What happens next if you run someone over?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

do you get arrested or what?

reason for asking is that I had a very very near miss in Erith this week; coming from Thamesmead got to the roundabout with the big blue fish on, straight on straight off. The crossing just off it had a young lad (12ish) and a girl stood on the refuge waiting to cross. My light was green, the lad just bolted, I slammed on the anchs, he disappeared under the screen, then re-appeared exiting stage left like his nikes were on fire. The poor girl at the crossing went whiter than a ghost.

afterwards I got to thinking, if I’d hit him I guess the likelyhood even at that slow speed (was at 10-15ish mph when I saw him stopped between the white line and the metal studs that go across) he would have been badly hurt or dead . so if you ‘collect’ someone are you taken away or sent on your way?

2

Hard to say as it would largely depend on circumstances and what the copper thought had happened.

11 years ago I ran over a man on the M5. It was clear what had happened to the copper and I was sent on my way soon enough. The poor sods had enough to contend with as it was so they didn’t need me to complicate things further. They wanted the truck to be available for inspection if necessary and they needed my details, etc, but that was just about it.

About 2 weeks after, the copper phoned me at home to ask if I was OK. His main concern was that it hadn’t messed me up too badly.

That’s actually the worst bit of the whole thing. The flashbacks haunt you for a long time. I expect you will find that, despite missing the boy, you will still wince in similar circumstances.

3

I think in the senario you give, you may be cautiond at the scene, so anything you say can be used in court, if it went that far after investigation, also they might impound your truck for investigation.
I doubt you’d be sent on your way because of the nature of shock and delayed shock, I think you’d be checked either by paramedics or doctor on the scene or in A&E.
This is all guess work from what has happened to people I know, maybe somebody will post who has more experience than me.

4

I was in the car last night, a bus in front of me had stopped, so I overtook it. As I got right near the front of the bus these two lads ran out across the front of the bus and out in front of me.

I anchored on and missed them but my missus asked whether I would of been in trouble if I’d knocked them over. I reckon I would have been ok because I wasn’t speeding and they were at fault for running out.

In your example the situation is pretty similar so you should be ok from a legal point of view. HOWEVER, as you are an HGV I would imagine they would very carefully check the wagon over and if they found anything even slightly dodgy then there would be real trouble.

5

Unlike any other driver, we are guilty until proven innocent… :exclamation:

6

I can relate to this,as this happened to me about 4 years ago in Hull.

I was waiting to turn left at at busy crossroads,adjacent to a cycle lane,in my 53 plate Premium,and I had a trailer on that was that new,you could still smell the paint,in fact I was the first to pull it.

So bearing in mind that I have 4 left indicators flashing on the combination,the lights turn to green,and I set off,and start to turn left.As I do so,I feel a thud,and a loud scream,so I anchor up,jump out,and run around to the nearside of the unit,and see a woman,who has obviously cycled up my inside,wedged under the lift axle.If the lift axle was down,she most certainly would have been killed,but as I was running light,the lift axle was up,as they are load sensitive on Premiums,and I immediately get my phone,and dial 999.

Several minutes later,all hell breaks loose,as the emergency services arrive,and the fire brigade set about releasing her.Meanwhile,I get interviewed by the cops,and tell them what had happened.It would appear that she has cycled up into my blindspot,and totally ignored the indicators flashing,and the result of her actions,nearly ended up in her getting killed.

After the interview,I’m allowed back to the truck,to watch the investigation,and saw an officer taking pictures of the inside of the truck.I ask him why he’s doing it,and he tells me that they photograph all the controls in the vehicle,including the pedals for grease,the radio,the heater controls,and anything else that may help the investigation!!! :open_mouth:

Anyhow,after he does this,The interviewing officer,then releases the scene,and compliments me on how clean and tidy the combination was,and that I will hear in due course.

Nearly 4 years later,I’m still waiting!!!

As it happens,a senior representative from the company I was working for at the time,rang Humberside police,and found out that there was to be no prosecution.Nice of them to tell me. :angry:

Ken.

7

So long as you remain professional, the chances are you’ll be fine.

My Dad’s a copper. He told me recently about an accident in Royston in which a lorry driver pulled away from what he thought was a clear pelican crossing as the lights changed to flashing amber and he felt a bump. Realising what had happened, he reversed and ran the victim over again!

Turns out a poor old lady walked out onto the crossing as the pedestrian lights went red and because the driver was in a very high cab, he had no way of being able to see her in the fairly substantial blind spot right in front of him.

