Questions about an incident with a parked vehicle?

You should’ve been a detective or investigator, you got in the wrong line of work lol.

 

At this point it "woulda, coulda, shoulda", but I would've walked back the 1/2 mile just to check....

 

I believe you!

 

I don't think hitting another vehicle is an incident. I'm pretty sure it's an accident. Either way, how you get home is not important. I would do what the company planned for you to do, wait till your ride shows up and ride home as a passenger. Paying attention is the bare minimum when you drive. Hitting the other vehicle is not the fault of whoever parked it with no lights. You can be a great driver for 15 years. If you run off the road when digging for something in the sleeper while you drive your good record is broken. Driving isn't just some background function you are supposed to do if you want to.

Your life isn't over, your career isn't over, your job is over. Use this event as a reason to change what you do and how. Only one man was perfect. Your job is to be professional and pay more attention than 99% of other drivers on the road when you drive. Accept responsibility and have an explanation of what you learned and how you have changed to never have any other event like this for the rest of your career to tell the next employer. A good excuse you give to people will just signal you haven't learned anything from this event. That's almost the worst outcome.

 

You let it happen, it didn't just happen to you. If a satellite fell on you, that just happened. There's no way to avoid it. If a sinkhole opens up just before you drive over it, it just happened. 10 years of not screwing up doesn't mean you are entitled to the next 10 years of no screw ups. You have to actively make anything in your control turn out the way you wanted it. Your vehicle is in your control. I made lots and lots of mistakes. I'm sure everyone reading and commenting also made them. Nobody's perfect but you are required to control your vehicle and drive so as not to hit things. There are places, times, circumstances where less attention is required than others. Night time is often not one of those circumstances. If your car broke down and was on the shoulder of the road without lights it's not permissible to hit it with other vehicles. Things will get better. Right now is confusing and high stress. Learn your lesson, please.

 

Wait for the company ride because they most likely are taking you for a drug test first.

 

If you even suspect that you touched something, you stop and walk back. It could have been a pedestrian hurt badly or dead.

Also, not sure why it took you a half a mile to stop. Sounds like you contemplated not pulling over.

 

I would contact your company and ask them if they intend to terminate your employment.

If they say yes, ask if they will allow you to resign.

Mention how you’ve driven well for them and ask them if they would give you a positive reference for your next application.

Mistakes happen, maybe you can come out of this with minimal resume damage.