Originally Posted by Friend

So after a day at mile-square park in fountain valley, showing off my mini to friends of the family, my parents, my sister, my little doggie Cooper, and I drove home to Redondo Beach. After exiting the 405 onto Artesia and turning a left onto Prairie, as we were driving South crossing the intersection at 182nd street, a metallic-champagne colored Nissan Altima with paper plates marked (Mossy Nissan El Cajon) turned right onto Prairie and swung into the left lane (our lane) trying to pass up another car in the right lane. As I hit the breaks and honked the horn, it was too late and the lady hit our forward right headlight area with her forward left side. I was probably going 35MPH on this 40MPH road and hit her at around 25MPH. My mini's engine had died and so I had to start it back up again AS THE WOMAN SPED OFF!!!!!!! My family yelled for me to follow her and I proceeded to do so, almost redlining my mini to catch up. It was simple, a piece of cake, who would think of trying to outrun a turbocharged mini cooper s with a Nissan Altima? Probably a lady who doesn't have insurance! We followed her as she made a left from Prairie onto 188th street. She knew there was no outrunning Coopernicus, so she stopped just before Cordary. She got out and my dad got out of our Mini too. She was scared, we could all see it; she was saying that she "wasn't from around the area" and she "didn't see [us]". WTF?!?!! I was mad so I told her that "that didn't give [her] a right to hit us and run". I was so pissed, since you all know how much I, and WE love our minis dearly. My mom was pissed as well so my mom got out of the car after the lady tried to blame us for hitting her. We all told her that that was bullsh*t (well we were all about to say it) and she asked us if we wanted to settle this with the cops. My dad told her that we already called the police (my sister had called right after we hit and was on the line the whole time telling them her description and such). That was when she freaked out and got into her car and sped off, not even bothering to close her door as it flung wildly. She made a right onto Cordary and that's where we lost her, not knowing whether or not she had made a left or right onto 190th. By the time we were all in the car already she was gone; hiding out somewhere in Torrance. We lost her and the 911 operator told us to go to the Torrance PD and file the report. We did so, and I was glad that the lady officer who filed it for us was so nice and felt sympathy for my 2 and a half month old 07 Mini Cooper. She told us to do a follow up with the Traffice division of the Torrance PD on Monday when their office is open. Hopefully the description and the fact that it was MOSSY NISSAN EL CAJON on the paper plates will help the authorities possibly find her out and give her what she deserves.

The damage is surprisingly light, compared to what my family and I imagined it to be after we were chasing her. I wasn't paying much attention to her damage because I was so focused on following her but my dad said that her damage was very deep and very noticeable on the fender and the bumper and possible internal damage. My dad estimates that it could be (conservatively) about $1000 worth of damage on her part. As for Coopernicus on the other hand, he only got damage to the forward passenger wheel well (it's a little out of whack), the hood cover is pushed in at the headlight, the headlight is pushed in, and the bumper has some scuff marks, but we haven't checked out the bumper supports. Other than that there isn't any real indentations or any signs of paint damage - nothing like what the other car had. Coopernicus and all his R53 and R56 cousins are quite strong!!! I'm glad that he was able to hold himself up AND PROTECT MY FAMILY, ME, and our chihuahua Cooper!

I know it's a long shot, but if any of you drivers ever see her (black female, short hair, mid 30's?) in her car maybe in El Cajon or Torrance for that matter with forward left damage, you could follow her and try to get her IDed or something. I also know that this happens all the time, and it's not THAT BIG of a deal, but I'm just pissed at how careless she and other drivers are, especially because she ran off and even thought of blaming us.