Luckily she survived, unluckily she lost her legs.

The trucker was totally distrught, bizarrely the lady was fairly composed and was very apologetic for stepping out when she shouldn’t have done.

I don’t think any proceedings were taken out against the driver apart from the investigations given the circumstances. He hadn’t been speeding or exceeding hours etc.

Was just a tragic accident…

8

manowar:
So long as you remain professional, the chances are you’ll be fine.

My Dad’s a copper. He told me recently about an accident in Royston in which a lorry driver pulled away from what he thought was a clear pelican crossing as the lights changed to flashing amber and he felt a bump. Realising what had happened, he reversed and ran the victim over again!

Turns out a poor old lady walked out onto the crossing as the pedestrian lights went red and because the driver was in a very high cab, he had no way of being able to see her in the fairly substantial blind spot right in front of him.

Luckily she survived, unluckily she lost her legs.

The trucker was totally distrught, bizarrely the lady was fairly composed and was very apologetic for stepping out when she shouldn’t have done.

I don’t think any proceedings were taken out against the driver apart from the investigations given the circumstances. He hadn’t been speeding or exceeding hours etc.

Was just a tragic accident…

i beg to differ, he must’ve been too far forward not to see who was at the crossing. so at the very least a contributing factor and something that could’ve been avoided.

9

So easily done, I had a near miss on friday in Chesterfield, I was in queueing traffic opposite B & Q, I saw two ladies on the central res, traffic moved in front, I checked my o/s then n/s mirrors, handbrake off and starts to move, I then noticed only one woman on the c/r and guess who comes into view from behind my o/s mirror, yep you guessed it, anchors on and a blast from the horn. The stupid cow had no idea and they both thought it was ■■■■■■ hilarious :imp: . Whats even more annoying is the pelican crossing was 50 yards further up the road. I just dread to think what would’ve happened if I’d’ve set off with a bit of vigour or hadn’t realised one of them wasn’t on the c/r.

10

hammer:
I was in the car last night, a bus in front of me had stopped, so I overtook it. As I got right near the front of the bus these two lads ran out across the front of the bus and out in front of me.

Hmmm.
you’re kidding , right ?

Its a bit of an issue up here in Aberdeenshire with a proposal of legislation to outlaw this ,due to the number of kids killed and injured in this sort of situation.

we all know cyclists and pedestrians just dont think,dont look and dont care

11

The common theme through most of these posts is that the pedestrian/cyclist didn’t look or consider that there was a vehicle and a driver that couldn’t see them, or even be expected to see them.
Therefore it is the drivers fault.
Sadly, it is down to the present sue em culture that we have, that others don’t seem to realise that all the compensation in the world will be of no use to them when they are a vegetable in a wheelchair, through their own fault.

12

Dratsabasti:
The common theme through most of these posts is that the pedestrian/cyclist didn’t look or consider that there was a vehicle and a driver that couldn’t see them, or even be expected to see them.
Therefore it is the drivers fault.

I read an article in Truck and Driver where somebody was suggesting showing Truck drivers the injuries suffered by cyclists when then get run over by a truck turning left. :open_mouth: But surely it would be better to show this to cyclists who ride down the left hand side of a truck. :unamused:

13

In my experience of any fatal road accident when I was doing motorway recovery,any vehicle that has been directly involved,ie,the actual vehicle that killed the victim,is towed away,not driven, to a police compound for an examination of roadworthyness.If the vehicle is roadworthy,that fact is eliminated from the investigation as to the cause of the accident.
I suppose it’s quite usual for the driver af any such vehicle to be breathalised as well.I would also expect a blood test on the victim for alcohol as they could have caused their own demise if drunk.

14

teatime:

hammer:
I was in the car last night, a bus in front of me had stopped, so I overtook it. As I got right near the front of the bus these two lads ran out across the front of the bus and out in front of me.

Hmmm.
you’re kidding , right ?

Its a bit of an issue up here in Aberdeenshire with a proposal of legislation to outlaw this ,due to the number of kids killed and injured in this sort of situation.

we all know cyclists and pedestrians just dont think,dont look and dont care

Why would I be kidding? The bus was stopped and showing no signs of pulling away, the road was straight and clear. It was 7:45 on a Saturday evening, I might have done differently near school time. I was legally allowed to overtake so I don’t see the problem.

