Acquaintance involved in a hit and run... By off-duty police officer - What should he do?

[Matt]

Off-duty police officer runs a red light, T-bones front end of acquaintance's car spinning it >180° and onto the pavement over the opposite carriageway then crashes into a lamp post at least 500 yards up the road. I'm no physicist but I'm sure that a car that has just turned a brand new Fiesta more than 180° wouldn't have enough momentum to coast another 500 yards (hence my hit-and-run suspicions).

 

He only passed his test recently so this will be a pretty severe knock to his confidence and he's got a broken hand. Does anyone have any advice about what he should know both just generally regarding car accident claims, injury claims and anything more specific seeing as it looks a lot like the cop tried to leg it?

[Bren]

Report it to police as it was injury/fail to stop RTC.

[UltraWomble]

Seek proper legal advice and hopefully has photographs and independent witnesses to the incident who wont try to say it was your acquaintance who ran the red light not the off duty copper

Other interweb lawyers are available.

[MarvinsMom]

report him to the rozzers and put it into their court, did your friend get a badge number for the plod responsible?

[Matt]

Report it to police as it was injury/fail to stop RTC.

 

They did but you think they won't try to cover up for him?

 

Seek proper legal advice and hopefully has photographs and independent witnesses to the incident who wont try to say it was your acquaintance who ran the red light not the off duty copper

Other interweb lawyers are available.

 

There were at least two other lads in the car with him but like I said above I'm not entirely sure they'll go about it as they should. Im sure if he sets a foot wrong even in the slightest they'll throw the book at him in the next few months.

 

report him to the rozzers and put it into their court, did your friend get a badge number for the plod responsible?

 

I'm not sure, I'll ask tomorrow.

[Bren]

They did but you think they won't try to cover up for him?

 

 

 

There were at least two other lads in the car with him but like I said above I'm not entirely sure they'll go about it as they should. Im sure if he sets a foot wrong even in the slightest they'll throw the book at him in the next few months.

 

 

 

I'm not sure, I'll ask tomorrow.

Days of covering for each other went away a long time ago.

[MarvinsMom]

i would say that in these times the coppers dont try and cover up for each other, ipcc and the like can have their arses and pensions if they were to get caught.

[Noel Tidybeard]

just be ready for the dibble to "close ranks"

[Mr_Bo11ox]

ooooh I cant think of a better situation to provike some shit hot INTERNET ADVICE, take it away gang

[AlabamaShrimp]

Bren has said it with both posts. Report it as a fail to stop injury rtc and they will do the rest

[saucedoctor]

You'd report it to the cops if was anyone else driving the other car. Why not this time?

[MarvinsMom]

what??!!!??

 

someone's got good advice on an interweb forum??

 

this place isnt what it used to be......

[Uncle Jimmy]

First thing I did when reading your post was check where you live...I expected 'LA' circa 1974...

[Uncle Jimmy]

...I hope the lad didn't call him a 'Pleb'.

[MrDuke]

Delete As Appropriate:

 

 

I/my mate Danny/anyone with balls/your Mum/Charles Bronson/teh internetz

 

would deffo

 

take his teeth out/kneecap the f**ker/bum him/roundhouse kick him/poke him in the eye/have a 'quiet' 'word' 'with' 'him'/ruffle his hair/call him a rude name

 

wiv a

 

baseball bat/size 12/wheel brace/lamp-post/rubber chicken/cloned mobile/dirty glove/angle-grinder

 

then dump his ass in

 

some lakes/a hospital/my Mum's house/a taxi rank/facebook/da 'hood/prison/a nice park/my boot.

[stuboy]

any updates??

[Cavcraft]

I'd actually see any police 'interest' in this bloke (after any prosecution or whatever of the police officer) as welcome. I just can't see them harrassing your mate as he'd only have to log every incident and then go and see a decent brief, who'd promptly tear them a new arsehole.

 

That said, I genuinely reckon the police have moved on a lot since the bad old days and they're very unlikely to wage some sort of campaign against your mate.

