Help - Letter from the police!

TonyMMM

Just nominate yourself as the driver, state you are unaware of any incident having occurred, do nothing else and wait and see what happens. This is a very normal request from the police and will probably be about a scuffed bumper, or scratched door at worst.

Ignore all the stuff about scams, fake letters, marching down to the police station (who will not be able to help anyway) etc. and just get on with life.

The three "alleged offences" of without due care, failing to stop and failing to report are a standard package that will be included on any car park bump paperwork - it doesn't meant that they will prosecute for all or any of them. It is just a legal requirement to notify you that such an allegation has been made.

meritaten

sarahkmv wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies, I'm sorry some of you have had bad experiences.


I'm adamant that I didn't hear any bangs/crashes etc, but in a busy car park obviously speeds will be minimal anyway. I'm hoping that nobody was hurt in anyway - I feel sick at the thought of it, but I'm thinking there would have been a knock at the door if that was the case.


Obviously I'm not perfect so technically, yes, I could have done something that caused someone else damage, but without more info I'm a bit stuck!

it could be a very minor incident which someone has 'fingered' you for. but they are claiming off insurance. as I said, until you see the Proof, you simply deny.

sarahkmv

Thanks, I've filled out the form saying I was the driver and basically I have no knowledge of any incident, didnt hit anything etc and can I have more details.

Will then wait to hear, see what happens. It wss a real shock getting that letter out of the blue!

jaylee3

TonyMMM wrote: »

Just nominate yourself as the driver, state you are unaware of any incident having occurred, do nothing else and wait and see what happens. This is a very normal request from the police and will probably be about a scuffed bumper, or scratched door at worst.

Ignore all the stuff about scams, fake letters, marching down to the police station (who will not be able to help anyway) etc. and just get on with life.

The three "alleged offences" of without due care, failing to stop and failing to report are a standard package that will be included on any car park bump paperwork - it doesn't meant that they will prosecute for all or any of them. It is just a legal requirement to notify you that such an allegation has been made.

Rude. People are only trying to help.

whodathunkit

I have to confess to having been prosecuted for exactly these offences a couple of years ago, without having been aware of any incident. It turned out that I'd just touched another car when leaving a parking space and there was a couple of reliable witnesses who'd seen it, despite my having been unaware.

It's easily done.

unholyangel

whodathunkit wrote: »

I have to confess to having been prosecuted for exactly these offences a couple of years ago, without having been aware of any incident. It turned out that I'd just touched another car when leaving a parking space and there was a couple of reliable witnesses who'd seen it, despite my having been unaware.

It's easily done.

Only if you're not paying attention/aren't taking care

Brenny

Just a slight possibility, but maybe the police have sent a letter to others as well if there was any doubt as to who had been involved in an accident. My OH received a letter asking who had been driving at a certain place at certain time and it turned out that they had got a partial number so sent letter to the two owners whom it could have been. (It wasn't my OH so must have been other person.) He just filled in the letter giving reason why it couldn't have been him (had been returning from holiday on that day.) never heard anything else.

clearingout

it's probably genuine - happened to me when my eldest was a baby. I apparently scraped a car in a car park and promptly drove away. I had no idea. There was a witness who went with the owner to the police station and they had taken my registration. The police were very good about it - sent a letter then asked me to come in, interviewed me under caution (although said that I didn't have to accept that and could go away and get legal advice if I felt I needed it). He wrote out my statement (which amounted to me not having a clue, very sorry!) and went out to look at my car - there was no damage to my car and no evidence of any recent repair so in the absence of any damage to my car, there was no where to go with it. In other words, it was reasonable I had driven away as there was nothing to suggest to me that I'd had any kind of accident.

Hope that helps. It was a bit frightening at the time as I obviously wouldn't have disappeared had I realised what I'd done and I felt dreadful. It also took a while to sort with the insurance companies because my insurance wanted to go with me saying 'I didn't do it' but the police said that with the witness, I had no choice but to admit to it.

sarahkmv

Brenny, yes that could be an option, but I am fairly sure I was there at the time, but who knows!

Clearingout, that could be what's happened, I'm sure I haven't hit anything, but obviously a light touch could happen without me noticing. OH has also been round my car and can't see anything!

Primrose

If this alleged incident took place on sport centre ground surely that is on
private property and not on a Public highway? I wasn,t aware you could be prosecuted for careless driving on what is effectively private property?.