Hit and run on my car — suspect vehicle is sitting right outside. Do I confront them?
So this is a weird situation and I genuinely don't know what the right move is.
Somebody clipped my car pretty hard in a parking area about a week ago — scraped the whole side panel and cracked a mirror mount. Nobody left a note, obviously. I filed a police report the same day and honestly figured that would be the end of it.
Except — and here's the thing — I'm pretty sure I found the car. A neighbor tipped me off about a vehicle parked two streets over with damage that matches up exactly to what I'd expect from my accident. Same color transfer, same height on the scrape. I took photos without touching anything.
Cops have the report and I've passed along the photos, but they basically told me these things move slow and there are no guarantees the owner ever gets held accountable.
I typed up a note. Nothing aggressive — just something like, "I think your vehicle was involved in an accident with mine on [date]. I'd really like to handle this through insurance and avoid anything more formal. Please reach out." Calm, no accusations, just asking for contact.
But now I'm second-guessing myself. Could leaving that note somehow hurt me legally? Like could they claim harassment or use it against me in some way? Or does it make me look like I'm trying to go around the police?
On the flip side — if they're never going to come forward on their own, maybe a direct nudge is the only thing that actually works?
Has anyone dealt with something like this? Did reaching out directly ever help, or did it just make things messier?