[MN] How long can I report a potential hit-and-run?
I discovered damage to the rear passenger side of my car on Thursday, March 6th, while I was at work. There was no note left, so I asked my workplace’s facilities team to review the security footage for any vehicles that might have parked close to mine. So far, they haven’t found anything.
I also took a look at my dash cam footage from March 1 to March 6 and confirmed that my car was only next to another vehicle on one occasion. The only possible time for the incident was on March 4th between 11 AM and 11:48 AM while I was at my doctor’s appointment. During the rest of that period, my car was either parked in my garage or in a handicap spot with no adjacent parking spaces.
After I returned home on March 4th, my car remained in the garage until I left for work on March 6th due to a snowstorm.
My question is: Am I still able to file a police report for this hit-and-run? Should I also reach out to the hospital to check if their security cameras might have captured anything, or is it too late to investigate?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
TL;DR: Found damage on March 6th; only potential time another car was next to mine was March 4th at a doctor’s office. Work is checking footage. Can I still report this to the police and inquire about the hospital’s security footage?
You should definitely still file a police report for the hit-and-run, even if the incident happened a couple of days ago. It’s important to document the damage and provide as much information as possible, especially since you have some footage and details about the timeframe when it could have occurred.
Contacting the hospital to check if they have security footage is also a good idea. They may be able to help you determine if any vehicles were near yours during the time you were at your appointment. The more evidence you have, the better your chances of identifying the responsible party or at least having a record for insurance purposes.
In terms of how far back you can report the incident, there typically isn’t a strict timeframe for hit-and-run reports, but it’s best to do it as soon as possible. Reach out to your local law enforcement to inquire about the specific regulations in your area. Good luck, and I hope you get the answers you need!