Van not stopping after colliding with friend's car

[Jampot]

actually it was my friend's son's car.

He heard a crash outside his house last November and looked out of the window. He saw a van crashing into a few vehicles so went out to put a note on the windscreens of the cars after taking the registration number of the van. Then he found his own car had been damaged. He reported it to the Police but they are unwilling to give driver details to him because of Data Protection. The van was hired but he doesnt even know the hire company. Am I mistaken or is it an offence to not stop/report a collision? Also am I right in thinking that DVLA will provide details of a non-stop driver/owner? Also can he pursue the hire company for the repairs?

Did he report to his insurers at the time?

i think so but his excess is something ridiculous like £600 or so

DVLA will give out reg owner details (they bloody sell them to car park companies fgs) for a fee but in this case wont that just be the hire company
whoo prob cant give out driver details due to data protection unless police ask

prob best to leave to insurance company perhaps he could claim excess?