The tips in this post can also work for any hit and run involving property damage.
Brick mailboxes are hit by vehicles all of the time. Sometimes they stay in one piece and are shifted off of their foundations. Other times they are knocked over and laying on their side or even completely destroyed. This recently happened to us. When you are faced with property loss due to a hit and run incident, there are some very important steps you can take to try and “solve the case”.
Here are a list of things we found online that you can do that have helped other homeowners in the past.
File a police report:
If this is the only thing you do chances are you will be paying out of pocket for the repair. It does however help down the road if a few more dominoes fall in your favor.
Put a note on your door with your contact information:
Many drivers are immediately scared after they realize they have hit something and have a “flight” response. This can be their first reaction since they don’t see anyone around. It can be late at night when they think the homeowner and neighbors are sleeping or in the middle of the day when they think everyone is gone. Either way many people end up feeling guilty, remorseful or even worried of what repercussions might follow. There’s always possibilities they will be tracked down because of a surveillance camera in the neighborhood. If it were to show that they fled the scene of an accident things could get worse . If they do come back within the next week and you are not home or simply do not hear them at the door they will know another way of contacting you.
Save all of the vehicle parts:
Many times broken headlight pieces or grill and bumper parts will have part numbers on them. These part numbers in some cases can narrow down a vehicles make, model, and even a general year range. Also, any body moldings or pieces of exterior body parts can help you determine a possible color. By using google to look up part numbers or even calling the parts department of some dealerships can be helpful. If you very quickly explain your situation they will look up the part number for you and can sometimes tell you what type of vehicle it may fit.
Make a sign:
If you have been able to obtain any information about the vehicle you can make a sign and put it in your yard by your brick mailbox. People observe when a mailbox has been hit and putting up a sign will be noticed also. Keep it simple but put information about when it happened and any other specific details you have about the vehicle. Also include details on how you can be reached.
We are still looking for some video evidence of the person who hit our mailbox. We will keep you posted and hopefully this doesn't happen to you. And if it does, hopefully you wont get the hit and run treatment. Stay safe and have a good one.