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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I've just hit someone with my car. He's ok, but was I at fault?

321 replies

LimeLeaf · 25/04/2016 16:52

Just to say first that I was going less than 5mph and he walked away relatively(?) unhurt but I'm very upset about it and wondering if I was at fault.

I was at the bottom of a road which is very steep, at the junction where it meets a very busy main road. I was turning left onto the main road and looking right for a gap in the traffic. I'd been waiting a minute or so.

A car appeared on the main road and stopped, waiting to turn right onto the road I was on. A lorry to my right then stopped on the main road and gave way to allow me to turn left in front of him and the car on the main road to turn right past him onto the road I was on.

I started to release my foot from the brake as its a very steep road so I could roll forward before putting my foot on the gas. The car started moving forward and the man was right in front of my car and it hit him. He must have been on the pavement to the left of me and had tried to cross in front of my car but I didn't see him because I was looking right. He must have been walking quickly because he was already half way across the front of my car and I was already looking forward when I began to take my foot off the brake. As soon as I saw him I put my foot back down on the brake hard. I had moved maybe 3-5 inches but as he was walking so close to my car, it hit him.

He stumbled but kept walking across and then looked back at me and started shouting whilst I sat there in complete shock. The lorry waited for me to set off again even though I was shocked and nervous to drive immediately. He then turned around and kept walking.

I'm so upset about this. I've never hit anyone with my car before and feel very bad about it. Was I at fault do you think or was the man? Is there anything I need to do now?

OP posts:
Haudyerwheesht · 25/04/2016 19:01

So you asked this AFTER you'd reported it to the police? I find that hard to believe tbh.

GreyAndGoldInTheMeadow · 25/04/2016 19:08

Micah

People don't just appear of of nowhere I'm afraid

Occasionally they do. I was pulling around a stationary bus once when a schoolgirl sprinted out into the road from in front of the bus to join her friends.

They still didn't appear from nowhere, as it's highly likely that a stationary bus means people who will have just got off and will potentially be crossing the road so you should be aware if it as a hazard and act accordingly (passing wide and slowly, not dodging through a gap in traffic, which I'm sure was the case with you). Of course there are still times when the accident is unavoidable.

BadLad · 25/04/2016 19:11

Why is it hard to believe? The police haven't given any indication as to what happens next, so the OP, still in shock, posts on here hoping for reassurance that she wasn't at fault. I think she was at fault but that sounds plausible enough to me.

GreyAndGoldInTheMeadow · 25/04/2016 19:13

Sorry Micah, reading my post it sounds like I'm saying I'm sure you dodged through the traffic past the bus, that's not what I ment, I ment I'm sure you were doing everything as you should have.

Kerberos · 25/04/2016 19:17

Agree with MissClarke. Pedestrian shouldn't have crossed in front of the car. It's just such a stupid thing to do.

Sadly OP you are at fault but please try not to over think it. How did the police react to your report? I'm thinking they'd have been a bit baffled by it perhaps...?

Haudyerwheesht · 25/04/2016 19:23

Because why wouldn't she have mentioned it earlier?(

Topseyt · 25/04/2016 19:57

Haudyer. it really isn't hard to believe or understand at all.

Someone in shock and with no idea what comes next even after reporting to the police is posting for a bit of hand holding and support.

It matters not that she reported to the police following advice on here (that is how I read it anyway).

Not hard to grasp at all.

GeorgeTheThird · 25/04/2016 20:02

OP you're still doing it ! You started to move, however slowly, however slightly, without looking in the direction you were moving in. How can that ever be a good idea?

And yes the pedestrian was a pillock, but that's not the point.

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 25/04/2016 20:06

I hit a pedestrian once......well actually they hit me.

Young girl ran out from behind a High hedge (hedge taller than she was), hedge was right up to road edge. She was sprinting and didn't look and she actually hit the side of my bonnet rather than me hit her if that makes sense. Went flying up in the air, landed the other side of my bonnet and then bounced across the road.

Was the scariest thing ever. Both her dad who saw it happen and the police said it was no way my fault. I was doing way under the speed limit (20mph in a 30mph limit). So I do get that it's not always the drivers fault. But I think in this situation if the pedestrian was obscured by your pillar then any lawyer would argue you didn't spend long enough looking before turning/pulling out.

Orda1 · 25/04/2016 20:07

Meh, his fault for walking in front of a car, who does that?

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 25/04/2016 20:09

The pedestrian here didn't cross the road infront of a busy car. When they started crossing the main road it was clear and the OP turned out a side road into them. You can argue he should have realised the car was turning but equally you could say the OP should have seen him even before he left the pavement and anticipated he may well cross.

