Hi,
When we hit the fence, the car was on the road but literally without blocking the traffic. And we stepped out and called the emegency towing service, then he was passing by and we said we just hitted the fence, so he said drive slow and keep moving forward which we don't want to do because it might be more dangerous as the road was slippery. Then, he asked us to sit inside his car and meanwhile the snow cleaning trucks was cleaning the road, when the road was pretty clean enough, he asked if we can drive and get out of way but as we were scared and none of us has experience driving in snow, so we thought just to wait as we have already ordered tow truck.
Later on he asked the snow cleaning truck guy to help me remove the car off the road and i stepped out of officer car and went with him. I drived slowly and took Uturn and came back where officer was standing with my friends to get them in and stopped on the side way/turn out way which is completely out of road where other cars was parked. Meanwhile, the towing truck came which might was ordered by officer and he was asking double the price of regular tow truck. So, we said him we will pay you half and drop us to safe place down hill where we can drive easily from, he refused and informed officer. Once he refused, i started giving a try to put snow chains on which was in my car and even the officer seen i was trying.
So, as soon as he informed officer that we are not accepting his tow truck/trying to reduce price. Then, he stepped out and said he have to give me a ticket of Impeding traffic and even warning on chains, this all happened after i have parked my car on the side way where other cars were parked out of road.
So, i don't understand, if he gave us the ticket when we was stopping in the middle of road or even when we stopped the car after hitting the fence when the car was on road(which, i guess is a valid reason to stop the car when you had accident) then i can understand we were impeding traffic. But, as we are already out of way and didn't accepted his tow service, he got mad and gave the ticket because of that. Because, if thats the case then most of the cars stopped on the side way parked which can't drive not on the road/not impeding the traffic, then why he has to give the ticket to me.
Even my ticket doesn't have any amount, he said the court/judge will decide what to do and how much should i pay.
Please, suggest what should i do according to my condition.
> Is this something which can be dismissed by sending a Trail by Declaration as it is not a major ticket and we do have valid reason to defend.
> If i protest using TBD, if it got denied then i have to request new trail where i have to go inperson. So, do i have to hire an lawyer/attorney to fight for me or if i don't have anyone does court assigns me a lawyer to fight for
me for no cost.
> If i hire a lawyer, how much that might cost me and what is the best option to do. I am planning to protest to not get point on my record because i don't have an option of taking traffic school, for which eligibility is every 18
months, which i have took couple months back. So, i can't go with that option.
> Even the court he assigned me on the ticket is 150 miles far from my house, can i request to go to a court close to my house.
Thanks,
MJ

