Driving Infractions in the US - What Are The Facts?

[InvisibleSoul]

Came across this article that was quite interesting...

http://www.kirotv.com/news/18862703/detail.html

Loophole Lets Foreign Drivers Skip Paying Tickets
Chris Halsne
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Investigative Reporter

Posted: 10:32 am PST March 5, 2009
Updated: 10:34 am PST March 6, 2009

SEATTLE -- An exclusive KIRO Team 7 Investigation cracks open an international controversy -- uncovering how thousands of foreign drivers break our traffic laws with zero consequence.

DUI, reckless endangerment, speeding -- you name it -- they get away with it. We begin as Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne unravels a violent hit-and-run in Everett.

Last October, a silver sport car zips into a parking lot along Everett Mall Way and, bam, runs down a pair of 13-year-old boys riding a bike down the sidewalk. The driver flees, but quick-thinking witnesses write down a British Columbia, Canada license plate (199 EJG). Halsne had no trouble finding the suspect, so why didn't Everett police bother?

CONTACT GOV. GREGOIRE
Share your thoughts about whether Washington should sign a new agreement with B.C. that covers traffic tickets. Contact Gov. Gregoire

“I was holding my side and it hurt really bad,” accident victim Cody Christmas told Halsne. “Then he got out of his car and started cussing at me and yelling at me.”

Chrisman felt lucky to limp away from that moment with just a bent bike wheel, a badly bruised knee, and an injured back.

Witnesses to the hit-and-run accident say Cody didn't do anything wrong; an out-of-control driver was to blame.

Cindy Williams saw the entire crash unfold.

“The kids were on the sidewalk next to him. He had to pass the kids to take the right. There's no way he couldn't see them. We saw them. They were in front of us. No way he could have missed that.”

Williams also says the suspect didn’t want to stick around.

“My husband told the guy he needed to stay because we needed to call the police and make sure everyone was OK, make sure the kids were going to be taken care of and he threw his arms up and drove away. He was not interested in staying. Not interested in filing a police report. Not interested in doing his part in taking responsibility for what he did."

Not that day, nor months later. KIRO Team 7 Investigators tracked down the suspect, holed up inside a secure high-rise in New Westminster, B.C. The still-dented Mercedes Benz SKL that struck Cody sat nearby in his private parking space.

Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne was left standing outside by the security phone box.

Halsne: "Why not come down and tell us what happened?"

Suspect: "Cause I don't want to come down. I don't want to talk to you. There's not a problem with me. This has been misconstrued and I was treated like a posse was after me when it happened and I'm not going to come down. This is over as far as I'm concerned. Not a chance. Go away."

The mystery man is 67-year-old Angelo Wayne Bertoia. Everett police wrote up a report naming him as a suspect, but never even called the guy, and they closed the case with no charges, no ticket.

Detectives told Cody's mom, Dena Lovtang, it's because Bertoia is Canadian.

“I said, 'You've got to be kidding me!' He said, 'No, that's the law and it’s not worth it. There is nothing we can do because they won't cooperate.'”

The Canadian government has agreed to help U.S. law enforcement with cross-border felony criminal cases, but not with enforcing traffic infractions. That’s because Washington state and B.C. have never signed what’s called a reciprocity agreement.

As a result, an exclusive computer analysis, conducted by KIRO Team 7 Investigators, found that of the 18,122 tickets issued to B.C. residents in less than two years, at least 3,220 B.C. resident tickets also turned into warrants for "failure to pay." That means the violators repeatedly ignored requests to pay the fines.

A reciprocity agreement would force Canadians to deal with their tickets when caught in the United States breaking traffic laws or face losing the right to drive back in their home country. As it stands now, paying fines or coming to court is voluntary.

Those who witnessed Angelo Wayne Bertoia run into Cody on his bike want that to change.

Cindy Williams remains fired up about this accident months later telling us, “I understand we probably can't invade Canada and go get him and drag him out, but if comes back, he should definitely have to face the consequences of our law.”

Cody Chrisman has his own opinion of Bertoia.

"When you come down here and hit somebody, then you get scared and run back to your own country, it's kind of cowardice."

Everett police tell us they have reopened this hit-and-run investigation. That comes after KIRO-TV raised questions about the accuracy of the original on-scene investigation and why the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office was excluded from reviewing the matter.
Copyright 2009 by KIROTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Someone on FerrariChat wrote the following:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=240809

This is not the first time, nor the last time they will speed in the USA...there is no reason not to, the tickets DO not go on their Canada driving record...and since they are just infractions in the State, there are no Warrants issued for non-payment...no need to take care of it...all that happens is a fail to pay notice and then suspension of their driving privledges in the State...BUT since they are NOT a USA citizen...they can not be arrested AND/OR criminaly cited for driving on a suspended status if and when they return to the States..

Is that just BS? That definitely contradicts all the information that I've seen here regarding getting tickets in the US.

Does anyone actually have a definitive answer?

[hk20000]

Did you just run some bastard down and looking for advice?

[InvisibleSoul]

Nope... just wondering out of curiosity and for the sake of knowledge.

[Eff-1]

Originally Posted by InvisibleSoul

Someone on FerrariChat wrote the following:

I'd say he's half right.

US tickets don't show up on Canadian driving records. US driving criminal charges DO show up. Like DUI. And Canadian penalities will apply.

Where's he's completely wrong is saying that just because you're not a US citizen, you can't be arrested for driving in the US if you get caught again and have outstanding fines/suspended status. No such thing as immunity for Canadians in the States.