Accident Report

[denny]

Just went downstairs and found my post for the day... including a copy of the police report into the accident. The other driver's statement has got some great highlights... I particularly like the bit where he says the accident was my fault because I "had a good view" of him and therefore "could have gone around" him. With hindsight I have to say I wish I had decided to steer around him, instead of 'deciding' to plow into him at 30mph ;)

Update: the guy is a year younger than me, and he'd only had a driving licence for a year at the time of the accident. I'd assumed it was an older guy for some reason - probably because it was such a bloody stupid bit of driving. The inexperience might account for that though. With a bit of luck he'll check more carefully before he does his next 3-point turn...

Comments

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Ah well, that should help your case a great deal. What a fuckwit!

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Looking at this, I can't believe the CPS didn't want to pursue it - the guy says he had an unobstructed view for 500-600 yards either way - the exit from my work car park was less than 200 yards from the accident scene. Even the policeman who wrote up the accident has pointed out that you can see where I came from if you sit where the car was. I'm not really sure what else they want - surely they can't expect his theory that I practically rammed him on purpose will stand up in court?

Weird.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Maybe you ought to ask your lawyer if you can press the case or something?

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

I think only the crown can press criminal charges. If his insurance company don't offer a suitable settlement then I will end up taking him to court, but in a civil case.

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

Unfortunatley that's true, the CPS have to press the criminal charges. The thing is that the CPS will only take cases to court that they think they can prove (with evidence) that they'll win. In your case there's a lot of "he said, she said" and it is a bit touch and go as to how the court would rule. In a civil case you'd probably storm home.

IMO :)

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Well in his mind, you were only moving at a fast walking pace, because obviously you had two wheels and every boy racer knows that things on two wheels are slow even if they have a great big engine stuck to them...

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

I don't think he ever saw me, let alone made a guess at my velocity. The amount of "And then I checked my mirrors again. And then my blind spot. Both of them." waffle in the interview is great... if he'd made that many observations, I'd have been halfway home before he'd got the car in gear :)