I live in Houston, so right now there are wreckers everywhere.  They drive like maniacs, and the cops here never do a damn thing about it.  In fact, I found out the cops take their side!  For example:  Last night, I'm driving doing about 45, which is the speed limit.  I'm about to go thru a green light in the fast lane.  Right before I get to the intersection, a wrecker, who had been in the left-turn lane, decides he wants to go straight.  So he pulls out in front of me and STOPS!  At a green light!  There was about 30 feet between us.  I drive a Durango, and there's no way it could possibly stop in time.  I have two choices, rear end him, or sideswipe the Miata next to me.  So, I plowed into the back of him.  At least I was able to crank it down to about 10mph.  His T-bar, or whatever it's called, was sticking out kinda crooked, so it directed all of the damage to the driver's side of the front.  When the cops show up, he says "I think I already know what happened, but why don't you tell me anyway."  I tell him, but he thinks since there's so much damage, I must have really been speeding.  He couldn't grasp that when all the damage is directed to a small area, it becomes worse.  So, I get ticketed for "Failure to control speed" when I did nothing wrong.  Not only that, but the cop had his mind made up that the older wrecker driver must have been in the right.  And what pisses me off even more, there wasn't a shred of damage on his truck!  Man I'm pissed...

How's that?  Better?

I take it the Miata driver obeyed the law and stopped at the scene of the accident to render assistance and provide his name and address as a witness??[rolleyes]

Hell no!  Nobody stopped!  You think they would waste their precious time and to help me from getting screwed?  On top of it all, 3 of the wrecker's buddies showed up to "help out" the investigation.  But not a single one of them offered to tow my truck.  If anyone is in the Houston area, please don't ever use Klein's for towing.

Sounds like a damn if you do..damn if you don't. If you had left 5 miles of skid marks the officer would have said you were speeding. If you didn't leave any at all he probably would have said you were tail gating. Up here if you hit a vehicle..you are usually charged with not being in control of your vehicle. I forget the proper terminology for it.

The ticket is automatic - too fast for conditions, following too close - whatever. The guy could be driving backwards down the highway at rush hour blindfolded and if he happens to pick you to crash into you end up with a ticket too. Take it to court and present an arguement with the judge.

Bigheat...the wrecker driver claimed that he pulled out long before I hit him, and that he was actually doing 35mph!  And yet the debris from my truck was underneath my front tires.  That means I had to be doing at least 45 when the impact occurred, and yet I stopped within 2 feet or so.  Yeah, right...
Ice...I'm only 24, so I'm pretty much in the same boat as your friend.
dnra...That's the first thing I thought.  They both are stationed in the area, so I figure they've at least run into each other before.
In any case, I owe some money right now.  It's real frustrating since I've been saving up for a HK91 for the last 4 months.  I can finally afford it, but instead I have to pay the deductible, rental, etc.

Jadams951,  At least I'm not the only person in the Houston area that sees what a problem they are.  I see so many simple wrecks that should cause very little or no traffic problems...until the wreckers smell the fresh accident.  If there's 2 cars involved, there will be 6 or 7 wreckers, just waiting like vultures.  Them being at the scene in such numbers, and never really getting out of the road are what causes a lot of the traffic slowdown.  I think they should be fined for it.  Right now in Houston, the wrecker drivers are picking up people's cars left in the road and nobody knows where they are taken.  Not to mention the intense price gouging.  I saw one bill on the news, it was $275!  For a simple tow!  I wish I knew where the bastard lived so I could give him a few flats...