Shocking police response

FYB
FYB Posts: 14
edited March 2009 in The bottom bracket
Police standing 50ft away charging a motorcyclist with existing as a man in his 60s gets knocked off bike by a car doing a random u-turn.

Cyclist - shaken, shocked, head injury (nasty abrasion above eye bleeding like stink+ closing over with swelling), shoulder injury and grazed elbow. From what followed, I guess also too shocked to respond sensibly.

Motorist - 'very sorry. didn't see you'

Police - one ambles along road. 'Are you alright'. Getting a 'yes I think so' from the dazed cyclist, turns round and walks away again. No further action. No ambulance. No charging the driver (didn't even speak to him as far as I can tell). No breathalyser. Nothing.

Too much paperwork I suppose. And, after all, just a cyclist. Who cares

What chance have cyclists when the police can be on scene, witness an incident with significant injury and do absolutely nothing????
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Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    .Why the hell did the cyclist say 'Yes, I think so'?
  • GavH
    GavH Posts: 933
    FYB wrote:
    Police standing 50ft away charging a motorcyclist with existing

    You are right, this is shocking. I'm never getting a Motorcycle licence if it means the police can charge me for just existing. :shock:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Indeed! I wonder how many points that gets you? Did the OP witness the motorcyclist existing at all I wonder? I saw some motorcyclists the other day but I've a feeling they were imaginary so I didn't report them.
  • FYB
    FYB Posts: 14
    NapoleonD wrote:
    .Why the hell did the cyclist say 'Yes, I think so'?

    Shock. Disorientation. Head injury.

    Whatever the cyclist said is pointless. Fact is he had blood streaming down his face and had just been knocked off at reasonable speed. And he was in his 60s and he was cycling on his own.

    Police should have done more than a cursory glance and then scarper for fear of having to fill out a form or two.

    Presumably charging a motorcyclist for existing is more fun and less paperwork.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Unfortunately with statements like "charging a motorcyclist with existing" you are unlikely to get a sensible response from me...
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    Well known fact - bored police always look for motorcyclists to charge with existing :twisted:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    However, against my better judgement I will offer some advice -

    Did the cyclist go on and report the accident at a police station afterwards? If not, they should have done.
    Did the cyclist get any details of the officer? so, if the cyclist was suitably aggrieved by the officer's behaviour, they could initiate a formal complaint very easily, if not, then there should still be enough information for the inspector anyway but it will take longer.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    The last time I got knocked off by a car, was by a copper, I don't think he charged himself. Terrible.
    I like bikes...

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  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    I was knocked off my bike and when I reported it at the local nick they tried to tell me it did not constitute a R.T.A.

    Fortunately for me, Alison France, my solicitor took quite another view and won me a four figure sum in compo.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    It may still not have constituted a reportable RTC under the Road Traffic Act however, despite winning compensation. Some 'accidents' are not recordable by the Police even if they are still worth pursuing in the civil court.
  • GavH
    GavH Posts: 933
    [quote="FYBWhatever the cyclist said is pointless... he was in his 60s and he was cycling on his own.[/quote]

    That makes all the difference now. EVERYONE knows that the over-60s should cycle in pairs. If only he'd been with a friend then afore mentioned u-turning motorist (deciding to go back the way he came - how very dare he!) would be facing a charge of knocking down a senior citizen and a definate impending 10 stretch I'm sure.
  • FYB
    FYB Posts: 14
    [/quote] That makes all the difference now. EVERYONE knows that the over-60s should cycle in pairs. If only he'd been with a friend then afore mentioned u-turning motorist (deciding to go back the way he came - how very dare he!) would be facing a charge of knocking down a senior citizen and a definate impending 10 stretch I'm sure.[/quote]

    Am I missing something or does your response mark you out as hard of thinking? Goes for a few of the comments here from other posters.

    A clear fault accident. An injured cyclist. A police witness to the event a few feet away, and the driver gets away unchecked, the cyclist gets no attention (despite clear injuries) and the police walk off.

