Still getting used to the sheer number of cars in Orange County, along with entitled and distracted drivers, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at what happened. Bear with me here...
About 3:40 Tuesday I was driving on MacArthur Blvd toward PCH on my way to the library, and to my right a block away is Fashion Island. I'm in the right lane going with traffic on the green when out of the corner of my eye I see a car driving a bit erratically coming toward me (T-bone style), looks like he's gonna blow the light. I slammed on my brakes mid intersection and sure enough the asshat hits me, right right corner, I think his front left corner as he turned onto MacArthur. I thought okay, I'm okay, car seems drivable, I'll get out of the intersection and he'll pull over and we'll exchange info. But he takes off and I am pissed, I put petal to the metal in my little RAV4 to try to get close enough to get the plate number, but within 20 seconds (okay, probably 5 seconds) there were 7 police coming from each direction lights and sirens in full pursuit. Yeah, at this point I realized it wasn't about ME so as rattled as I was I drove straight to the police station. They were kind, took my info, looked at my car, and asked me to describe the vehicle that hit me. That's when I realized why eyewitnesses are known to be incredibly unreliable. I barely remembered that it was dark, I said a black minivan or SUV. Driver's description? Uh, nope, I saw nothing. One person or more? No idea. I said police came from everywhere so did they catch the person, and she said no, it was still active. Said an office would get ahold of me later to get more details. And an officer did come to my house at 6:30 pm to take photos of the car and get details and give me a case number. I asked if the bad guy had been stopped, and was told no, still active. Now over Dover Shores if anyone knows that area, just across Back Bay from where I live. I knew it wasn't over since numerous helicopters were still low and neighbors there had been told to lock their doors and stay inside.
Long story sorry but there's a bit more. I figured maybe it was a smash-and-grab heist in Fashion Island, but no, turns out it was a carjacking in Newport Center, the office buildings surrounding Fashion Island. When the dude wrecked the first car he jacked, he got out and jacked another one at gunpoint. The second one was caught on video. And it's the second one, a black Jeep Grand Cherokee, that hit me. (Sorry Jeep, I really thought it was a minivan.)
Armored SWAT vehicle and SWAT teams and a gazillion police and Sheriff were in the neighborhood trying to apprehend. One older man apparently took his dog out for a walk and was met with a gun to his head asking for his m-fing keys.
They finally arrested him a little before 9 pm, remember he hit me at 3:40. Anyone know him?
"The person who was arrested was identified as Alfredo M. Hopgood, a 26-year-old Costa Mesa resident, Newport Beach Police officials said in a news release. He was booked on suspicion of carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, evading police, being a felon in possession of a gun, violating parole and additional firearms-related offenses.”
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No mention of the hit and run, they said that'd be added later. What do you think, I’m guessing he doesn’t have insurance? Okay that's a joke.
Yesterday and today were spent dealing with insurance and estimates on the car. So here ya go...
Carjacking Tuesday
About 3:40 Tuesday I was driving on MacArthur Blvd toward PCH on my way to the library, and to my right a block away is Fashion Island. I'm in the right lane going with traffic on the green when out of the corner of my eye I see a car driving a bit erratically coming toward me (T-bone style), looks like he's gonna blow the light. I slammed on my brakes mid intersection and sure enough the asshat hits me, right right corner, I think his front left corner as he turned onto MacArthur. I thought okay, I'm okay, car seems drivable, I'll get out of the intersection and he'll pull over and we'll exchange info. But he takes off and I am pissed, I put petal to the metal in my little RAV4 to try to get close enough to get the plate number, but within 20 seconds (okay, probably 5 seconds) there were 7 police coming from each direction lights and sirens in full pursuit. Yeah, at this point I realized it wasn't about ME so as rattled as I was I drove straight to the police station. They were kind, took my info, looked at my car, and asked me to describe the vehicle that hit me. That's when I realized why eyewitnesses are known to be incredibly unreliable. I barely remembered that it was dark, I said a black minivan or SUV. Driver's description? Uh, nope, I saw nothing. One person or more? No idea. I said police came from everywhere so did they catch the person, and she said no, it was still active. Said an office would get ahold of me later to get more details. And an officer did come to my house at 6:30 pm to take photos of the car and get details and give me a case number. I asked if the bad guy had been stopped, and was told no, still active. Now over Dover Shores if anyone knows that area, just across Back Bay from where I live. I knew it wasn't over since numerous helicopters were still low and neighbors there had been told to lock their doors and stay inside.
Long story sorry but there's a bit more. I figured maybe it was a smash-and-grab heist in Fashion Island, but no, turns out it was a carjacking in Newport Center, the office buildings surrounding Fashion Island. When the dude wrecked the first car he jacked, he got out and jacked another one at gunpoint. The second one was caught on video. And it's the second one, a black Jeep Grand Cherokee, that hit me. (Sorry Jeep, I really thought it was a minivan.)
Armored SWAT vehicle and SWAT teams and a gazillion police and Sheriff were in the neighborhood trying to apprehend. One older man apparently took his dog out for a walk and was met with a gun to his head asking for his m-fing keys.
They finally arrested him a little before 9 pm, remember he hit me at 3:40. Anyone know him?
"The person who was arrested was identified as Alfredo M. Hopgood, a 26-year-old Costa Mesa resident, Newport Beach Police officials said in a news release. He was booked on suspicion of carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, evading police, being a felon in possession of a gun, violating parole and additional firearms-related offenses.”
----------
No mention of the hit and run, they said that'd be added later. What do you think, I’m guessing he doesn’t have insurance? Okay that's a joke.
Yesterday and today were spent dealing with insurance and estimates on the car. So here ya go...
Carjacking Tuesday