[mrcitroen]

As said, the closed ranks days are almost over. Over the last while there has been a fair number of rozzers done for various traffic offences both on duty and off. Only last week one got done for dangerous driving in Aberdeenshire where a pedestrian got hit.

 

A local copper here got done a few years back as she failed to nick a burglar on the way back to the station as the shift was ending. Shopped by her partner. Just took his 'tools' off him and sent him on his way!

 

I think the new Scottish police force are trying to improve the professional standards of the service despite the recent reports of armed cops on frontline duty & the stop n search stuff.

[vulgalour]

There's only one thing I can't figure out and that's how you know it was an off-duty copper.  I mean, it's not like they wear a badge on their sleeve or something when they're out of uniform.

 

If it's reported and the driver and his passengers are honest the outcome will likely be most favourable.  I wonder how many spam calls he's had from accident* management and compensation companies he's had so far?  I'm guessing about a billionty and four.

[rainagain]

Similar thing happened to me, the other driver fled the scene but I managed to get his plate. I used askmid to find out his insurance company and called them up. I can only assume they contacted him, as he admitted it the following day via his insurance company. The Police attended the scene and took our details. Even though he admitted causing the accident and illegally fleeing the scene the Police decided not to press charges.

[RedSparrow]

ooooh I cant think of a better situation to provike some shit hot INTERNET ADVICE, take it away gang

 

I was just about to say....

 

IF I WAS YOU MATE I'D BURN HIS HOUSE DOWN AND MURDER HIS KIDS ITS THE ONLY LANGUAGE THESE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND

[messerschmitt owner]

three cases of whiplash, I see. Is there CCTV at the traffic lights? Get a brief on to it now - he can make an official complaint regarding the lack of charges - dangerous driving comes to mind.

[PiperCub]

Similar thing happened to me, the other driver fled the scene but I managed to get his plate. I used askmid to find out his insurance company and called them up. I can only assume they contacted him, as he admitted it the following day via his insurance company. The Police attended the scene and took our details. Even though he admitted causing the accident and illegally fleeing the scene the Police decided not to press charges.

 

Not heard of askmid but sounds like one to keep a note of anyway for future reference.

 

It's not surprising plod didn't press charges, this is nothing new, they seldom bother unless something is definate like banned or pissed/drugged up driver etc. If it's only property damage, ie: the cars, they let the insurance companies sort it out, they aren't interested.

 

As others have said, cops covering for each other is rare these days as there's too much scrutiny and there's alot to lose re: pension etc. for anyone caught.

 

Also, how did your friend know this chap was a cop? Did he introduce himself as such? Maybe done in order to somewhat intimidate your friend into not making a fuss?

[NorfolkNWeigh]

It sounds as if there was an accident, so if both parties exchanged details. Which presumably they did- even to go so far as to inform each other what they did for a living. Then just notify insurance companies/ ambulance chasing ' claims management company' in the normal way.

Just hope your mate's a Mason.

[PiperCub]

^^If he's a Mason then he'll certainly know the chief constable personally then.

[mrcitroen]

^^If he's a Mason then he'll certainly know the chief constable personally then.

Does that still go on? I thought that nonsense had stopped too.

[PiperCub]

Masons are everywhere. It's still one of the best ways to 'Get on'.

[Matt]

Just hope your mate's a Mason.

 

Nah, his dads filthy fucking rich though which might help. I actually have what I think is a masons certificate for of some kind for some dead bloke, marked 1928 I think.

[New POD]

How is the whiplash ? 

[Parky]

It doesn't sound like a hit and run - your mate has the details of the other driver!

 

Treat as normal - report to police, get witnesses (CCTV suggestion was bob on) file report with insurance co,and you are all done. Get any injuries treated and record details, get ready for lots of form filling......

 

Just done the motor Insurance Bureau uninsured driver claim form for Mrs P's hit and run last November. Most of which seems to want the insurance details of the other driver. If I had that, surely I wouldn't need to claim for being hit by an uninsured driver, right?