If you know this man...

On Saturday, there was an incident involving two cars; one belonging to this gentleman, and the other, of a friend of mine.  At first, this gentleman offered $500MXN and then $1000MXN to repair the damage.  My friend wanted to call the police and insurance administrators to sort it out.  Apparently at the mention of insurance, this man returned to his car, made some unfortunately disparaging remarks about Mexicans (my friend is Mexican) and tried to drive away.  My friend then took these photos, tried to stand in his way but he drove off.
My friend then went to the Minesterio Publico to file a complaint.  They would like to interview this gentleman.  He may not know that this complaint has been filed, so it would be in his best interest to visit them and sort it out.
So if you know this man, perhaps you could advise him to visit the Ministerio in Chapala.

why not show these pics and tell the story to vialidad as well. they just might have him towed and impounded-jeje!

The photo is a bit grainy. Seems to be a Ford (white or beige), but what model? Many people relate others to the car they drive.

South Dakotans are known for their poor driving skills and manners..

And there seems to be so many of them down here.........jaja.

The incident as described by a gringo passenger in my friend's car. It is a sad indictment of the attitudes of a few...
"I happened to be getting a ride from a Mexican friend who speaks excellent English and who stopped into the carwash on the main street in Chapala. While his car was in line an older gringo with a large white SUV or van pulled out of a parking space and hit my friend's car. There were six witnesses. He initially got out of his car and said; "I didn't hit your car." Hmmm. Then he said that there was no damage to my Mexican friend's car when clearly there was minor damage. My friend tried to get him to exchange information but he refused to give him his car insurance information (I thought that from the looks of all the sideswipes on his vehicle that he might not even have car insurance). He said he was leaving. I reminded him that my friend could make a denuncia and have him arrested. After a few nasty words for us both he offered 500 pesos to my Mexican friend because "Mexicans expect bribes." Now my friend was angry and told him just to give him his car insurance information and asked him to speak with his own car insurance agent who was phoned by this time. The gringo then, in a very rude manner and with fowl language, told my Mexican friend that he was a Mexican (true, but stated with venom and said as an insult) and offered him 1,000 pesos ("and that's all you'll get from me!") and said that he was leaving. I reminded the guy that leaving the scene of an accident wasn't legal and certainly wasn't morally correct. "I'm not afraid of Mexican cops!" was what he yelled at me.
My friend had no idea what it would cost to repair his 1 week old new car and told him that he should just let the insurance companies work it out. The guy jumped in his car and I yelled at my friend to get out of the way because I realized the guy was nuts and he floored the car out of the car wash nearly running over my friend who had been standing in front of the guy's car to prevent him from leaving. The older man had a white SUV or van and gray hair and wore glasses and a hearing aid in each ear. Looking at the damages to his car I had the feeling that he had done this many times before but perhaps this was the first time he was actually caught in the act. Fortunately my friend took the guy's picture and a picture of his vehicle and his Dakota plates. Then he went to the Ministerio Publico and filed a denuncia.
Now, I try to not be vengeful but I in my mind's eye I could see the police handcuffing the gentleman and placing him in the back of one of their pickup trucks as they haul him publically away. My Mexican friend was upset but never used bad language. We will see what happens.
The lesson for me from this episode was that I have heard so many gringos make disparaging remarks about Mexican drivers in accidents. This was an example of a very rude gringo who thinks rules don't apply to him."

There are search engines that charge only a couple of dollars to search license plate databases in every state.  Wouldn't be hard to find out who owns that car.

I'll bet that between the two boards someone will know this guy. This isn't the first time he's reacted this way in an embarrassing situation for him and it likely made an impression on all those around.

Can you post the picture of the damage to the vehicle? I dont agree with the witch hunt for the hit and run man.. i would be more compassionate towards an elderly individual no matter what.

