These aren’t some highway cops but just ordinary village coppers, so they aren’t trained well in pursuits. Therefore they cannot stop the guy safely…
The warnings about this pursuit spreaded on CB radio as it was going for and lorry driver decided not to give too much space for this moron and that way they made him off the road. According to what I had read the lorry driver could drive to the right but instead he just avoided the crash with his tractor and then smashed the car with his trailer. If that’s true, I don’t really know what to think about it.
My concerns are:
As a result of the lorry driver maneuvre another driver was injured (but nothing serious) and his van is damaged, also the lorry will for sure have few scratches…
From the other hand it’s much better to smash such moron with a lorry than if he had a head-on crash, killing someone innocent…
So I don’t really know what to think about this lorry driver… And what do you think? Should we help the police if we see that they are struggling to stop some crazy man? Or rather we should give them way to do their job - even if they are poor in this, is their job, not ours (and it’s not to us to judge if they are doing good or bad).
Even if I can’t really believe that this trucker did this to stop this crazy man, I don’t know if I would do something… This is only seconds and I can’t judge what’s going on…
Maybe somewhere in Highlands, if I would see the pursuit from miles, miles away and road would be empty I could block the road with my lorry… But in such heavy traffic - no way that I will do anything.
We are not the police , We have a responsibility to our employers to protect our load and the vehicle we are in. We have a responsibility to our families to protect ourselves.
Just my opinion
ps if you hurt the drunk driver in your actions - he’ll have your guts for garters in a claim
merc0447:
We are not the police , We have a responsibility to our employers to protect our load and the vehicle we are in. We have a responsibility to our families to protect ourselves.
Just my opinion
ps if you hurt the drunk driver in your actions - he’ll have your guts for garters in a claim
It’s exactly my opinion as well… But if that can save someone’s life (say, behind us is a marathon running or something like that) - would you value your responsibility to your employer above people’s lives?
UK Plod dont like members of the public involving themselves in pursuits. Too many things to go wrong especially as you wont be in full possession of the facts. (Could be chummy has a baby in the car for instance or a hostage).
Plus the fact if anybody got hurt or there was third party damage caused by your action, you can bet your arse that you’d be liable & probably be charged.
TBH I think especially in a truck, you’d never have time to react to a pursuit anyway. by the time you’d twigged what was going on chummy would be long gone (or in a hedge with any luck).
I know in the States they have organised rolling road blocks with HGVs, but they have direct communication with them via CB to organise it. They also have a more “aggressive” attitude to law enforcement as well.
Have just watched the video. I dont think the lorry driver did anything intentionally. Probably just saw this guy hurtling towards him & did his best to avoid a head-on. I think it was a rigid he hit as well not an artic so he probably wasnt trying to hit him with his trailer!
Secretelephant:
Have just watched the video. I dont think the lorry driver did anything intentionally. Probably just saw this guy hurtling towards him & did his best to avoid a head-on. I think it was a rigid he hit as well not an artic so he probably wasnt trying to hit him with his trailer!
I think this is an artic - you can see how it’s bends…
And, also, there is another identical one following it. I have to dig for another pictures from this incident and then I will be able to say too.
As for that he’s doing something - I also think he only tried to avoid the crash. There was no time to consider a situation. I read that only on some forum, and it may be made up or just the trucker wants to create himself as a hero, so I don’t really believe…
But it was a good start to thinking about this question.
Back in the late 80’s I was involved in a rolling road block, partly set up by the coppers using sign language, partly cos we could hear the chat from other drivers about a chase that was catching us up, 4 trucks, 1 in each lane inc hard shoulder, at night few cars aboutwe slowed to 50 then progessivly slowed to a stop with plenty of armco just as chase caught us up. arrest made, thanks from the police and on our way…
things are different nowadays, even H&S has got involved in police pursuits, even they have to pull off now if it could poss put someones life at risk…
Would I help if asked, yes I would, would have to be a traffic officer who asked though, not base bobby… Stuff the damage to the trailer, easily repairaple, and if some dugged up or drunk scrote loses his life well thats tough, far better him than some persons innocent son/daughter getting killed by beforementioned person in a hit and run.
