Suggestions how to search for car by plate

[twincam]

This isn't Mini related but I thought someone may know the answer to this question.

I got rear ended Monday (not in a Mini). I stupidly accepted the suggestion from the guy who hit me that we pull off the busy main drag to transact accident info. As soon as I pulled into an adjacent parking lot and shut my engine off, the guy took off. Additional stupidity - I didn't get his plate number....well sorta...he left a partial imprint of his plate in my bumper.

From my best forensic analysis, the plate reads 133-UIH or 133-UIB. The officer who took my report tried the first one but it didn't match my recollection of a metallic blue late '70's to mid '80s "compact" or "midsize" GM product. At the time he wasn't interested in checking numerous variations.

Is there any public way to check car color and make based on plate number? I'd like to check a few variations and I don't care to know the guys name or address. I believe I could submit a request to the DOL and get all sorts of info for $10 but I think they report the query to the owner and I'd rather this possible felon not know my name and address.

Gregg

[BIGSHOT]

Gregg, get your insurance company on the case. They should be tracking this guy down for you.

Dan

By the way, that's pretty cool that you picked up the imprint like that.

[twincam]

Yeah, it's pretty cool how it left the impression. Both the officer who came to the scene and I didn't even see it. Afterwards I picked up my 15 year old from an Ultimate Frisbee practice and he noticed it right away. I headed to the police department so they could have a look, but by then it was getting too dark so they couldn't check too many possibilities.

The insurance company seems to be more interested in steering me towards their "approved" body shop than catching the culprit. I think they may know that most drivers who hit and run are losers who are probably uninsured and they don't have a chance in hell of collecting anything, so why bother. Never-the-less, I'm copying my agent on all the gory details of my forensic analysis.

Thanks,

Gregg

[James T]

some might say the guy left a bad impression on you..lol. ok sorry though ..that sucks. I've been hit buy three people in my life that had no insurance, but never a "hit and run".

[twincam]

Tonight has been one week so I'm going back to stake out the intersection to see if he comes back through while my son is at Frisbee practice. Hope to make an impression on him.

[minied]

Gregg,

Try this: http://web1.seattle.gov/courts/cpi/
Click on 'vehicle' in the search field on the left and enter the license info. It's a Seattle Police data base of vehicles that have traffic violations. If the vehicle has prior moving violations the scumbag owner's name should be attached. If it's just a parking citation it will just show the type of vehicle involved. Not much to go on but it's about all that's out there for us. Good luck!