What to Do If You Scratched Someone Else's Car and Left?
3 Answers
It is considered a hit-and-run, which is illegal. You need to surrender to the police or re-establish contact with the owner of the scratched car to seek forgiveness and provide compensation. If the circumstances are particularly severe, you may face a prison sentence of three to seven years; if the hit-and-run results in a death, the sentence could be seven years or more.
That day in the supermarket parking lot, I scraped someone's rear bumper. My heart skipped a beat when it happened, and since no one noticed, I drove away. Back home, the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt, and I couldn't sleep well all night. The next morning, I deliberately drove back and left a note on the windshield explaining the situation, along with my contact information. The owner later called, and their attitude was much milder than I expected. I paid 800 yuan for the paint repair, and we actually became friends. Honestly, running away after a scrape might seem convenient, but surveillance cameras don't lie. Taking the initiative to admit the mistake avoids having the police come knocking and saves you from worrying later. My advice: if you find yourself in this situation, don't take chances—wait for the owner at the scene or contact the property management. It's always better than sneaking away.
Last week, while reversing my car, I accidentally scratched my neighbor's vehicle, leaving a shallow mark on the side mirror. Seeing no one around, I quickly drove away, but back home, I felt guilty like a thief. The next day, I ran into my neighbor and couldn't shake the feeling that he was giving me strange looks. By the third day, I couldn't take it anymore and confessed. My neighbor pointed to the camera on his porch and said he had been waiting for me to come clean for the past three days. I ended up paying 2,000 yuan in compensation and owing him a favor—had I just left a note with my phone number, it would have saved so much trouble. Now, the whole neighborhood knows about it—a classic case of penny wise, pound foolish. To truly avoid trouble, remember: even if you can't wait for the owner, at least take photos of the damage and leave them under the windshield wiper—it's a hundred times better than just driving off.
