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Original poster

To think it was not an overreaction to call the police?

589 replies

hottubwhocares · 26/04/2025 17:12

We were out today at a family event. We were parked up in the car park of the venue and were getting in our cars to travel home. There was a man parked next to us in the (relatively narrow) bays, window down, chatting to his girlfriend. He was there when we came out and approached our car.

DD age 8 was getting into the back passenger side of our car, so on the same side as his car. I was on the other/driver’s side. As I was getting in, I heard DD start to scream. Basically the man next to us had started to move his car forward and his back wheel had run over the back of her ankle/foot.

I immediately ran round the back of the car, picked her up, helped her into the back seat and took her shoe and sock off to have a look. The top layer of skin had come off and it looked bruised so I went round to his car, said sorry, I think you have hurt her so I am going to need your details.

He and his girlfriend then said ‘Why? I haven’t done anything wrong’. I asked if he was refusing and he said he ‘didn’t even know what happened’ and started mouthing off.

So, I called 999 and of course the second he heard I was on the phone to the police, he started offering his details.

Two police cars then attended. DH is furious with me and says I completely overreacted as DD’s injury was minor (scrapes and bruises) and I ‘see the worst in everyone’. I am very upset about his lack of support when our child was hurt and upset.

FWIW I would never move my own car when a child was down the side and if I had ever done anything like this I certainly wouldn’t be mouthing off at the parent of the injured child!

So, was it an overreaction to call the police?

OP posts:
JustLikeThatBluebird · 26/04/2025 19:55

This is such a weird thread. Of course you did the right thing OP and the police even confirmed as such. I hope your DD is ok.

Sleepalldaylong · 26/04/2025 19:55

hottubwhocares · 26/04/2025 19:53

Also I can’t believe I’m being attacked for lying to 999 - what I said was ‘my daughter has been injured by a car in a car park and the driver is refusing to provide me with his details’ - all of which was true and factual?!

A skin scrape FFS

Sleepalldaylong · 26/04/2025 19:54

ACR7 · 26/04/2025 19:52

I work in policing. You were absolutely right to call police if he refused details but it should never have been 999. I would have taken his reg and reported later once home. 999 is for emergencies and I would hate to think someone’s call was delayed in being answered due to your call. Plus the fact they sent two police cars immediately tells me you massively over exaggerated what was happening.

Edited

Exactly. The voice of reason.

Original poster
hottubwhocares · 26/04/2025 19:53

Also I can’t believe I’m being attacked for lying to 999 - what I said was ‘my daughter has been injured by a car in a car park and the driver is refusing to provide me with his details’ - all of which was true and factual?!

OP posts:
ACR7 · 26/04/2025 19:52

I work in policing. You were absolutely right to call police if he refused details but it should never have been 999. I would have taken his reg and reported later once home. 999 is for emergencies and I would hate to think someone’s call was delayed in being answered due to your call. Plus the fact they sent two police cars immediately tells me you massively over exaggerated what was happening.

CantStopMoving · 26/04/2025 19:49

kierenthecommunity · 26/04/2025 19:28

Those asking ‘what could the police have done?’ I mean this may be blindingly obvious to me as I am a cop - but maybe breathalyse him? 🤔

100% this. I am amazed on this thread how many people think it is incredibly normal to hit a child in a car park and nothing about is anything worthy of note. It is the child’s fault for getting in the car incorrectly.

Original poster
hottubwhocares · 26/04/2025 19:49

I’ve actually just seen the footage and it shows that she was very near his car (going round the side of the door which was ajar) and he did indeed run over her foot/ankle when he moved, which then becomes trapped under his car. As she screams he stops and she pulls/tugs her foot/ankle out - there is a sudden movement by her which I assume is what broke the skin.

It’s made my blood run cold. She could have been dragged under his car

OP posts:
ThisWOMANWontWheesht · 26/04/2025 19:47

Donttellempike · 26/04/2025 19:39

3 horses loose on a road is a clear emergency

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Not where I live it isn’t!
Horses, cows and sheep roam freely all over the place.

CantStopMoving · 26/04/2025 19:44

lilacflowerpetal · 26/04/2025 19:04

Yes, and I’ve had two of them recently! It’s only now at almost 10 that we are trusting our youngest.

Children often pull doors open quickly without thinking; if a car was parked too close a younger child would just open the door enough to get in even if it meant touching another person’s car!

There have been multiple times over the years that we’ve had to pull the car out so one of us can get in as a car has parked on/ over the line next to us and we can’t get in! My DH (as the driver) once had to get in on the other side and climb through to get to the driver’s seat!

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Well mine have never had an issue. I used to collect my son from football from an early age. He’d meet me in the car park and get in. I never got out the car. We taught them to watch out and be careful of their surroundings. In this instance the other car was stationary, didn’t check its mirrors before it drove off and hit a child. I don’t think the parent helping the child would have changed anything. The car would have hit them all.

VivIsBlonde · 26/04/2025 19:43

hottubwhocares · 26/04/2025 17:48

Yeah, realistically though there wasn’t enough time for that and I had already said my daughter had been injured by a car in a car park so they would either have called me back or traced the call which would have been a greater waste of their time

Edited
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So instead of saying a car had hurt your daughter’s foot, you went OTT and said she had been hit by a car ? 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤣
so dramatic!!

Hallebere · 26/04/2025 19:42

TheHerboriste · 26/04/2025 19:27

Agree. Why couldn’t the child enter from the other side?

I never go near an occupied car or even enter a crosswalk, despite having legal rights of way, without making eye contact with the driver. You never know when people are distracted.

Kids should be tightly supervised and trained near vehicles that might begin motion.

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Exactly it's just common sense. Get the child safely in the car before going to your side of the car. Also, OP said she couldn't see over the car meaning she definitely didn't see the the incident first hand. Did the other driver actually even run over her foot? My guess is OP over reacted, called the police and made it sound waaaay more serious than it actually was (exaggerated) for them to attend so quickly. Also, it would be interesting to hear the other drivers version of events. Re the DH. Naturally he'd be fuming if his daughters foot has gotten run over. He obvs knows you better than we do and thinks you've gone way OTT.

Sleepalldaylong · 26/04/2025 19:40

Picklelily99 · 26/04/2025 19:37

So your foot was 'accidently run over' but your daughters foot 'was involved in a collision'?

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Exactly. The OP is being disingenuous and I understand why her Husband was pissed off about the unnecessary drama

Donttellempike · 26/04/2025 19:39

BunnyEaster · 26/04/2025 18:53

I called the non emergency line when there was three horses loose in the road. They took so long to pick up I was about to hang up. They told me I should have called 999. One persons emergency is another's non issue.

He was about to do a hit and run surely? If he'd clipped and damaged your car and not stopped that's a hit and run. You have zero proof either once he gas gone. No one gives out cctv for a prang.

If I'm in two minds now I don't call the police after the horse incident because I doubt myself.

3 horses loose on a road is a clear emergency

EmotionallyConstipated · 26/04/2025 19:37

So was the foot was run over, i.e the tyre rolled over the top of the foot, or were the heel and ankle brushed by the tyre?
Because I suspect the police attended due to believing the former?

Picklelily99 · 26/04/2025 19:37

hottubwhocares · 26/04/2025 18:26

Maybe, maybe not, my foot was accidentally run over by my friend’s dad as a teenager when the car rolled back as I got out and there was barely even a mark…

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So your foot was 'accidently run over' but your daughters foot 'was involved in a collision'?

LondonNootropics · 26/04/2025 19:36

@hottubwhocares photo of injury please!

grumpygrape · 26/04/2025 19:36

dapsnotplimsolls · 26/04/2025 18:44

OK, now we need a diagram. Also, why was she getting out of his car to get into yours?

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The reason she was moving from one car to another is irrelevant.

Vaxtable · 26/04/2025 19:34

no

it was an emergency. He ran your child over and was not going to give details so yes it was the right thing to do and your dh is a twat happy to allow someone who hurt his child to leave

TheWisePlumDuck · 26/04/2025 19:33

Kilroyonly · 26/04/2025 19:11

Absolutely, she lied to get a response. Meanwhile a serious crime is happening that they cannot attend. The entitlement of some idiots is mind blowing

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Do you honestly think that the trained dispatcher didn't obtain details of exactly what happened and what possible injury had been sustained before making their decision?

Or do you think they heard 'run over' then ran round sending all the cars and ambulances they could in a blind panic?

AprilShowers25 · 26/04/2025 19:32

PrincessOfPreschool · 26/04/2025 19:27

The DH wasn't even there!

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He was

Motheroffive999 · 26/04/2025 19:30

If you had not phoned the police then he would have got away with it.
He could have been drinking or used drugs
He could have seriously hurt your daughter or someone else.
Your husband could have been furious that you hadn't taken care of his daughter had you not phoned them.
Your daughter could have had a serious injury and they could have both blamed you .
I think you did the right thing, be proud.
Your husband was not in that situation so he cannot judge.

TheWisePlumDuck · 26/04/2025 19:29

If the dispatcher thought that it was a police matter then no other opinion is needed. Their response was so quick that it's quite clear you did the right thing.

kierenthecommunity · 26/04/2025 19:28

Those asking ‘what could the police have done?’ I mean this may be blindingly obvious to me as I am a cop - but maybe breathalyse him? 🤔

TheHerboriste · 26/04/2025 19:28

Icanhearabee · 26/04/2025 19:25

He literally ran over your 8 year olds foot with his car. No you didn’t over react OP. I would have done the same.

Did he run over her foot or did his tyre brush against the back of her heel and ankle?

JohnofWessex · 26/04/2025 19:28

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