Hit and run accidents can be devastating, but just because the other driver took off doesn’t mean they’re going to get away with causing an accident. There are many instances where officers are able to find out who was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. If the officers have a partial license plate number, they can use that information to figure out who the driver was.

Finding a Partial License Plate Number

Police officers will use a variety of methods to get at least a partial license plate number. Sometimes, witnesses to the accident may remember the first few numbers or letters on the license plate but not the rest. Video footage of the accident may be available but is not clear enough for the officer to be able to read the entire license plate number. There have even been cases where part of the license plate number was imprinted on the vehicle that was hit.

Determining the Color, Make, and Model of Vehicle

Just the first or last few numbers can be used to find the vehicle, but more information is needed for the officers to be sure they’ve found the right vehicle in the system. Most of the time, they’ll need the make, model, and color of the vehicle that caused the accident. If known, an approximate year can be helpful as well. Basically, they need to know as much as possible when they search for the license plate number, as every bit of information can help them narrow down the options.

Looking Up This Information to Find the Driver

Once the officer has as much information as possible, they can look through the state license plate database. They’ll use the partial license plate number to find potential matches, then use the make, model, color, and other information to narrow down their options. When they have one left, they can check to see if it was recently in an accident.

It is possible that the police can catch the hit and run driver if you were in an accident. Take the time to learn more about How Police Catch Hit and Run Drivers now to learn more about what they might be able to do to help you.