HIT & RUN, HIT & RUN, HIT & RUN.....again and again

From the Cop side: After returning from Iraq in late 2005, I returned to my civilian police job. I had discovered that there were several things I did in both places that helped me with the other job.

One thing I really wish we had for our civilian police department was a heavily armored vehicle (with a good sound system) that we could use to stop cars that didn't want to stop.

This type of vehicle would have been really handy early one Saturday morning whilst I was working on patrol.

We were short of officers early that morning due to illness. I was the only officer on duty when I got the first call: " vehicle into a fence in front of ....."

It was a fairly common call on this one street because it was so hilly and narrow...easy to miss the turn and hit the darn fence. So, it was not a big deal until a few minutes later the dispatcher said:" the silver Honda is driving away...without it's bumper."

Now we had a hit and run....still not as exciting as a mortar attack in Iraq, but something I should hurry up to.

However, before I could get to that first call, I got: "vehicle into a fire hydrant at....." Now a fire hydrant was a little more important than a little old wooden fence....it could cause a lot of damage etc. So I was diverted to that call...then: "the silver Honda is driving away...with a flat tire."

Now, by this time I'm sure you've all figured out it must have been the same car...right? (Silver Honda). So I suggest to the dispatcher (who was kind of new) that she put out a B.O.L. on the Honda in case it made it into another jurisdiction. Done. BOL sent out to other departments.

Meanwhile I get to the fire hydrant....which is spewing thousands of gallons of water into the street and sidewalks. The FD rolls up and I look for a good witness. Of course all I got was "It was a silver Honda...."

So, I drove to the first crash site and found the Honda bumper---with the license plate.... and had dispatch run the plate.... a local person. I head to the suspet's house.

And of course before I can get to the suspect's house, I get another call of a few parked cars that have been hit by...you guessed it, the silver Honda.

to be cont.