Leaving the scene of the accident

opinion guy · 18-11-2009 07:57PM #1

so I just had one of those police shows on as background noise as I was pottering about. anyhow they were chasing down some woman who had had a crash and left the scene of the accident. Anyhow this set me to thinking about this. Years ago I witnessed a hit and run in which a pedestrian was killed. Now it was 3am and outside a nightclub with people pouring onto the street. that said the driver was totally in the wrong as he was speeding. anyhow took the guy about 100 yards to stop. he pushed out the smashed windscreen. meanwhile an angry mob had already formed and started heading for the car (the poor pedestrian was very obviously dead on impact). The car then sped off. Alot of people then commented on how he shouldn't have left. And normally I'd agree. But it seemed very obvious at the time if the guy didn't leave the mob would have dragged in from the car and beaten him to within an inch of his life or even killed him. And possibly his passengers too. So coming from that point of view I can understand why the guy left

Of course he should have turned himself in at the nearest police station which he didn't do, and the guy was for sure wreckless and irresponsible.

Anyhow wondering what peoples thoughts are. Its terrible to leave the scene of a crash. But if you were faced with the angry mob what would you do ?

dubtom · 18-11-2009 08:07PM

I wouldn't leave,but I suppose you'd never know what was going on in that guys head,no excuse for not handing himself in to the nearest cop shop though.

I once witnessed a single car accident, with no fatalities,but a drunk driver,waited for the fire brigade and ambulance,who insisted I wait for the cops,who arrived 45 minutes later. Total time at the scene,nearly two hours. I decided then if I wasn't involved I'd leave my number in future.

Borneo Fnctn · 18-11-2009 08:08PM

Do you think he would have stopped if there wasn't a crowd? I'm not being smart, I wasn't there. Just asking.

TheInquisitor · 18-11-2009 08:20PM

After knocking down and killing someone the last thing i would be thinkin about is my life...i'd take the beating

My name is URL · 18-11-2009 08:22PM

Who knows what you'd do after something like that.. you wouldn't be thinking rationally anyway, that's for certain

I'd like to think I'd hang about until the cops arrived but I couldn't say that I definitely would

Dartz · 18-11-2009 08:26PM

This got me thinking...

If you come to the scene of an accident, one you're not involved in... are you legally oblidged to stop and help?

we'llallhavetea_old · 18-11-2009 08:33PM

if there's an angry mob, lock your doors?

MAB83 · 18-11-2009 08:38PM

I guess fear can do strange things to people. You never know until you're in that situation, as gutless as it is to do a runner it must be a very horrific thing to be involved in so who knows what you would do until it happens to you.

Riddle101 · 18-11-2009 09:14PM

Yeah if you ran accidently ran someone over, you wouldn't be able to think straight. You're heart would be beating fast and you'd be thinking about all the negatives of the situations such as whether you killed the person, will you be arrested, what will the victims family be like etc. It's a scary thing to imagine but I honestly don't know what I would do.

bluto63 · 18-11-2009 09:21PM

we'llallhavetea wrote: »

if there's an angry mob, lock your doors?

But there's no windscreen!

we'llallhavetea_old · 18-11-2009 09:50PM

bluto63 wrote: »

But there's no windscreen!

foetal position, begin to rock. :cool:

Aodan83 · 18-11-2009 10:39PM

Dartz wrote: »

This got me thinking...

If you come to the scene of an accident, one you're not involved in... are you legally oblidged to stop and help?

Eh, don't think you're legally obliged to stop. But it would surely be a moral obligation to stop. Particularly where you think someone may be injured.

galah · 18-11-2009 10:56PM

not sure about Ireland, but in Germany, you are obliged to stop, and can be sued for failing to help at the scene of an accident. Then again, ALL German drivers have to undergo first aid training before they get their license, so the excuse 'didn't know what to do' doesn't count there. You're also legally required to carry first aid equipment in the car, don't think you need that here, either.

wouldnt be surprised if nothing like that is in place here, though, what with the superior education drivers receive in Ireland...

opinion guy · 19-11-2009 10:19AM

jackpalance wrote: »

Do you think he would have stopped if there wasn't a crowd? I'm not being smart, I wasn't there. Just asking.

Honestly I don't know. But I'd say the sight of a mob heading towards him would have pushed his decision.

TheInquisitor wrote: »

After knocking down and killing someone the last thing i would be thinkin about is my life...i'd take the beating

Well I doubt you'd be thinking so rationally. Panic, flight or fight and all of that. Plus he may not have realised the guy was dead - thou at the speed he was doing that was pretty much a given

gaz wac · 19-11-2009 10:28AM

I left the scene of a terrible accident before...it was 7am, i was still drunk, I didnt know where I was and then I turned around and saw it beside me :eek:....so i fled the scene.. but honestly, no court in the country would have convicted me !!

Cookie_Monster · 19-11-2009 10:35AM

Aodan83 wrote: »

Eh, don't think you're legally obliged to stop. But it would surely be a moral obligation to stop. Particularly where you think someone may be injured.

why would you be morally obliged to stop?

Unless I knew them there is no way I'd stop regardless of the situation. (unless of course the road is blocked)

Cookie_Monster · 19-11-2009 10:35AM

gaz wac wrote: »

I left the scene of a terrible accident before...it was 7am, i was still drunk, I didnt know where I was and then I turned around and saw it beside me :eek:....so i fled the scene.. but honestly, no court in the country would have convicted me !!

was it in your pants

m@cc@ · 19-11-2009 11:18AM

Just reminded me of this story. What a c***!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8359636.stm

BBC wrote:

In 2002, Marley who is originally from Colinward Street in Belfast, ploughed into a group of people on the Upper Springfield Road after he drove through a red light.

He hit Debbie McComb, but instead of stopping, he tried to shake the schoolgirl's body off the bonnet of the stolen car by swerving from side to side.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 19-11-2009 02:56PM

Dartz wrote: »

This got me thinking...

If you come to the scene of an accident, one you're not involved in... are you legally oblidged to stop and help?

No you are not, but it depends on the situation. Who is to say you seen the accident or not? Also, if everyone stops, expect more accidents...

biko · 19-11-2009 04:14PM

Run down the mob too

rubyred · 19-11-2009 05:33PM

My bf's friend was killed in a hit & run just under a year ago. I'm told by witnesses that it was pretty obvious that the driver of the car was drunk. He didn't ever slow down or hestitate after he knocked over the guy and then drove over him. After seeing what his (the victim's) family went through knowing that they scumbag is still out there somewhere driving around, I hope that I would stop and take whatever punishment was to come my way. But who knows till you're in the situation. Even if you do drive off, there is no excuse for not driving straight to the nearest Garda Station and confessing.

extra-ordinary_ · 19-11-2009 05:45PM

Magnus wrote: »

Run down the mob too

Turn the car around and take out as many of the mob as possible. You might have a few flying in the front from the missing windscreen though so be ready to boot them out the passenger door.

The_Conductor · 19-11-2009 05:48PM

opinion guy wrote: »

he pushed out the smashed windscreen.

Surely this would have included his tax and insurance disks. If there was an angry mob baying for his blood- he hardly took the time to remove them- did he?

Leaving the scene of the accident

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