E36 Hydroplaned. Charged with Reckless driving, What Do?

[InuFaye]

If I learned anything from the interwebz, Lawyer up.

How bad is the damage to the fence and car? Did you crash onto private property?

It was private property, I am in contact with the owner to pay to fix that.

Fence just lost a couple of wires and a single post. I basically need to replace the entire drivers side.

[Mlarsen]

Ouch, that sucks.

[InuFaye]

I'm considering donating its life to my E30.

[Mlarsen]

Has a insurance adjuster looked at it yet?

[InuFaye]

Has a insurance adjuster looked at it yet?

Not yet gonna call them soon.

Pictures:



Destroyed Tree for extra gloominess.

[Mlarsen]

That looks totalled.

[InuFaye]

Hopefully buyback is not that high.

[CarsSuck]

You probably don't need a lawyer if you prepare yourself well and can control your nerves in court. I mean, it's just traffic court. How is the tread depth on your tires? Was it raining when the officer was there, or were you in a downpour that just happened to quit by the time he showed up?

Really you just need to convince the judge it was a mistake and you weren't hooning. Shouldn't be difficult.

FWIW, I once crashed into a yard in my neighborhood (FWD FTL), hit a guide wire on a tellie pole and tripped the transformer, took out power to the whole block. I just lied my way out of it. The homeowner felt really bad for me and took my side when she was talking to the cop. Ended up with a failure to maintain control ticket. Cop was really nice on the scene and in court, he made note of the cold, wet weather. So there, not EVERY cop in Virginia is a total dooooosh.

[McGyver]

i had a friend his friend's flip an rx8 9 times racing in some canyon in NV. cop showed up and wrote him a reckless. he lawyer'd up and met the guy 5 minutes before court. the laywer basically asked the cop had witness, which he didnt, so everything was dropped.

get a lawyer, they are allowed to do/get away with stuff that regular people can't. its such BS.

[nrubenstein]

You probably don't need a lawyer if you prepare yourself well and can control your nerves in court. I mean, it's just traffic court. How is the tread depth on your tires? Was it raining when the officer was there, or were you in a downpour that just happened to quit by the time he showed up?

Really you just need to convince the judge it was a mistake and you weren't hooning. Shouldn't be difficult.

FWIW, I once crashed into a yard in my neighborhood (FWD FTL), hit a guide wire on a tellie pole and tripped the transformer, took out power to the whole block. I just lied my way out of it. The homeowner felt really bad for me and took my side when she was talking to the cop. Ended up with a failure to maintain control ticket. Cop was really nice on the scene and in court, he made note of the cold, wet weather. So there, not EVERY cop in Virginia is a total dooooosh.

It's not *that* much money to hire a lawyer. Given that reckless driving is a criminal offense in VA, it could significantly impact the OP's ability to get a job going forward. Does h e have a good chance of getting it reduced? Sure. Is it worth risking? Hell, no.

This isn't a regular traffic offense. This is a criminal charge. You lawyer up for that. Period.

[imsotyerred]

Driving in Virginia is fucking awful.

This. At least you aren't up here dealing with 66/495 traffic all the time...Fucking assholes and retards everywhere.

Lawyer up, fight it and have YOUR LAWYER get the charge reduced; don't rely on the officer or judge to do anything that they say they will

[slammin.e28]

This. At least you aren't up here dealing with 66/495 traffic all the time...Fucking assholes and retards everywhere.

Lawyer up, fight it and have YOUR LAWYER get the charge reduced; don't rely on the officer or judge to do anything that they say they will

This. The officer isn't going to remember you from the other 500 people he's pulling over all around the county.

If he was going to reduce it, he should have just wrote the ticket for it.

[CarsSuck]

The really shitty thing about Virginia is that a police officer can write you a reckless ticket for anything that his discretion deems reckless. But, in this case, he didn't see you driving, right? He just responded to the scene and assumed you were speeding without evidence. Did you leave some black sqwigglies in the road? I really think you'll beat it, unless you get a really shitty judge.

[slammin.e28]

The really shitty thing about Virginia is that a police officer can write you a reckless ticket for anything that his discretion deems reckless. But, in this case, he didn't see you driving, right? He just responded to the scene and assumed you were speeding without evidence. Did you leave some black sqwigglies in the road? I really think you'll beat it, unless you get a really shitty judge.

Technically anytime a car leaves the road it's a reckless driving charge. Technically. I got one for the same thing that Inufayed did, except I took out a stand of 5 mail boxes. Reckless. Lawyer'd up, went to court, BAM. Dropped. Lawyer knew the cop, and played golf with the judge. He went up, told them what's what, and the judge let me go.

What'd it cost me? Two Ruth's Criss steakhouse gift cards. ;)

[Wh33lhop]

Criminal charges are not worth a gamble, even if the odds are in your favor. Lawyer up.

Also, fuck Virginia.