Should I contact police to tell them I was overtaken on a 60mph road about 120mph - and then there was a crash?

[squashedbananasagain]

Last night I was driving home through a national park. It's a 60mph limit road but was very dark, (unlit road), the road service isn't great and the white lines are patchy and faded. There are also lots of deer about and there are often crashes, so I was going at 50 miles an hour.

One car passed me at about 63/64mph and then shortly afterwards a car came from nowhere, and overtook me way faster; a car has never overtaken me so fast on a 60mph road before. He flew past both me the car in front of me (that was still doing 63/64mph from overtaking me). He then cut in front of that car because there was something coming the other way. The speed in which he was going was so fast that it actually made me gasp and my hand flew to my mouth - and I am not a gasper. . His numberplate was obscured at the back so I couldn't tell what it was and he was going so fast that you couldn't see anything much else except that it was a black saloon.

About 15 minutes later on the same road everything came to a stop. Local news reports have reported that not only was there a multi car crash, but there was also a separate incident whereby a car was burnt out in a layby on the same road very close by.

My dilemma is: do I do anything? Do I ring the police? What can I tell them if I do that's of any use? The only thing I can tell them is that a car drove past me extremely fast and dangerously but that I don't have a number plate, I don't have the car type, or see the driver or occupants. Nor do I know that the cars involved in the multi car crash or in the fire were the same car. It's just a coincidence and based on a strong suspicion that a car driving that dangerously would shortly be involved in a crash.

Would the police actually be interested with this information and would it ever be of any use - or shall I just leave it? I worry that this driver has hurt other people and will try and blame them for bad driving whereas, he was driving atrociously beforehand and people need to know that.

Yes, I would. Why wouldn't you? They usually put signs up after crashes appealing for information anyway. I don't understand what the dilemma is.

I would, plenty of people may have dash cam footage but it will help them build a picture of the journey a vehicle took if involved.

Yes definitely report this. Google your local police force - Thames Valley or whatever - as there'll be a phone number/email address you can use to submit this sort of information.

yes I think you should report it.

And this is why dashcams should be mandatory.

This shouldn't be a dilemma, you really must report it. Someone doing that sort of speed over the limit should always be reported, if only to allow the police to build a picture of where and when things like this take place. Given there was a crash afterwards, this could be crucial information. Even if it's no help, let them decide. Just google the police force of the area where the incident happened, there will usually be a "report" button featured prominently.

Police usually ask for dashcam images for this kind of thing.

Do you have any?

If you don't know who to contact, try your local police station.

That's not a dilemma at all. Of course you tell them.

There were several serious crashes yesterday. The one in Essex has a witness appeal out with a number and crimestoppers link. You might want to call them?

If you would like to make an anonymous report, you can contact independent charity on Twitter at @CrimestoppersUK, by visiting their website or by calling 555 111 0800 555 111.
"Please quote incident 234 of 22 January when providing any information to make sure it gets to the right person as quickly as possible."

Obviously you may not have the incident number of your accident, but you’ll be able to give the location.

I think I know the road your on about!
It's been hideous this week with accidents, and its never usually that bad.
I would say report what you saw to the police on 101, it may help them build up a picture of what took place.

I would, you might be the only witness who can confirm that a dark coloured saloon car was driving dangerously on that stretch of road at that time, which combined with other evidence could help the police put together an accurate picture of what happened. That would be particularly important if there are any victims of the crash because it would help bring closure to them or their families.

I once was overtaken on a 50mph road in Wales by 2 idiot cars going maybe twice that, single carriageway.

Like you, a few miles down the road both cars were impaled on a wall. The police had arrived by that point and were over-run with folk who had stopped to tell them what idiots they had been.

Ring 101 or report online.

Yes, of course you will let the police know. You are a potential witness - they will decide whether potential becomes actual. I honestly cannot think why you wouldn't call the police on the non-emergency hotline (101). If that car doing 120mph had hit you, you probably wouldn't even be alive to ask this question. You'd want someone half a mile back to report seeing it, wouldn't you?

@squashedbananasagain please tell the police, my brother was killed by a speeding driver and witnesses had seen him speeding way before the accident and they all thought he would kill someone that night and he did

Im more of a holy shit what a fucking idiot person rather then a gasper.

The manner of someone's driving before an accident is really important key information.

You should definitely report it. The car that overtook you might not have crashed — it might have provoked the later crash as people tried to avoid it. The police will be looking at CCTV to see where various cars were and when, and if you can pinpoint the spot and time this might be critical information for linking two CCTV images.

Yes, call and give your account, just the facts. They can match the rest up with cameras and the rest of the incident details depending on what they have available.

You have more information than you realise - you know it was a dark coloured saloon - it’s a piece in the jigsaw puzzle they are trying to build

Yes. Let the police sort out of it’s relevant.

Yes I reckon you should. You have idea of car colour and shape, types of manoeuvres and impression of speed. Maybe time it happened too. They will decide whether to disregard or not .
must have been scary x

Yes absolutely

As I think I know where this happened, you can even contact the police through their local facebook page and they will respond quickly.

Definitely report to 101. It could help them with building a picture of what happened prior to the accident.