Car parking ccontact and driving away
Discussion
Dear all,
My dad (honestly it is my dad folks), whilst trying to get out of a hospital car park around an awkwardly parked car (which was not in a marked parking bay), made contact. He didn't notice and drove away. There was a witness and his number was taken.
First thing he knows is call from an insurance company and a slightly heavy-handed letter from the police about driving without due care and attention and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
Examination on the car reveals no damage at all, apart from a rear parking sensor which has been pushed in - not sure when this happened, perhaps previously which would explain why it failed, or at the time - who knows. No scratches or dents, so it must have been a gentle coming together.
I suspect he has touched the property of an awkward type who is milking he chance to exert power (cynical hat on). He is as straight as they come and genuinely did not notice the contact. Do we have the chance to see a photograph of the damage?
What's the score here? Points or fine or a telling off?
At the time my mum had just been rushed in very ill indeed, so he was not at his best, but I know this is no excuse.
Thanks
My dad (honestly it is my dad folks), whilst trying to get out of a hospital car park around an awkwardly parked car (which was not in a marked parking bay), made contact. He didn't notice and drove away. There was a witness and his number was taken.
First thing he knows is call from an insurance company and a slightly heavy-handed letter from the police about driving without due care and attention and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
Examination on the car reveals no damage at all, apart from a rear parking sensor which has been pushed in - not sure when this happened, perhaps previously which would explain why it failed, or at the time - who knows. No scratches or dents, so it must have been a gentle coming together.
I suspect he has touched the property of an awkward type who is milking he chance to exert power (cynical hat on). He is as straight as they come and genuinely did not notice the contact. Do we have the chance to see a photograph of the damage?
What's the score here? Points or fine or a telling off?
At the time my mum had just been rushed in very ill indeed, so he was not at his best, but I know this is no excuse.
Thanks
Durzel said:
Was the awkwardly parked car in motion? I guess not, in which case it's academic where or how it was parked.
Sorry to be blunt but this is pretty clear cut - your Dad struck someone's car, and drove off. Believing the damage to be minimal, or non-existent is academic, though it is a defence to the charge of failure to report to do so within a practical period (24 hours I think?)
The circumstances of how it came to happen are, I'm afraid to say, also irrelevant.
Thanks, but he didn't believe the damage was minimal - he didn't know any contact had been made in the first place. If he had he would have stopped and left a note or something. That's why a picture might help, to see what we are talking about, can't be more than a tiny mark or it would have registered (one hopes anyway Sorry to be blunt but this is pretty clear cut - your Dad struck someone's car, and drove off. Believing the damage to be minimal, or non-existent is academic, though it is a defence to the charge of failure to report to do so within a practical period (24 hours I think?)
The circumstances of how it came to happen are, I'm afraid to say, also irrelevant.
)Take your point about the other driver, yes the chap could have been having just as bad a day, few people visit hospital for fun.
Edited by cml on Sunday 7th February 10:22
TooMany2cvs said:
Sounds like a guilty plea to driving without due care and attention to me...
Put it another way, would you buy it as an excuse if some random old boy hit your car, went to drive off, and when confronted over it said "Ooh, sorry, I didn't realise."?
Er, not sure if serious, er, that would depend on the contact I guess. If the cars merely kissed then yes, otherwise probably not. Put it another way, would you buy it as an excuse if some random old boy hit your car, went to drive off, and when confronted over it said "Ooh, sorry, I didn't realise."?
Must not get defensive, must not get defensive...
Upshot as I read it here is that the police will have little more to do with the matter and the insurance people will figure it out. I think he is worried about actually being in proper police trouble here. If you don't work in the field and have no previous experience it is scary to find yourself under investigation, as it were.
Edited by cml on Sunday 7th February 10:45
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