15

A mate of mine hit an asian lad in his skip lorry while on a job in Sparkhill, Birmingham. It was the lads own fault, he ran out and recieved a glancing blow. My mate stopped and found the lad out cold in the gutter with blood coming from his mouth. As he tried to give first aid he was surrounded by an angry mob of locals. In fear for his own safety he got back in his truck and drove off. Up the road he passed a police car which was on its way to the scene. My mate stopped the cop car and explained exactly what had happened. They said it was a good idea to leave the scene as he would have been torn limb from limb by the angry mob!

He met up with the police an hour or so later to give a statement, a month later he had a latter saying no action was going to be taken.

First time ive heard of somone actually being commended by police for leaving the scene of an accident!

16

hammer:
I was in the car last night, a bus in front of me had stopped, so I overtook it. As I got right near the front of the bus these two lads ran out across the front of the bus and out in front of me.

I anchored on and missed them but my missus asked whether I would of been in trouble if I’d knocked them over. I reckon I would have been ok because I wasn’t speeding and they were at fault for running out.

In your example the situation is pretty similar so you should be ok from a legal point of view. HOWEVER, as you are an HGV I would imagine they would very carefully check the wagon over and if they found anything even slightly dodgy then there would be real trouble.

I had that same situation a while back EXCEPT I was driving the bus!!!
I stopped at a bus stop (on the A30 outside the Basingstoke Country Hotel between Hook and Old Basing for anybody that knows it), anyway, this girl gets off and steps into the road as Im about to move away, walks in front of me and gets hit by an overtaking car (despite having the indicator on to pull out :smiling_imp: ), luckily it was a glancing blow but it was still scary dialling 999 and telling them somebodies been hit by a car…
Dread to think what would have happened had the car been a second or 2 earlier :open_mouth:

17

2 and a half years ago i had a suicide jumper off a bridge land on the top of my trailer ,i saw him let go but there was nothing i could do,he went off the back of the trailer and got run over by a people carrier,dead at the scene (horrific but luckily no other casualties)the lorry was impounded at the scene and didnt come back for about 4 days,apparently they do this with all fatal accidents.I assumed at the time i would be sent on my way to carry on with my run but they breathalised me which i passed and then gave me a lift home,just as well as about 2 hours later i turned into a jibbering wreck.Went back to work 4 days later a bit shakey and still get really twitchey when i see people on bridges.
This is my first ever post on here,been browsing for a while,great site.I promise to post about somthing more cheerful next time.
Rich

18

That’s what i said when I first replied. It all depends on circumstances and the coppers at the scene.

When they sent me away that night, it was after they had kept an eye on me. I know what you mean about jibbering wreck too. It really messed me up. But they had an awful lot of extremely unpleasant work to do and I was in the way. The drive home was pretty awful, and I was shaky the next night, and for many afterwards.

I don’t know if it made a difference, though I suspect it probably did, but I was driving a supermarket truck at the time. Whether or not it did is irrelevent, I was not detained, and I wasn’t breathalised either now I think of it.

It makes little difference. My situation was mine, others have had different experiences. Bottom line is we all hope it never happens…

19

I had a ■■■■■■■ a motorbike killed under my trailer back in 1977 at Oxford, the police came and took a statement and sent me on my way, told me not to uncouple the trailer untill MOT had checked it and that was that, as I say this was 77, I doubt they would do that now.

20

Every case will be treated on it’s own merit. If there is some evidence to suggest that your driving may have been dangerous or negligent then the likelihood is you’ll be arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and interviewed for that offence…serious stuff!

If it’s obvious at the scene that it was not your fault or you did everything you could to avoid it, then no, you shouldn’t be arrested, you should be treated as a witness.

The truck may well be seized for a forensic/mechanical examination, but that is as much to prove that is isn’t defective and didn’t contribute to the collision as it is the other way. It’s important to note that the task of the police is simply to investigate and collate evidence. That evidence is then put to the CPS and it’s the CPS who make decisions on charging with offences or not. Sometimes the law requires that an individual is arrested so that the police can gain the best evidence possible under the circumstances, so if there’s any grey area’s in that particular case, expect arrests to be made initially. Being arrested doesn’t automatically mean guilt. In many cases it’s possible to prove someone is not culpable during the course of the investigation and in that case there will be no further action. In my Force area, being breath tested is standard for all drivers in all collisions. I have had a couple of minor bumps in police vehicles over the years and I was breath tested every time…good job I’d kept off the wine gums eh!!! :wink: :laughing: