Just witnessed a crash

[getmeacupoftea]

I just witnessed a crash in a tesco car park. A big range rover lost control and sped into a bollard and completely messed up this other car. The bonnet of the Range Rover was crumpled up and hissing. All very scary, and very lucky that no one was walking in the way. I ran over, as did other people. I noticed no one had their phones out so I dialed 999, asked for an paramedic. Theres this lady talking to the passenger and driver. She then turns to me, starts shouting at me in front of a crowd of people "cancel the ambulance! They dont need one! I'm a doctor! You dont know what's best" I'm trying to cancel the ambulance on the phone with the operator, and this doctor is shouting at me still. She says "give it here, I'll talk to them" and snatches my phone off me. I can appreciate that it's a high stress situation and of course must have been terrifying for the couple in the car. Maybe I feel a bit emotional because I walking just metres away with my baby in her pram, but for some reason the lady shouting at me and the way she was speaking to me as really upset me. Currently sniffling in an M and S cafe. Pathetic, I'm not the victim at all, I know . Did I do the right thing in dialling emergency services? I feel like an idiot now

@MAFIL, just to say, thank you for all you do. You sound bloody brilliant.

OP, YWNBU and I would have done exactly the same thing. Hope you’re ok later this evening.

Something really horrible and quite frightening happened today.

You're still overreacting, but it's a good idea to call emergency services in a bigger crash. They will ask the relevant questions and decide who or what to send.

I can well believe the bit about the doctor - my husband fell off his bike on some
ice and knocked himself out. A passerby dialled 999 but then a doctor apparently told the operator an ambulance wasn’t necessary and let him walk home (about half a mile) on his own!

I went to take the bins out and found him covered in blood, staggering up our drive. I was furious with whoever that was as anything could have happened between the scene and our house - as it was he had no recollection of what had happened, kept asking me the same question over and over again, and I ended up driving him to A&E anyway.

@MAFIL
Thanks very much for your response and all that you do. Its reassuring to hear from a doctor that I wasnt wasting the NHS's precious time. I was worried about that. They were obviously needed in the end anyway.
Just to reiterate to the people I was saying I was overacting: it was a large range-rover type car that crashed at some speed into a metal bollard, more or less flattened the bonnet of it. It was almost like someone had dropped a brick on the accelerator. After reading everyone's responses, I'm glad I phoned.

I probably would have checked to see whether anyone was injured before I rang 999. The woman ‘doctor’ sounds like a complete tool. Even if she were a doctor, which she may not even have been, she shouldn’t have been shouting at you. At least you didn’t just walk by and ignore it like some people would have done.

I completely agree with the above poster who suggested that a high speed crash in a car park suggests either medical emergency with the driver, or that they were under the influence. I think you did exactly the right thing. I hope you're not too shaken up now.

Bit convenient though. IMHO of course.

Troll hunting? Bad form ...

@getmeacupoftea

Sorry OP, I wasnt being snarky I was backing you up. You can see everything that's going on in the car parks in supermarkets near me. Also, even if you couldnt, it would be fairly natural to check what was happening anyway.

more or less flattened the bonnet of it

That's what happens in modern cars. The front crumples, thereby absorbing the shock, which means that the occupants are not harmed, even though the damage to the car can be extensive.

It may have looked like a huge crash to you, but no harm done to the people.

Having said that, it's always worth checking for hidden injuries.

@poissonpoison

Sorry, and thankyou 😊