Rear ended tonight.

slavedave

Well, it had to happen sometime I guess. In 15 years of regular cycle commuting I got hit by a car on the way home tonight. Yielding at the exit roundabout in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre near the McD's and I was shunted from behind. Fortunately, I wasn't pushed into the traffic on the roundabout. The "concerned driver" wound down his window as I picked myself up to check if I was ok and me, not being a happy chappy, managed to control myself enough to get the bike and myself to the side of the road and check the aches and pains. Having asked for a minute to get my thoughts together, he pulled round the corner and......carried on driving! i didn't get a chance to get his reg no. but I phoned the gardes who, not surprisingly, couldn't do anything. Waited around to see if a witness would come forward or, per chance, the driver returned but...nothing. Rush hour traffic leaving the centre and no-one stopped. Bit grim really. Several drivers witnessed it happen.
Suffice to say, the only person that stopped to see if anything was up was a cyclist that happened along a few minutes later.
I have had a few "close ones" in the past so it is typical that my first prang is one where I was actually stationary when it happened!
I think nothing serious has happened to the body but I was a bit shaken up. How do I check out if anything has been done to my bike? it all appears ok but is it possible that he has bent the rear triangle etc?

Lesson is: Get that camera out as soon as you can and shoot the driver and the reg number asap. I will do this if there is ever a next time. be careful out there!

dowtcha

if there there is anything to the concept of karma, this driver better watch out ?, talk about a brass neck, you mention it was a he, obviously a he without much of a conscience - sorry to hear about the incident, and I hope you don't suffer from any after effects!

Dermot Illogical

I'm assuming you'd recognise car/driver again? Sit at same time, same place when you get a chance and you'll probably get the opportunity to teach him an important lesson in taking responsibility for his actions. The hit & run penalties are far higher than those from a rear end t/a. The assumption on conviction is that drink driving was the reason for not hanging around so a 2 year ban applies.
Might be worth checking with BSC management to see if there's CCTV on the junction?

Lusk Doyle

RT66 wrote: »

The assumption on conviction is that drink driving was the reason for not hanging around so a 2 year ban applies.

That's a mighty big assumption me thinks. Is this true?

funnights74

Glad to hear no permenant damage done and as for the culprit well may the fleas of a thousand camels infest his pubes.

DirkVoodoo

Any CCTV cameras in the vicinity that might have happened to catch that bit of road or the roundabout?

Dermot Illogical

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

That's a mighty big assumption me thinks. Is this true?

In this country it's not such a big assumption. Why else would someone not remain at the scene of an accident? If the penalty for fleeing is less than the penalty for drink-driving it only encourages drink drivers to carry on down the road.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2006/en/act/pub/0023/sec0006.html#sec6
The S. 106 it refers to covers duties at the scene of an accident.
S.49 is drink-driving, 50 is drunk-in-charge of a vehicle and 53 is dangerous driving, so you can see it's in illustrious company.
Hit and run is a serious offence. Rightly so.

Captain Havoc

I think it's pretty bad that the gardaí said they couldn't do anything, pursue it and make a complaint.

brayblue24

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I think it's pretty bad that the gardaí said they couldn't do anything, pursue it and make a complaint.

A complaint about what? OP didn't have a reg no. What can they possible do in the absence of the most vital piece of evidence.

OP, firstly, I'm delighted you're OK and lucid enough to report your misfortune here and I wish you well (I find Heineken works for me;))

I agree with previous poster. Go to the same spot at the same time tomorrow or the next day. We're all creatures of habit to some extent-he'll pass by again. Get his nmuber and then report it, but given the opportunity you should report the matter

slavedave

RT66 and Brayblue, will try to linger around there tomorrow in "civvies" with a camera. I would recognise the driver and possibly his car but even if the gods were with me, he could deny everything and then it ends there I guess. Will pop into the centre to see if CCTV operates in the area.
Not hopeful for too much but you never know. At this stage all I want is an apology and a bit of contrition (though my back is still a bit sore tonight) and the knowledge that he may approach a roundabout with more caution next time. Hopefully the bike is ok. Seemed alright gingerly cycling home afterwards but will let the bike shop in Blanch Village have a look at it.
Thanks to everyone for the posts - they alone make me feel better:)

dowtcha

funnights74 wrote: »

Glad to hear no permenant damage done and as for the culprit well may the fleas of a thousand camels infest his pubes.

