Need Advice

[snarlingcoyote]

This morning, going to work, I very nearly hit a truck. There's an intersection in our neighborhood and on bright clear days like today, in the morning, there's a glare. The truck was tan, the same color as the street. I looked, honestly, and just did NOT see him.

Anyway, I started onto the road, nearly hit him, didn't.

The gentleman in the truck got out and started yelling at me. He kept repeating "you didn't even stop!" (Which I did. Stop I mean. I stopped. I did not count to ten. I hit my brakes, looked, spedometer at 0, started again. Is that not a stop?)

I rolled down the window and apologized profusely, grabbing for my phone with my other hand, because honestly, he was being seriously scary.

Finally, I had my phone in my hand. Someone in the truck with him was urging sense into him. He got back in the truck, we went on our way.

I worked 12 hours, came home. There were TWO cop cars sitting in the turn off to our neighborhood and they both followed me. I got to the first stop sign (of many) and stopped. There were two teenagers walking down the road on either side of it (the road is jussstttt barely wide enough for two cars) and there was a car at a stop sign down at the end of the road. I waited for the other car to go, other car waited for me to go - we didn't want to pass each other at the point where those kids were walking on the road - finally, I sighed and started forward. Cops turned on their lights, I ground to a halt again, cops zoomed around me, doing easily triple the speed limit and zoomed off.

Now, I would say I am being paranoid, but I used to walk the neighborhood, and remembered which house this truck belonged to. So I went and google-fu'd the house number, then did a reverse search on that house number and found the occupants' name. A quick search of Louisiana small town newspapers and I found out that the man is the insurance consultant for the city. (We live in a small town.)

I am going on a trip this weekend and was planning on taking hubby's car - he was going to take my car and drive around in town this weekend. I am worried that the cops got my license plate number to give to this man and am further worried what he will do. (He was crazynutsmad. Major road rage. I know I was in the wrong, but so was the lady who rear ended me last week - and we both got out and worried over each other's feelings - I honestly DID look, I honestly did NOT see him. I did NOT hit him.) There was a case a couple of years ago where the police chief harrassed a family mercilessly until they got the state police to take a look because of something that happened at a basefall field.

Any one involved in small town politics who can help me navigate these waters? Am I just being paranoid?

 

[Philagoofy]

I'm sorry, I have no advice but I do hope nothing more comes of this and that you can go away this weekend and not worry about it too much.

 

[Disney Doll]

It may be a coincidence. If something else "suspicious" happens, I will start to think it is less of a coincidence. make sure hubby knows of your concerns.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

My suggestion - If you know who the man is, mail him a letter apologizing again, explaining how it happened and that you will be more careful in the future, but with no name and no return address. He was probably scared when it happened, and that makes many men angry. Angry people do not listen, so he didn't hear a word that you said at the "scene of the crime".

Now, if you were less than polite at the scene, make sure that you apologize for that, too. Just say that you were scared (but don't tell him that you were afraid of him - which will only anger him more).

I love small towns, but you really have to be careful not to make enemies. Good luck...

 

[dawson5]

Is it a 4 way stop? if not, why not get a petition going, I can't imagine you are the only one who has had this happen. Are there a lot of accidents at that intersection?
That might also be why the police were there or something might have happened in the area. If it happens again, I would be worried. Or like you mentioned this guy being involved with the city, maybe this isn't the first time it's happened to him and he has them looking into it?