Did I do the right thing?
Discussion
LNot sure whether this should be in BB, SP&L or Health Matters... I had a bit of an incident on Wednesday and I'm trying to work out whether I did the right thing, or should there have been another course of action.
Riding the bike along a main trunk road in a built up 30 zone and a transit coming towards me swerves across the road and hits a van going the same direction as me about three cars ahead - doesn't stop and keeps going, weaving as it passes me. The guy that had been hit is sitting there dazed and he hasn't got the reg number, so I turn round and filter up to the van, which is still weaving around and narrowly missing a couple of other cars, now in an open 50 zone. It turns off at the next village and I manage to get alongside but the driver is wobbling around in the van, clearly very drunk from his actions and takes off again, before turning up a single track road, bouncing off the hedges. It reaches a pinch point and he is forced to stop for an oncoming car and I manage to get alongside as he pulls to a halt, grab his keys, park the bike a bit up the road and call the police, mostly blocking the road. he is a fairly big bloke, so I leave my helmet on in case he kicks off but he just stays in the seat and seems to fall asleep.
This is the bit that surprises me though, as the police arrive, they get him out of the seat with a bit of encouragement and he mumbles that he is diabetic. The police are suspicious but true to his word he blows a zero. So, the questions:
1. Should I have pursued?
2. Should I have expected a diabetic issue - it was about 6:30pm on a sunny afternoon, so I naturally assumed a liquid lunch that had raged out of control.
3. What signs should I have looked out for?
4. What is likely to happen to him next - dvla licence revocation, charged with leaving the scene of an accident etc.?
The guy that got hit m it turns out he was picking up a motorcycle (klr650 I think) and was midway through his trip back to London - first time he didn't take out extra insurance on the hire van, which I imagine is going to sting a little.
Riding the bike along a main trunk road in a built up 30 zone and a transit coming towards me swerves across the road and hits a van going the same direction as me about three cars ahead - doesn't stop and keeps going, weaving as it passes me. The guy that had been hit is sitting there dazed and he hasn't got the reg number, so I turn round and filter up to the van, which is still weaving around and narrowly missing a couple of other cars, now in an open 50 zone. It turns off at the next village and I manage to get alongside but the driver is wobbling around in the van, clearly very drunk from his actions and takes off again, before turning up a single track road, bouncing off the hedges. It reaches a pinch point and he is forced to stop for an oncoming car and I manage to get alongside as he pulls to a halt, grab his keys, park the bike a bit up the road and call the police, mostly blocking the road. he is a fairly big bloke, so I leave my helmet on in case he kicks off but he just stays in the seat and seems to fall asleep.
This is the bit that surprises me though, as the police arrive, they get him out of the seat with a bit of encouragement and he mumbles that he is diabetic. The police are suspicious but true to his word he blows a zero. So, the questions:
1. Should I have pursued?
2. Should I have expected a diabetic issue - it was about 6:30pm on a sunny afternoon, so I naturally assumed a liquid lunch that had raged out of control.
3. What signs should I have looked out for?
4. What is likely to happen to him next - dvla licence revocation, charged with leaving the scene of an accident etc.?
The guy that got hit m it turns out he was picking up a motorcycle (klr650 I think) and was midway through his trip back to London - first time he didn't take out extra insurance on the hire van, which I imagine is going to sting a little.
roboxm3 said:
Of course you did the right thing, he could definitely have been pissed and caused a much worse accident further down the road.
I'd say you've done him a favour there as well, what's to say he wouldn't have passed out and not been able to get the medication he needed for his diabetes.
I think that is what is bothering me. I deliberately didn't engage with him as I didn't want to give him a chance to escalate into violence so he ended up sitting in the van for about 15 minutes. I worry that that delay may have made his condition worse, although I didn't have anything on me to help and I can't remember my medical training from last century...I'd say you've done him a favour there as well, what's to say he wouldn't have passed out and not been able to get the medication he needed for his diabetes.
Thanks for the comments.
I had already used my emergency can of red bull to boost the bike's power enough to catch up with the van - it's only an asthmatic American V-twin after all. I wasn't expecting to make an instant diagnosis, but I was so certain he was pissed I hadn't even considered any other option. I guess I'm kicking myself for not realising it was a medical issue and possibly being able to respond a bit better.
I'm not sure how I feel knowing that he'll have another chance if this is his first episode. He was a complete liability and nearly caused four or five crashes in the space of just a few miles - cars swerving all over the place as he crossed right into the oncoming lane. I can only hope this was a very isolated incident.
I had already used my emergency can of red bull to boost the bike's power enough to catch up with the van - it's only an asthmatic American V-twin after all. I wasn't expecting to make an instant diagnosis, but I was so certain he was pissed I hadn't even considered any other option. I guess I'm kicking myself for not realising it was a medical issue and possibly being able to respond a bit better.
I'm not sure how I feel knowing that he'll have another chance if this is his first episode. He was a complete liability and nearly caused four or five crashes in the space of just a few miles - cars swerving all over the place as he crossed right into the oncoming lane. I can only hope this was a very isolated incident.
I think I agree about wanting him off the road unless we can be sure it was a one-off - still feels weird to acting in a way to seriously impact someone else's licence and possibly livelihood. I'm sure I would do the same again, but I was so convinced he was drunk and so had no regard for him facing the legal repercussions. Now I know it was medical it doesn't feel so black and white. I'm guessing his insurance is going to take a fairly major hit too.
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