+1 & amen

Slavedave, please let us know, if by some fate of chance the cctv does manage to turn up anything, who knows in the future, your experience in pursuing this reprobate may be useful to others who find themselves in a similar place

irishmotorist

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I think it's pretty bad that the gardaí said they couldn't do anything, pursue it and make a complaint.

You're dead right. Near where I work, there was a serious incident a few years ago. The Gardai came to us looking for all of our CCTV footage to see if there was anything. This incident is also serious so if the Garda was doing his/her job, they would be pursuing CCTV camera footage from the locality. It might be better to check this sooner rather than later as different companies might have different retention policies.

Dermot Illogical

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I think it's pretty bad that the gardaí said they couldn't do anything, pursue it and make a complaint.

+1 on this. Go in person to Blanchardstown garda station and check that your phone call at least resulted in a record of the incident. If not, ask that it be done.

slavedave

Contacted the Centre's security company this morning and they are going to review the CCTV around that time. Hopefully they come up with something.

brayblue24

slavedave wrote: »

Contacted the Centre's security company this morning and they are going to review the CCTV around that time. Hopefully they come up with something.

In all probability they won't reveal to you what's on the CCTV but they will to the Gardai upon request. See what they say and go and look for the car as you said you would. I'd be surprised if you didn't see him again.
It is indeed your word against his and he might end up getting off with it but he'll sure as hell think before skipping off again when he's spoken to. His name will end up on the syatem so if there are any further incidents it will flag. There's also the possibility that a witness has presented themselves to the guards in the meantime-that does happen, in which case you have a stronger argument.

Anyway, best of luck with it and glad you're OK

Undercover Elephant

slavedave wrote: »

Lesson is: Get that camera out as soon as you can and shoot the driver and the reg number asap. I will do this if there is ever a next time. be careful out there!

Yup. I learned that the hard way too, after some guy in a shiny Merc took out my rear wheel. It didn't occur to me that he would drive off, until I realised he had driven off.

The incident was on CCTV, but if you can't see a reg number, the gardai can't find him.

Glad you're ok.

doozerie

slavedave wrote:

Lesson is: Get that camera out as soon as you can and shoot the driver and the reg number asap.

Further still, try to get a picture of the registration plates of those cars containing people who may have witnessed the incident. If they leave the scene then the gardai have the option of contacting them to invite them to provide an account. Or so I was told by a garda a while back - it was news to me that the gardai would be willing/able to seek out witnesses like that, and perhaps they'd only be willing to do so in what they perceive as being serious cases (which might be at odds with the perception of the person involved of course), but it's worth a shot.

And sorry to hear of what happened. As well as being a serious shock it can also be very disheartening to have something like that happen - it is bad enough to encounter someone so obnoxious and irresponsible that they'll flee a scene that they caused, but the sense of frustration is compounded by the reluctance of witnesses to put themselves forward. It really hammers home to you the importance of putting yourself forward should you be a witness to an incident yourself - admittedly though when no-one has done it for you it can be hard to convince yourself to do it for anyone else, despite the best intentions. Anyway, I hope it hasn't dented your optimism generally (doesn't sound like it, from your post) and good luck with trying to find the culprit.

slavedave

Reported the hit and run to the Blanchardstown Gardai tonight. At least it may appear as a statistic somewhere should nothing show up on CCTV. Cruied around for a little while in the car hoping to spot the offender but no joy so far.