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

[hottubwhocares]

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?

Had you told us in your original post that the dispatcher said it was very much a police matter, the responses would have been different. Does your DH know the dispatcher said this? If so, the issue becomes one about your husband's stubbornness.

Probably because you'd told the dispatcher he'd actually run over your child's foot.

It was definitely a police matter, but not one that needed an emergency response there and then.

I think I am right in saying that, given his attitude, his refusal to pass on his details and mouthing off denying he'd done anything wrong, you thought there was every chance he would have just taken off into the distance. I think calling 999 was your panicked reaction to the situation. No criticism here. Hope your daughter is feeling better. The least he could have done is get out of the car, apologise and check she was OK. What a pig.

Why are people saying he didn't run over her foot? OP was there, and said he did. It's entirely possible!

I had a boyfriend in my teens that ran over my younger brother's foot - I was standing next to him and saw the wheel go right over it, nothing was broken, just sore and bruised.

Also, why did the police bother to attend if he gave you his details the second he heard you were on the phone to them?

It doesn't make sense.

I would have reported it to the police on 101. And taken a picture of the guys car and licence plate, and of him.
999 does seem a bit extreme.
But it's also a crime and needs reporting. He shouldn't be so careless driving.. what if he'd crushed her foot? You should be looking around properly before you back out of a carpark space

It sounds like your DH didn’t make any more to involve himself and tell this guy to give you his details ‘man to man’ so to speak so I don’t blame you for calling the police.

If you were on your own with dd you probably would have done the same and DH wasn’t backing you up so you effectively were on your own. The police would have been quick enough to tell you it wasn’t a police matter if that was the case.

It’s not an overreaction. You did absolutely the right thing by dialling 999, that’s what it’s there for. He ran over your child’s foot, refused to give his details and became abusive.

• move 🙄

Although I personally wouldn't have called 999 I can see why you did based on this pp analysis.

Was alcohol being served at the event as well, because that might change my answer.

And tbf at that point you didn’t know what the full extent of dds injury was - it could have damaged bone or tendons.

He ran over your child. Fucking hell man. There isn't a person here who wouldn't have panicked a bit. Despite what they're saying.

Hope the bairns alright.

He did definitely run over her foot and ankle. She is missing a patch of skin about 5cm by 2cm and bruising around that. She is very, very lucky it wasn’t worse.

I told the dispatcher immediately that she didn’t need an ambulance but was injured and the other driver wouldn’t provide details. The dispatcher could hear DH insisting it wasn’t a police matter so she kept saying it was a police matter and that she was sending someone immediately.

I didn’t put this in the original post as I was just trying to give the situation as it was when I called to see what other people thought. And actually plenty think it didn’t need 999 which I take on board!

I agree with this.

The OP hasn't said he became abusive?

"He was mouthing off by saying he hadn’t done anything, when he had clearly run over her foot."

I would keep a close eye on her injury too, and don't hesitate to seek medical advice if at all worried.

For those saying op over reacted. What would you have done if it was your child/dog/cherished object?

You did nothing wrong OP, I would have been furious with the guy. Hope your dd is well.

Absolutely not an overreaction. It would have been a hit & run.

YADNBU at all! Ignore the others who think you overreacted. The guy was refusing to give his details, and he was going to leave and was being mouthy. I do not agree with others who say it was ‘dramatic’ to call 999.
Serves the guy right for being a total dick. Maybe he’ll be a lot more careful next time (I doubt it) but you advocated very well for your daughter. And kudos to the police for attending. It could have been a lot more serious, and I really hope your daughter is on the mend. She’ll be upset for a while. Glad you did what you did.

And actually plenty think it didn’t need 999 which I take on board!

But the police did think it was a police matter OP, and that's the opinion that matters.

Cross posted with your last post. I think I'd get her ankle seen by a GP or walk in centre in case the injury is more extensive under the surface.

I would've told the police there was no need to attend as he was giving me his details the second he knew I was ringing them.

And then obviously taken my child straight to A&E for an X-Ray.

Some rubbish being spouted on here. S170 Road Traffic Act, if you cause an injury accident you have to stop and report it. Getting a photo of his VRM may not helped, it may not have even been his car.

The police wouldn’t have arrived so quickly if they didn’t agree it was an emergency, they’d have politely said that they didn’t need to attend

Also, I wasn’t on her side as I had no idea he was suddenly going to move, he was sitting there for ages, engine off. He would definitely have both seen and heard her as she was talking and his window was down, he was less than two feet away from her. Definitely a learning point for me

So if you left, have the police not offered you an update or checked on her?