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How long should it take the police to respond? Updated - advice needed please

t_obermory
Posts: 278 Forumite


in Motoring
I'll try to keep this brief as its quite a long, ridiculous story.
Briefly at the start of June I was in a car park, parked the car etc and a woman accused me of hitting her car (something which did not happen) she became verbally and physically aggressive/intimidating. Given that I had my young daughter in the car and was 7 months pregnant at the time I rightly or wrongly chose not to get out of the car to speak to her and instead drove away.
The police then sent my husband (as the car's his name) a letter asking who was driving the car at the time, as this woman's reported me for driving without due care and attention; we sent it back with my details and have heard nothing since. Over a month's passed now and I'm wondering if/when I'll hear back from them?
Does anyone know how long they have to take to respond and do they have to respond if they decide not to take matters further?
Thanks.
Briefly at the start of June I was in a car park, parked the car etc and a woman accused me of hitting her car (something which did not happen) she became verbally and physically aggressive/intimidating. Given that I had my young daughter in the car and was 7 months pregnant at the time I rightly or wrongly chose not to get out of the car to speak to her and instead drove away.
The police then sent my husband (as the car's his name) a letter asking who was driving the car at the time, as this woman's reported me for driving without due care and attention; we sent it back with my details and have heard nothing since. Over a month's passed now and I'm wondering if/when I'll hear back from them?
Does anyone know how long they have to take to respond and do they have to respond if they decide not to take matters further?
Thanks.
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Comments
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Hello, they sent you a letter to determine who was driving because the law states 'OWING TO THE PRESENCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE ON A ROAD OR PUBLIC PLACE AN ACCIDENT OCCURS - blah blah blah - YOU MUST STOP!! and give your Name and Address and registration etc etc. The police will write to you - as they have done and then this letter will go to the Accident Processing Unit (APU in our neck of the woods) and they will decide whether they want to proceed. They may send you a further form to fill in and explain, or may send a statement taker to take a statement under caution at your house. It is unlikely that you will be prosecuted for undue care - there really has to be other witnesses or CCTV and a bit more damage than a shunt (not if you are on your mobile though) - it is likely however that you could get prosecuted for Failing to Stop at an Accident and Failing to Report an Accident. This is points on your licence and a fine - if I were you, I would phone up the APU and firstly ask where the case is heading and what for and explain that you were far too frightened to stop and that in fact she was menancing towards you and committing a Section 4 Public Order offence against YOU!! see how she likes that one!!! I am sure you were Harassed, Alarmed and Distressed at her outburst. Hope this helps. and please readers don't quote me on MOTOR VEHICLE OR MECHANICALLY PROPELLED - I can't recall which it is off the top of my head but whatever - it incorporates a normal car.Food and Smellies Shop target £50 pw - managed average of £49 per week in 2013 down to £38.90 per week in 20160
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My vehicle was reversed into a few weeks ago and the idiot decided to swear at me and drive away... that was on 17th July & it apparently takes about 6 months to "sort everything out". Despite the guy not having insurance for the vehicle...
No doubt she will require witnesses/CCTV as evidence, otherwise I can't see how anything can be proved.0 -
p.s. as this is a 'summary offence' the police only have 6 months to deal with it - otherwise it goes 'out of date' (non policey term)Food and Smellies Shop target £50 pw - managed average of £49 per week in 2013 down to £38.90 per week in 20160
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Looks like this is a lesson in why to contact the police about such incidents of encounters with idiots.0
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Can't understand why you didn't report it yourself.
What exactly did she do/say to make you feel intimidated?0 -
Someone shouting like an idiot and coming to within a couple of inches of you is intimidation. They don't have to say they are going to do something to be intimidating. If someone wants to discuss an accident, they can be reasonable and talk and discuss like an adult human being instead of being a !!!!!!. Sounds to me like the person the OP had the displeasure of meeting is trying to scam people's insurance.0
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Someone shouting like an idiot and coming to within a couple of inches of you is intimidation. They don't have to say they are going to do something to be intimidating. If someone wants to discuss an accident, they can be reasonable and talk and discuss like an adult human being instead of being a !!!!!!. Sounds to me like the person the OP had the displeasure of meeting is trying to scam people's insurance.
