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Original poster

Police letter after accident HELP!

135 replies

Iwa80 · 09/08/2018 14:50

Hi all,

Sorry please help.
A few weeks ago I was driving in heavy traffic, and a car infront of me didn't move forward on a green light but instead reversed and I didn't stop in time. I very lightly possibly clipped the bumper but not 100% certain. The lady in front told me to drive to a side street to assess any damage. We looked and I saw there was a hairline gap on one side of a otherwise fully detached bumper.
Anyway my English isn't very good (someone else writing this thread for me) and I told her to wait for my husband to sort it out. I just gave her my name.

Moments later my husband driving nearby came. As he's the main policyholder, was not in a particularly good mood. We both felt (my husband and I) that we were being swindled by an opportunist claimer.

My husband ordered me to leave, and since i had my small child age 5 who was desperately needing the toilet and wanted to go home I left everything in the hand of my husband. I thought he'd sort it out. I then saw both the lady and my husband were arguing and left the scene. Moments later I rang my husband to ask did he leave her my details. He said no, and then he went straight back to the scene moments later after he'd left too, about 5 mins after me, and found her and gave her our full details.

However in the midst of us leaving the scene she managed to call the police. However in front of the police who were listening on the phone while the call was still live, they heard and therefore witnessed a full exchange of details.

It was never my intention to leave without giving details and because of the pressures of my child, my husbands temper and my broken English I left it to my husband. I am annoyed that he was moronic enough to leave without giving her anything but at least he did go back.

However I have received a letter from the police investigating, and trying to apply 'driving with due care, not stopping at scene, not reporting accident'.... none of which is true because we did stop, exchange details and i reported later to my insurance that evening. With the driving, I am adamant I hardly touched her car.

Incidentally our suspicions were confirmed and the lady has claimed WHIPLASH' from my insurance. The damage to her car was so minimal at speeds of just 2-5mph and looked like it had been done somewhere else. You would have to look hard at her bumper to notice it had been damaged, and the car was a 12 year old Kia Rio, one of the smallest cheapest cars to drive.

I am petrified that despite exchanging details in the end I will still get 6 points on my licence and an extra fine I cannot afford, all because an opportunist wants to ruin our life as much as possible.

Can anyone please advise?

OP posts:
ReservoirDogs · 09/08/2018 16:10

Your English has suddenly improved!

NicoAndTheNiners · 09/08/2018 16:10

full name, address and telephone number

But only after arguing with the poor person they hit and driving off, obviously giving no indication they were returning.

Bet the argument was all about “your car is cheap and old and was probably damaged already, why the hell should we swap details”. Because that’s the attitude which is being given off here in spades.

Nicknacky · 09/08/2018 16:11

Anyway, provide the details and hopefully the police won’t take it any further which if the matter is resolved then they might not.

NicoAndTheNiners · 09/08/2018 16:11

Ha ha, yes Sally do stop singing silly songs! 😂😂

Wtf? OP are you a sandwich short of a picnic?

Original poster
Iwa80 · 09/08/2018 16:11

ReservoirDogs,

Unfortunately yours hasn't as you didn't read the initial thread which clearly states someone else is writing on my behalf. Stick to your Tarantino movies

OP posts:
Nicknacky · 09/08/2018 16:12

Are you wanting advice or just to argue with people about their username?

ChocolateWombat · 09/08/2018 16:13

If you are so sure you are in the right, you just need to write down the exact timeline of events for the Police, including exactly what happened and what information was given to whom and at what point.

You are worried, because you know that the full info wasn't given over at the time - that won't work in your favour and if you didn't give this o really you need to take responsibility for this - so when dealing with the police or insurers, do not make excuses for the things you did wrong - that will count against you too - just admit anything you did wrong at this stage.

If she reversed at the lights and evidence can be provided of that, then she probably did cause the accident - however, your advantage because of that is somewhat lost if you didn't exchange details and quickly give the details of the incident itself to the insurers and police - saying she reversed into you at this late point may well not be believed.

You will have to face the consequences now and understand that the better outcome that might have be available if you had done everything by the book initially, might not be available. You can question whether the damage was caused by your incident and if whiplash was possible and also mention that she reversed, but ultimately you have not played by the rules of the system and are in trouble for that - which is right.

