Another victim of a foreign truck

Microstar_2

Had my car side-swiped by a foreign-registered (LHD) truck this week. On a local dual carriageway - he pulled out into me.
Driver refused to stop (despite me chasing him for several miles in traffic and blowing horn, flashing lights).

Fortunately I am in the motor trade and so can get the car fixed relatively cheaply - but probably £1k damage at retail rates.

I managed to get photo of the truck (showing plates and name) and two independent witnesses.

Immediately called it in to the police who gave me an incident number - but said there was 'nothing they could do'. Had my details taken and was told to go to my local police station so they could check my licence and insurance!
Copper propping up the desk there told me that they often get these incidents and the drivers keep going because they know that there's nothing that can be done.

In these days of ANPR it seems remarkable that we cannot have cameras installed at ports and a copper or two on duty to pull over trucks that have been flagged up as driving away from accidents.

Anyway, if it happens to me in future I'll know not to bother reporting it to the police and so save myself the aggro of having to go to the police station and queue for 1/2 hour.

postmanpat68

It's amazing that a victim of a hit and run accident has to go and have their licence and insurance checked!!!!.

I had the same thing done to me in a 7.5tonne lorry and was told the same.

Quietmanc

What can the police 'do something about'? Oh,I know, so called speeding drivers(no,I haven't been done).Anyway,if I side swiped a car in France or Spain in my lorry,I would lay bets that I wouldn't get further than the border or Calais before being apprehended.

oscarward

They can do something about it but not for a simple RTA.

A few years back a foreign artic stopped to ask directions in the village where I live, unfortunately by a panda crossing. Two old dears assumed he had stopped to let them cross and the inevitable happened where he drove over them as he couldn't see them in front. Driver wasn't even aware he had done it.

The vehicle and driver was finally apprehended at Dover.

mchale

I had a similar incident a few years ago, I think you will find if you say you were injured in the accident the police will take a different attitude to it and investigate

molerat

Too high an amount of work for the amount of browie points they will get for a conviction. Only easy targets and things with high brownie points (the chiefs pet list) will get investigated.

rev_henry

You can chase them in civil courts yourself you know. Or get your insurance company to. They WILL be able to find out the truck driver's insurance details and take it from there. However they'll probably take the easy option and just pay out as though its your fault and hike your premiums. You could have called the police whilst chasing the truck (yes its legal to call 999 whilst driving), then as its a 999 call they HAVE to send someone out, IIRC.

vaio

I think the MIB will deal with this, either collecting from the lorry insurance or paying out under the uninsured/untraced driver part of their remit

Print_Screen

Gandalfthesecond wrote: »

Can you back that up with anything?

Yes with a conviction for dangerous driving

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

My wife got side swiped last October on the M1 in the roadworks from J13 to J10 by a Polish lorry driver. Thankfully nobody was hurt, there were plenty of witnesses and 2 British Transport Police were only a couple of minutes behind on their bikes.

When I picked her up at the recovery place, the guy running the yard said they were getting 6 accidents a week involving foreign lorry drivers.

sarahg1969

oscarward wrote: »

They can do something about it but not for a simple RTA.

A few years back a foreign artic stopped to ask directions in the village where I live, unfortunately by a panda crossing. Two old dears assumed he had stopped to let them cross and the inevitable happened where he drove over them as he couldn't see them in front. Driver wasn't even aware he had done it.

The vehicle and driver was finally apprehended at Dover.

So, you need to get completely squashed before it's worth investigating? Sounds about right.