When a driver flees, evidence has an expiration date.
- Store and traffic cameras: Many businesses near popular retail areas keep footage for a limited window. If you wait, footage can be overwritten.
- Witnesses during commutes: People are often distracted by traffic, storefronts, or crossing at late-day light. Contact information can disappear quickly.
- Your own memory under stress: Pain, adrenaline, and confusion can make details fuzzy. That doesn’t mean you’re wrong—it means you need a structured way to document what you observed.
In South Carolina, the sooner you preserve what you can and create a consistent record, the better your chances of holding the story together when insurers push back.


