at the funeral home since the body arrived. Guessing it must be a ritual sort of thing where the officer isn't alone? Doubt it is for protection but not real sure.

[boatman37]

Well glad that is over. I used to be in law enforcement so did get to see a few people I used to work with. And there is an officer at each end of the casket. They switch out every 10 minutes.

On a side note, they had his police car (he was a detective so it was unmarked) and a couple other police cars parked in front of the funeral home. As we were leaving there was a bunch of police officers standing out in front talking. I was talking to one of the ones I used to work with so didn't hear what was said but a car pulled up and somebody in the car started yelling. Wife said it was a lady yelling something about her not respecting the police and yelled a couple of names. Can't believe the disrespect.

[Phonetek]

I was talking to one of the ones I used to work with so didn't hear what was said but a car pulled up and somebody in the car started yelling. Wife said it was a lady yelling something about her not respecting the police and yelled a couple of names. Can't believe the disrespect.

It should be legal to just slap some people upside the head in our daily lives, that lady would qualify for one that needs it.

[boatman37]

It should be legal to just slap some people upside the head in our daily lives, that lady would qualify for one that needs it.

Yeah really. I could have a 2'fer this week. That lady last night and the guy that rear ended my daughter. They still will not answer their phone and when the police show up they turn their lights off and don't answer the door. So even if they do have insurance it's looking like my daughter will have to pay out of pocket to get her car fixed and probably have to pay to fix the one she hit.
The insurance card the guy gave the police was for 1 insurance company but when they ran it the policy was cancelled for non payment Feb. 2017. There is a policy with another company with their names on it but that company won't give out any info without a call from one of the policy holders and they won't open a claim until then so my daughter can't get her car fixed until then. The car is in the ladies name (they aren't married). She claims she was sleeping and didn't know he took the car so they plan to file charges for unauthorized use if they don't start cooperating. And if she changes her story then then they plan to charge her with filing false reports. Either way it looks like my daughter will be out a few thousand $$$ because of this toad. The guy has been arrested several times before so I doubt he will care if he gets another charge. My daughter has busted her butt to get to where she is. She is 23 and owns 3 houses, 2 cars and got her Bachelor's at 20 years old. She was the first person in the history of her school to graduate from the honors program in only 3 years (and the school has been around since about 1870's or something. So her reward for working hard is to get screwed over by no goods that aren't responsible for anything.

Sorry for the rant but I'm still fuming. I drove by the guys house last night and stopped in front hoping he would come out but nope. Probably a good thing.

[Phonetek]

Sorry for the rant but I'm still fuming. I drove by the guys house last night and stopped in front hoping he would come out but nope. Probably a good thing.

Yeah I wouldn't hang out by the house, that's a sure way to get yourself arrested. They will nail you for stalking or harassment or something else stupid even though you just want to have an honest talk and work things out like a gentleman.

If the guys a real douche you could also find yourself going a couple rounds or getting shot. So many people aren't honorable these days and will even try to cash in on something that was their fault to begin with or get you in trouble or worse. Be smart bud, let the cops and legal system work. It may not be efficient or even fair but at least you won't get hurt, killed or sued.

[boatman37]

I played it pretty smart (other than going there in the first place...lol). I had just left the funeral home so looked kinda professional so I pulled up and took a few pictures of their house but didn't get out of the car. Not sure if they were even there but either way my daughter got a little progress today so maybe they noticed me and thought I was an investigator or something...lol. The adjuster called her with a lowball number so she was going to drop it off at a place we trust to get an estimate.