It's very nice of the OP to make the case AGAINST himself. He admits non-expert status in geometry, and the diagrams document a straight line approach to a curved trajectory, guaranteed to decrease clearance on both sides.

The decision not to contact the police was not a great idea, either. In many states, an accident with damage above a certain threshold must be reported to police by any involved driver. To not do so is an offense. The damage described to the door almost certainly qualifies, as anyone who has had some body work done will attest.

Also, there will be no police report available to the insurance company for any claim made, which under the terms of most policies will free the insurance company from their liability, the driver having not fulfilled his responsibilities.