Question by Lyn: What will happen to car left in ditch after accident, person was intoxicated. Texas. Not on insurance policy.?
Friends Granddaughter while intoxicated wrecked friends car. Granddaughter not on insurance to drive the car. As far as i know just wiped out a ditch, may have hit a gaurdrail, not sure. Anyway, got a lift home. Ditch is so deep, that her friends were not able to retrieve the car. Supposedly barely visible from the rd. There may be booze in the car still. What is owner to do? Will police take car to pound if they know its there? If so will they seek any charges? Dont know what to tell my friend. She is elderly and has no money, and no way to get car. She thinks it has already been towed. I dont know why, if its not visible from the rd. Any info appreciated.
See answers below. Add your own as well
Try to get a tow truck to get it out of there. If police find it they will more than likely impound it and try to find the owner of it. If no owner is found or if they owner refuses or can’t pay the impound fees the car will become property of the state and will be sold at an auction.
Try to help your friend hire somebody to get the car out of the ditch. Surely somebody will have mercy on an elderly lady…ask around, maybe somebody you know, knows somebody, etc. Also as far as insurance, it won’t matter if granddaughter is on policy or not, insurance follows the car, not the driver, so if she has collision coverage on that car, it will be covered.
The owner WON’T be fined for littering, nor will she face a “Lawsuit for not having insurance” (I almost couldn’t even TYPE that last part without laughing, where do people come up with such nonsense?)
If/when the car is noticed it will be towed and stored at the owner’s expense…meaning she will face the towing charges plus a daily charge for every day that it is held after the third day. They need to try to get the car from the ditch ASAP…maybe some friends and some shovels would do it, or someone with a tow truck or a tow rope(junkyard seatbelts work very well) and another vehicle. But if they can’t get it out before the cops get it, there still won’t be any criminal charges, just those fees.
Edited for Blue Sky: There IS no driver, just a car and a ditch
and a tow-truck…
In addition to the above answer, the driver may also be charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a very serious offence in most states. Good luck to your friend.
they will have the vehicle removed and stored the owner will have to pay towing and storage charges and charges by the police dept.
1. It will be impounded
2. The owner of the vehicle will be contacted (and most likely ticketed for ditching the vehicle)
3. Fined for littering
4. Lawsuit for not having insurance.