Eh? The OP was in her car...not a couple of inches.
That's why I said "what did they DO,or say?"
The OP hasn't described what happened,so how do you figure that out?0 -
Thanks for the replies.
I'll try to keep what happened brief:
It was taking my DD to nursery and I parked in the last space on the car park - it was a tight space but given the angle I drove into it I couldn't have hit the other persons car (parked in the space next to it). After I'd parked I realised that due to my ever increasing bump I couldn't actually get out of the car, there was a woman hovering around the back of the car so I waited a good few minutes for her to move so I could reverse out and repark. She didn't move instead she came and without indicating she wanted to speak to me she opened my front passenger door and began accusing me of hitting her car. I said to her she was mistaken I hadn't hit her car and would she please shut my door, she became more irate and I repeated to her to shut my door.
She eventually shut my door, at this point I was going to reverse the car so I could get out and resolve the issue with her away from my DD. So I began reversing at which point she ran in front on my boot and started banging her hands on it and shouting at me, I stopped reversing and she continued shouting and hitting the car. At this point I decided given that I hadn't hit the car, I had my DD and my baby's safety to think about I wasn't about to get into an altercation with this woman. So I continued to reverse (at walking pace) while she was still stood with her hands on the boot. I clear enough space, begin to drive away and again she runs to the front of my car and repeats the shouting, banging on the car scenario. Again I'm driving at walking pace assuming she'll move, which she does around to the drivers side and pulls my door open while I was driving away.
Having reflected on the situation I probably could have handled it better, however at the time it was a flight or fight kind of experience and I just wanted to get myself and my children out of the situation. When I got home, my DH and I looked at the car, there was no sign of damage or paint transfer. As far as I was concerned there was no accident to report and I just wanted to forget about it as I was quite shaken by it. Obviously she thought otherwise and reported me to the police, I wonder if she told them that she was acting aggressively :think:. From what I can see there isn't any CCTV on the car park so its going to be a her word against mine situation, so back to the original post I was wondering how long these things take to be resolved.0 -
nic_santorini wrote: »Hello, they sent you a letter to determine who was driving because the law states 'OWING TO THE PRESENCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE ON A ROAD OR PUBLIC PLACE AN ACCIDENT OCCURS - blah blah blah - YOU MUST STOP!! and give your Name and Address and registration etc etc. The police will write to you - as they have done and then this letter will go to the Accident Processing Unit (APU in our neck of the woods) and they will decide whether they want to proceed. They may send you a further form to fill in and explain, or may send a statement taker to take a statement under caution at your house. It is unlikely that you will be prosecuted for undue care - there really has to be other witnesses or CCTV and a bit more damage than a shunt (not if you are on your mobile though) - it is likely however that you could get prosecuted for Failing to Stop at an Accident and Failing to Report an Accident. This is points on your licence and a fine - if I were you, I would phone up the APU and firstly ask where the case is heading and what for and explain that you were far too frightened to stop and that in fact she was menancing towards you and committing a Section 4 Public Order offence against YOU!! see how she likes that one!!! I am sure you were Harassed, Alarmed and Distressed at her outburst. Hope this helps. and please readers don't quote me on MOTOR VEHICLE OR MECHANICALLY PROPELLED - I can't recall which it is off the top of my head but whatever - it incorporates a normal car.
Can someone clarify this for everyones sake.
My understanding, and I can't say it's still the same but it was a few years ago, is that it is only neccessary to stop. Not stop for a chat or to exchange details, but stop.
Since the OP was stationary, changed from reverse to 1st, she stopped. I had this argument with a copper a few years ago after some clown hit our car then drove off. As he reversed then pulled round he had technically stopped.
Also the need to exchange details I believe only applies in the event that someone is injured??
Can anyone else give the definate answer?I like the thanks button, but ,please, an I agree button.
Will the grammar and spelling police respect I do make grammatical errors, and have carp spelling, no need to remind me.;)
Always expect the unexpected:eek:and then you won't be dissapointed0 -
I understood that you have to exchange details after any bump (for insurance purposes) but that you only have to call the police if someone is injured.
In the OP's case - it can be very useful to get some photos on your phone of the aggression. It's difficult for the other person to deny being aggressive if you have pictures of them snarling at you.0
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