Hit and run totaled my car — dashcam footage is blurry, any way to track this person down?

This happened to me about two years ago — someone sideswiped me in a parking garage and bolted. I ended up going back to that block myself and knocking on the door of a little breakfast spot on the corner. Turns out they had an exterior camera that covered the street and the owner was totally willing to pull the clip for me. Police weren't going to do that legwork on their own, honestly. Worth trying if there are any shops or restaurants near where it happened.

Stop trying to enhance the footage yourself — you're probably degrading it. Make a copy of the original raw file and don't touch it. If law enforcement or an attorney gets involved they'll want the unaltered version. The stuff you see on crime shows where they 'zoom and enhance' a perfect plate is pretty much fiction, but forensic video analysts do exist and can sometimes pull details consumer software can't.

A few practical things worth knowing: first, your police report creates an official record that this was a hit and run, which matters for your UM claim. Second, you can actually submit a written request asking the investigating officer to check nearby traffic or intersection cameras — you don't have to wait for them to think of it. Frame it as a follow-up to the existing report. Third, if there were any other witnesses who stopped, get their contact info locked down now before memories fade. Even a statement that they saw a dark-colored SUV fleeing helps establish the record.

Heads up — even with your own UM coverage, the adjuster is still going to look for reasons to minimize your payout. Document everything: photos of the damage, any soreness or injuries, rental costs, all of it. Don't give a recorded statement until you know what you're doing. They work for the insurance company, not you.

Please get checked out by a doctor if you haven't already, even if you feel okay right now. Rear-end impacts can cause soft tissue stuff that doesn't show up until 24-48 hours later. I've seen people brush off neck stiffness and end up dealing with it for months. Getting it documented medically early also just protects you if anything develops down the line.

Not legal advice, but hit and run cases with UM coverage have some specific procedural requirements that vary by state — like whether you need physical contact to be proven, how quickly you have to report, things like that. Might be worth a free consult with a PI attorney just to make sure you're not accidentally tripping over a technicality. Most won't charge for an initial call.

It genuinely is amazing how often these things get solved when someone goes back and finds a camera nobody thought to check. A neighbor's Ring doorbell, an ATM, a delivery van that was parked nearby — I've read about hit and runs getting cracked weeks later. Don't give up on identifying them just yet.

How busy was the intersection? I'd think if it was a somewhat trafficked road at that hour there's a decent shot someone else saw something. Did anyone stop at the scene at all? Also curious what your UM deductible situation looks like — sometimes people forget that factors into whether pursuing this even makes financial sense depending on the damage.