Car hit by debris on turnpike, what to do?

[Peej20]

I was just on my way home from Beaverun when some rusty old Wrangler passed me in the left lane and what looked to be a chunk of metal flew off, skipped off my hood, and put a gouge in my a pillar. I'm just glad I swerved enough to avoid it smashing my windshield. I managed to get a license plate number but they got off of the Butler exit and of course the car behind me didn't bother to stop when I pulled over to check out the damage.

I have a feeling I'm screwed on this one but does anyone know if I can call to file a police report or do anything?

[Silverhatch]

Prolly should have called the po-po while on the offramp......At least if it hit the windshield it would have been a 30 min. fix.

[karnutz4]

Whatever you do ....remember this piece of debri was "IN MOTION" when it hit your car. If the insurance thinks it was avoidable you are screwed !!!! For the love of god it was "IN MOTION" !! I had an incident with a costruction barrel with my wifes car and have since learned by many people with similar cases its all in how you phrase it to be not a collision claim. Lets say it one more time "IN MOTION".

[mr4teth]

I feel your pain!!

I had a similar situation about 15 years ago. Some guy went off the road (RT28) and kicked up rocks, dirt and ??? which all hit my car. His insurance company ended up paying to repaint my entire front end. I would definitely file a police report! Good luck

[2001GTTT]

you should have reported it right then and there.....especially since you have a license plate number.

[wick]

You wasted too much time asking people you dont even know. If you have to ask, well, your screwed. File that under "your fault".

[Peej20]

thanks karnutz and mr4teth, that's the kind of help I was looking for. I was calling my insurance company pretty much at the same time that I was typing that. I ended up talking to a state trooper and filing a report. Just in case this ever happens to anyone else, he said picking up whatever the object would be proof but it was a little tough in this situation since it happened in the section where they are working and have barriers right up against the road with nowhere to stop right there.

Everybody else is right, too. I wish I would've called right when I pulled over to check it now. I really didn't think the police would be able to do anything at all since it would be my word against the other guys' and me trying to prove that a piece of debris that I picked up from a road covered in tons of other junk came from that particular vehicle. Oh well, now I know.

[thedak]

Turnpike ?

[Peej20]

Yup, right before the Butler exit

[95riosnake]

I had a box fall off a truck, hit the pickup in front of me, then flip back and hit the front of my scion on 79. It busted out the lower grille and snapped the bumper in two below the lower opening. I just fixed it myself rather than trying to jump through all the hoops of insurance, picked up a used lower grille and fiberglassed the back side of the crack to hold it all together and you'd never know it got hit

Although it sounds like your damage will be a bit tougher to fix. You can always contact your insurance, but they will want some kind of police report or something for sure. Otherwise they have no way of knowing how that damage actually occurred to your car...