Don't make excuses about the cost of going through insurance and it being an old car etc etc - if someone has an accident they have a right to go through insurance if they want to, regardless of whether you like it or it's going to cost you - you need to accept that right and that what you did prevented someone accessing that right.

Honesty, remorse and not making excuses are your best approach now.

Iwa80 · 09/08/2018 16:13

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Hercules12 · 09/08/2018 16:13

Op, I don't understand why you didn't deal with it as you were the driver. If you don't feel able to deal with a straight forward accident then should you really be driving?

ChocolateWombat · 09/08/2018 16:15

OP, are you capable of dealing with the police and the insurers without becoming defensive, aggressive and rude as you are on this thread? If not, it's not going to end well for you because the Police won't stand for the attitude you're giving off here. You have been in the wrong - you need to put your hands up to it, regardless of the other issue so no the case.

Original poster
Iwa80 · 09/08/2018 16:16

ChocolateWombat

Ok thanks for your sensible post and suggestions, I'll bear that in mind.

Yes I'm worried but having alaugh on thsi thread at the same time...nothing personal to anyone. Just fun banter.

OP posts:
NicoAndTheNiners · 09/08/2018 16:16

Previous poster is right that if you really thought the other driver caused the accident you’d have been falling over yourselves to swap details immediately.

I think that Iwa80 is the opportunist liar here, trying to pin it on some poor innocent person.

And then trying to deny the damage was caused in the accident, then trying to say oh well it’s just an old car and then arguing with everyone on this thread.

Hercules12 · 09/08/2018 16:17

Does your dh often order you around? It sounds like you have a dh problem not a police one.

Nicknacky · 09/08/2018 16:17

Op, do you understand now that you didn’t provide the required details?

greathat · 09/08/2018 16:17

You know what I don't find at all believable here? The someone writing on your behalf? Are they reading other peoples posts to you, you're replying in another language and then they're translating your insults and typing them out? Weird behaviour!

purplecorkheart · 09/08/2018 16:18

Sadly, you did leave the scene of the accident. You were the driver and only gave this lady your name before calling your husband. The fact that you are not fluent in English, you had a child who needed the bathroom, your husband is the main policy holder, does not change the fact that you the driver left the scene without exchanging full details. You are not your husband.

Your husband should have kept his temper (you said you child was scared of his anger), taken your child to the bathroom and acted as a translator if needed however you should have exchanged full details, regardless of who was at fault in the accident

NicoAndTheNiners · 09/08/2018 16:19

There’s a lot I don’t believe about this thread but yes that someone else is replying is definitely one of them!

purplecorkheart · 09/08/2018 16:20

Try contact nearby businesses to see if their cctv picked up the accident. Also write to the Council Roads/traffic department as there are cameras on many traffic lights

FuckPants · 09/08/2018 16:20

Weird thread.

ThierryEnnui · 09/08/2018 16:20

Nico why did you claim for whiplash?

MimpiDreams · 09/08/2018 16:21

It's not 'fun banter', it's aggressive rudeness.

Dermymc · 09/08/2018 16:23

Wierd AF

bobdylannumber1 · 09/08/2018 16:23

I crashed into the back of someone I was late for work and going too fast she was driving 8 year old car which looked small but bumped my car was 12 years old and was in bits I apologised gave my number, guards weren't called.later she called for insurance details she and passenger cliamed whiplash they got a large amount of money (I personally don't think she had whiplash as she jumped out of the car) my insurance was double for 5 years lost NCB. My friend crashed into someone police were called she got points for dangerous driving and they claimed for injuries if police are called you will get points. It's the reason we pay for car insurance

Nicknacky · 09/08/2018 16:23

At this point fault is not the main issue as she is not being prosecuted for that and quite frankly, is unlikely to if the denials are provided.

The main issue is the lack of insurance details provided to the other driver. That’s why the police are involved, not whose fault a minor bump was?

Saucery · 09/08/2018 16:24

That poor girl. Tries to sort out a minor collision the way she should, other driver disappears, angry DH turns up....hope she is ok.