Clipped and ended up hitting a lamppost

hisoka

Just had to rant about last night. Coming home with full high vis and lights on, along a very well lit road AND STILL a car (or small van) managed to clip me. I didn't even see it as I was busy hitting a lamppost suddenly and wrenching all of my right leg out due to the spd not being able to disengage before the bike totally twisted around.

Bike seems fine, I am the one who is damage in the leg only at least. But the driver didn't even stop is the thing.
Anyone else had this happen? I've got to give a report to the police but I'm going to be the worst kind of witness as I was so shook up I can't remember anything as it was so far away when I looked up.

mercsport

Bad luck !! At least you live to tell the tale . And , the bike was O.K. .
The trouble with accidents of this kind is the suddenness of it all . Who has the wit left in their noggin when you've just been floored to note the number plate - " excuse me , stay there a min. would you ? I'll just get my pencil and , er ,..paper , whilst I take down your number . " - or some such . Even the vehicle description is a tough one whilst you're consumed by a fiery rage , fist shaking and lusting after wanting to tenderly grasp the bastard by the throat .
No , it's never happened for me either .

always_tyred

I was once, while living abroad, taken out by a coach. 4 cars stopped to see if I was dead (I wasn't, was just spectacular) but the coach driver didn't becuase he didn't think it was anything to do with him. Insurance companies didn't agree.

However, when I reported to the police, they said "Well, we aren't going to do anything because you didn't report it at the time". I said "But I was unconscious, and then I was in an ambulance, then I had my arm in a cast and wanted to go home and sleep and now, 2 days later, I'm reporting it" or words to that effect. The police said "Oh well. It wasn't a hit and run" I said "He hit me and didn't stop, how is it not a hit and run?" The police said "Oh, well there were no witnesses " I said, "I'm a witness, my gf is a witness, and 4 cars stopped" The police said, "But you didn't get any of their names or addresses" I said, "I was in an ambulance and unconscious...."

You get the idea. I got a bill for the ambulance as well.

always_tyred

Come to think of it, that post probably didn't make you feel any better.

Another one - I once got buzzed by a car (also abroad) and, when I caught up with him I said, "Oi, that was way too close, you must have been doing 80kph in a 50 zone" (dude was young, wearing a suit, looked, in hindsight as though he was about to have a stroke) He then deliberately drove into me and made off.

I tried reporting this to the police and they said "What did you do to provoke him?"
I said "I told him he'd just nearly hit me, Anyway, what does that matter, he used his car as a weapon" They said, "There were no witnesses" I said, "His car will have a scratch down the side of it from my bars and I'm sure my bars have some of his paint on them, and it was a busy street in broad daylight" They said, "Well, find some witnesses and we'll consider it" I said, "Isn't that your job?" And they said "No".

No idea WHAT their job is, other than consuming doughnuts in the most picturesque locals on their patch, but there you go.

That probably doesn't help either, eh?

hisoka

The stories might not help but at least prove that there are a*shole drivers all over the world.
Sorry they happened to you there mate, sounds like a bad time in both cases.

mercsport

I feel your pain !!!! :shock:

redvee

Encountered ther good and bad with French drivers when over in Le Harve area for Le Tour a few years back. Joined up with a group from Portsmouth and done 60 miles with them and didn't embarass myself atall, the only MTB amongst 10 roadies. Anyhow the group split and some went up a hill that overlooked the road below so as nobody else came up I looked down onto the road and wondered why this car didn't overtake me, after 2 mins I realised why, they drive on the other side of the road :oops: . In Le Harve on the way in amongst traffic a car got too close to me, I swear he touched the LH pannier :x

System_1

I wasn't actually clipped as such but I was doing about 25mph down a hill on a country lane last year which has a point halfway down with strange a camber to it that can send you towards to the edge of the road if you aren't far enough out. It was at this point some 4x4 decided to pass with inches to spare and I had no other option than to bail into the ditch at the side of the road. Myself and bike were unhurt thankfully but the only person who stopped was also driving a 4x4. They're not all bad.