Amount of damage is irrelevant. If in a accident you stay until the issue is resolved or face the legal consequences. If you are in such a state that sympathy should be our guide, get off of the road, take a taxi, etc but don't simply decide you are going to leave. The speculation that sympathy is required is off the wall and based on conjecture at this point. Nothing the eye witness describes suggests sympathy. ID the guy and let the authorities figure out the best way to handle it, not a webboard thread.

somewhereinmexico wrote: i would be more compassionate towards an elderly individual no matter what.

If that were the norm, with the crowd of expats that hang around here (lakeside), then we could replace law with compassion, and save a lot of government expense.  
Having said that, I do believe anyone over 100 years of age, should be exempt from law.

In some countries you are automatically 10% at fault if the taxi you hired has an accident. The logic is that, if you had not hired the taxi, it would not have been there.

You don't get to have an accident and then leave without reaching an accord with the other party. This seems very, very clear to me.

This person could have some personal issues that we dont know and yes...he did not do what he was supposed to so i am going to take the sympathy route and be understanding to what he did and how he behaved.
Taking the high road is sometimes the best option

somewhereinmexico wrote:
Taking the high road is sometimes the best option

It's a pity that this person does not feel the same way.  

No sympathy for the guy whose car was damaged and who was yelled at and insulted? Why would having sympathy for him not be up there on the high road with sympathy for the ill-tempered, nasty guy?

However you feel about the sympathy issue, the posting was to advise the person that he has been reported to the authorities for leaving the scene of an accident and that it would be in his best interest to sort it out now. He probably doesn't know this. I have no idea how well the traffic policing systems are automated and integrated here and whether, if stopped, he will be flagged as having left the scene of an accident.
I did not intend it to be a witch hunt. I wasn't asking for his identification. Only that he realize that because of his actions, he is potentially in trouble, and if someone recognized him, they could inform him without announcing it on the board.
However, although this is about the legal situation of leaving the scene of an accident, the gentleman had a moral obligation to stay and sort it out. When he left, he lost my sympathy.

On TOB it was mentioned that people have seen this same man driving recklessly on other occasions.

Sometimes, as we age, we simply shouldn't be allowed to drive any more. Family members or close friends need to help a person accept that decision.

As people age, driving is the last form of freedom you have. If i do see this poor gentleman or angry man, i will still feel compassion. I still feel that filing a complaint at the ministerio publico was very harsh and its simply going to cause more problems to the senior citizen.

I do know that in mexico- mexican senior citizens are not treated too kind.

bulfarb! seniors are treated with great respect in mexico but this guy was a total jerk and hopefully gets what he deserves for being an a-hole ferner scoflaw. are you he,somewhereinmexico?

Pedro wrote:bulfarb! seniors are treated with great respect in mexico but this guy was a total jerk and hopefully gets what he deserves for being an a-hole ferner scoflaw. are you he,somewhereinmexico?

Pedro, I bow to your insight.  Deleted  (I also have to say that you, Pedro, are starting to grow on me.)

yes of course-i am a fungus amungus

somewhereinmexico wrote:As people age, driving is the last form of freedom you have.  If i do see this poor gentleman or angry man, i will still feel compassion.  I still feel that filing a complaint at the ministerio publico was very harsh and its simply going to cause more problems to the senior citizen.

I do know that in mexico- mexican senior citizens are not treated too kind.

Deleted by poster.

somewhereinmexico wrote:As people age, driving is the last form of freedom you have.  If i do see this poor gentleman or angry man, i will still feel compassion.  I still feel that filing a complaint at the ministerio publico was very harsh and its simply going to cause more problems to the senior citizen.

I do know that in mexico- mexican senior citizens are not treated too kind.

You are fruit loops amigo.   I have never lived in a country where senior citizens are treated with more respect than Mexico.   I enjoy seeing teenagers walking the streets of Chapala and Ajijic, walking hand in hand with their mother or grandmother.  You are way out of line on this comment.  

As far as driving with anger, take their license away or send them NOB!    

COMPLETELY agree Jim. If I ever end up in a nursing home...I sure hope it's in Mexico. NOB old people become invisible.