MissClarke86 · 25/04/2016 20:15

Should he not have found a blooming crossing if it is a fairly busy road (as it sounds if it has a lorry on it), instead of being a lazy so and so?

whirlygirly · 25/04/2016 20:16

You need to report it to police and insurance, it will be somewhere in your insurance policy. They will be able to help defend you in the event of a claim. The advice up thread not to report is ignorant and incorrect.

I'd never cross as a pedestrian in those circumstances. I once had a child run out behind my car as I was reversing into a space - caught on parking camera and the scariest thing ever. I practically gave us all whiplash slamming on the brakes. There was absolutely no warning, just one of those things and fortunately I was able to stop.

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 25/04/2016 20:22

There are plenty of towns/cities where a crossin could be a ten min walk away or even further. Jaywalking isn't a crime in the UK. If a pedestrians checks the road and it's clear I don't think they can be blamed for crossing. The onus is on the car driver to make sure the road is clear before they turn onto it.

Original poster
LimeLeaf · 25/04/2016 20:46

He wasn't crossing the main road which I was turning into. He crossed right in front of me on the side road at the point it meets with the main road. He wasn't on the pavement which was to my left as I approached the junction, and I was already passing it when he must have crossed. I was looking forward at the road I was about to move onto, he came from my side. I had already committed to the manoeuvre which is why I was rolling closer to the main road. He was wearing a tracksuit with his hood right up and didn't even turn to look at me when my car hit him, he was looking straight ahead the whole time until he was across the road. I think he was out running which is why he was so quickly in front of my car.

OP posts:
WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 25/04/2016 21:24

Sorry, I misunderstood from your description. That does make it sound more his fault.

Esspee · 25/04/2016 21:36

Yes!

PrimalLass · 25/04/2016 22:11

You were 'at fault', but he was probably AT FAULT for walking out in front of a car that was obviously about to move if he's bothered to read the road.

PrimalLass · 25/04/2016 22:12

People don't just appear of of nowhere I'm afraid

They can do. A wee boy here got run over because he ran out across the road behind a car .

MissClarke86 · 25/04/2016 22:27

He's at fault, don't give it another thought OP.

bluecheque4595 · 25/04/2016 22:33

I have done this coming out of my old street, well I didn't hit the guy but did get a pedestrian looking daggers at me so I took extra care from then on.

You were unlucky but I would guess the pedestrian knew he was in the wrong too. Fear leads to adrenaline leads to shouting, and some people go on the offence when they are feeling defensive.

You were right to sit in shock and take a minute. In fact I would say, forget about the lorry driver. The lorry driver was in the wrong for giving away priority which you could argue distracted you from looking at the pedestrian. It looks to me like you felt rushed by the lorry driver's agenda. If I were you I would have just stopped and let the lorry do whatever. Having a near miss puts you in a very vulnerable position for something else going wrong, and you didn't need the lorry driver hassling you, even if the lorry driver's actions on the face of it seemed kind. Giving away priority is always wrong, it may be why the pedestrian stepped out, because the pedestrian expected you to give way and he might not have seen the lorry driver giving away priority.

Sorry you had this experience.

BreakfastMuffin · 25/04/2016 22:37

Although I agree the OP is at fault, I am not sure if the pedestrian was injured? According to the uk law you are only obliged to report it to the police if there was a personal injury.

iwanttobeanonymous · 25/04/2016 22:48

Evening All.

So far its driving without due care and attention, failing to stop at an accident and failing to report to the police.
The last one you have 24 hrs to do. So that could be remedied

DancingDinosaur · 25/04/2016 22:49

I'm not sure really if he stepped out right in front of you. If you were moving and had seen him would you have been able to stop? If so then I guess its probably your fault for not seeing him. Similar thing happened to me the other day where a pedestrian appeared in front of me and I had to slam on the brakes. Luckily I didn't hit them, but it was close. I wondered whose fault it would have been if I had hit them, as they stepped off the pavement right in front of me. Appreciate its a massive shock for you though. If you've reported it though then you've done all you can.

CauliflowerBalti · 25/04/2016 22:50

I think the pedeatrian's behaviour suggests he knows he was at fault. Angry but moved on. If I had been hit and I knew it wasn't, even if it didn't hurt, I'd have approached the driver and shouted at them.

I once hit a child on a bike. Or rather, he hit me. He shot out of an alley into the road, I couldn't stop in time and he drove into my wing and came off. If I had stopped sooner, he'd have been under the wheel. I had lots of witnesses, nothing came of it, but I felt terrible. It was horrible. He wasn't injured - I was only doing 25mph or so, he was probably going faster than me - but still. Pedeatrians can be idiots too you know.

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