What To Do After A Hit And Run

The holiday seasons can be incredibly frantic in Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit, and we
imagine you’re going to find yourself in some absolutely packed parking lots as you gather your gifts and prepare
for those big family gatherings.

There’s a chance the combination of Kansas City’s slick roads, frantic gift shopping runs, and packed roadways end
up causing a few fender benders in the Kansas City area and the McCarthy Collision Centers team wants to make sure
everyone is prepared for the worst.

We hope any parking lot incidents are happily handled the moment they occur, but
experience tells us there are going to be some hit-and-run incidents around Kansas City. After all, some people may
not even notice they hit your vehicle. (We’re not making excuses, but accepting a reality.)

We’ve prepared a quick guide for Kansas City drivers on how to deal with three variations of a
hit-and-run accident. If you find yourself needing a new bumper for Christmas, or some other work a Blue Springs or
Lee’s Summit area body shop can do, reach out to our Kansas City body shops to get your repairs professionally
addressed.

My Car Was Hit While Parked

Imagine a frustrating scenario that develops as you finish your day of shopping at
SummitWoods Crossing in Lee’s Summit: your family is happily walking back to the car loaded down with hot drinks and
holiday gifts and you notice something a little off. Your heart sinks as you realize that “Something off” is a new
body line in the wrong paint color on the driver’s side of your vehicle – and it’s a doozy that runs from the front
wheel all the way to the rear quarter panel. There aren’t any strangers standing around waiting for you, and no note
on the windshield to guide you. You’ve become the victim of a hit-and-run collision, and your day unfortunately just
became a lot longer.

We know you’re going to eventually trust McCarthy Collions Centers in the Kansas City area to
repair your vehicle, but there are plenty of things you must address while you’re still in that parking lot.

• Call The Police on their non-emergency line. You’ll want to file a report with them and
  let them do the heavy lifting when it comes to finding the vehicle that hit your family’s transportation.
• Assess Your Damage: take plenty of pictures of your vehicle as well as anything that
  might be left on the ground around it. You might find evidence that helps track down the hit-and-run offender.
• Contact Your Insurance – let them know about the hit-and-run collision as soon as possible. They’ll provide you
  with your next steps in dealing with this problem.

If the damage to your vehicle is cosmetic, and you’ve taken care of the appropriate
initial steps, then load your family up and get back to enjoying the holiday season around Kansas City.

If your vehicle is severely damaged and appears unsafe to drive you can contact the McCarthy
Collision Centers towing partners to ensure your vehicle ends up at a trustworthy body repair shop near Kansas City.

My Vehicle Was Hit While Driving

We’ve focused so far on a parking lot or other type of hit-and-run accident where your vehicle
isn’t moving and you may never encounter the other driver, but there are plenty of situations where drivers around
Kansas City experience hit-and-runs while cruising the area’s roadways. Our guidance does not change much, but we’re
adding more tips to consider if you’re hit while driving:

• Call 911 if you or someone in the car is injured.
• Get as much information regarding the other driver and vehicle as possible. Make notes
  (or take pictures) of the vehicle’s make, model, and color. Get the license plate if you’re able. Notice the
  direction they’re traveling as they leave the scene.
• Seek information from witnesses and secure their contact information.
• DO NOT follow the other vehicle. You have no idea of the driver’s condition and may put yourself in a dangerous
  scenario. We want you safe and not possibly escalating the situation

A hit-and-run while driving is particularly terrifying and dangerous, so get off the road as soon
as possible, park your car somewhere well lit, take a few moments to collect yourself, and then tackle the
situation.

What if I Hit a Parked Car?

Mistakes happen all the time on the roads and parking lots near Kansas City, Blue Springs, and
Lee’s Summit, and you may eventually find yourself in the unenviable and frustrating situation of hitting a parked
vehicle. This is not the end of the world, but there are steps you must take to properly handle this situation.

• DO NOT drive away. You’re responsible for the damage you’ve caused, there are likely
  cameras and witnesses to the accident, and leaving could quite easily result in you being brought up on
  hit-and-run charges.
• Find the owner. If you’re in a retail center you can likely have the vehicle make,
  model, and color paged over the intercom. The staff at a restaurant will likely be able to help, a small local
  business will be happy to assist you, but you may have trouble finding the owner at a Chief’s game.
• If you’re striking out when it comes to finding the owner you may choose to leave a
  note with your complete contact information and insurance details.
• Document everything – take advantage of cloud storage and take pictures of your
  vehicle, the other vehicle, the surrounding area, and their license plate.
• You can call the police if necessary. This will likely be determined by the severity of the damage to the
  vehicles involved. They’ll begin a report and add another layer of documentation.

Accidents happen, and we hope this brief guide helps you determine your approach if you find
yourself having hit a parked vehicle somewhere on the roads around Kansas City.

Auto Body Work in Kansas City

The McCarthy Collision Centers teams are here to help drivers around Kansas City and Lee’s
Summit whether they’ve been involved in a hit and run, had a more “standard” accident, picked up a door ding or
three during the holiday shopping season, had something fall on their vehicle in the garage, or need something else
repaired on their vehicles.

We have locations in Lee’s Summit, MO, Blue Springs, MO, Overland Park, KS, and Olathe, KS
and our collision repair teams are ready to ensure you receive prompt and professional service. If you need your
vehicle towed in the Kansas City area keep our McCarthy Collisions Centers Towing Service in mind to ensure your
vehicle is brought to the best collision repair center near you.

If you’re involved in a hit and run, remember our slogan: “When you’re in an accident… Call 911 &
then 800-NEW-AGAIN.”