    Hope none of the wits (largely dim) above suffer the same. If you do, don't come crying on here for sympathy.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    What is the point of this thread? Just to have a whinge in the style of the Daily Mail?

    I thought the advice I gave was suitable. Oh well. Take it or leave it.
  • FYB
    FYB Posts: 14
    NapoleonD wrote:
    What is the point of this thread? Just to have a whinge in the style of the Daily Mail?

    I thought the advice I gave was suitable. Oh well. Take it or leave it.

    I'm going to have a wild stab here and suggest you're police or motorcyclist (probably both).

    If you're looking for a point, I guess you can be happy you've done your bit to defend the police response and reassure us we will be safe on the roads as they're doing everything to protect all road users from careless/ dangerous drivers.

    Well done you.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Why thank you, although I wasn't aware I was defending the police response in this case. I take it my advice was no good then?
  • GavH
    GavH Posts: 933
    "FYB wrote:
    Am I missing something

    Yes, I think you probably are. :roll:
  • zanes
    zanes Posts: 563
    Speaking from experience of my crash, I'm b***** glad the police didn't get involved to complicate things. Sometimes an accident is just that. An accident. No need to apportion blame (although as we all know, cyclists are *never* to blame. Ever. :roll: )
  • FYB
    FYB Posts: 14
    Lesson learned - waste of time posting here on a saturday night. No sane life to respond.

    Unless I'm wrong and it's ok to be careless behind the wheel and cream someone off their bike, especially if they are pensioners. Yes, that must be it. That will be why there are so many amusing comments here and we are supporting the police response.

    Sorry. My mistake. :?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Apology accepted. However, you keep failing to acknowledge the fact that I gave out sound advice at 6.21pm. Furthermore, are you saying that the fact that a pensioner was run over by poor driving is worse than if, say, a 33 year old was?

    There's no point ranting on here, take my advice if you want to do something about it and make a complaint. No one has supported the police response in the situation you posted yet you seem to be thinking they are.

    Chill out, read your Mail on Sunday and have a cup of tea tomorrow morning then get yourself down to the nearest (open) police station and ask to speak to the duty inspector.
  • the ferry
    the ferry Posts: 258
    .....FYB.....i was saddned by your post .....but then cheered by the replies :D ,
  • Slow Downcp
    Slow Downcp Posts: 3,041
    FYB - If you witnessed the incident, did you step in and ask the police why they were not interested? If you did, what did they do? If not, why not?
    Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos
  • drewfromrisca
    drewfromrisca Posts: 1,165
    Did the Police officer even see the accident? If not then he might not have known what happened?
    There is never redemption, any fool can regret yesterday...

    Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!
  • FYB
    FYB Posts: 14
    FYB - If you witnessed the incident, did you step in and ask the police why they were not interested? If you did, what did they do? If not, why not?

    No, I didn't see it.

    I happened by sometime later and found the guy sitting by the road, a bit dazed and mopping blood from his eye. Police, car driver and motorcyclist nowhere to be seen. I called ambulance and sat with him until it arrived to take him to hospital, where he should have been sent by the police at the scene.

    As to the 'Arsene Wenger' defence of 'did the police officer even see the accident', I thought their job was to investigate incidents. Ask a few questions. Establish what might have happened.
  • drewfromrisca
    drewfromrisca Posts: 1,165
    I wasn't defending him mate I was just asking, you know, ask a few questions, establish the full circumstances. How you can make the 'assumption' that I was defending the copper from that question then I'll never know. If you can't take responses from people who are trying to see both sides of the story then I suggest you don't post.
    If you didn't see it then why are you making the 'assumption' that's what the officer said? All from what some stranger said???
    Why would the police officer sent him to the hospital if he's already said he's ok??? He's a police officer not a trained medic. Or a mind reader at that.
    There is never redemption, any fool can regret yesterday...

    Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    So actually you didn't see the incident at all either and have as a result got a one sided view of it.


    This post is now even more pointless!

    What did you want from this?
    Lots of other people to join in tutting and cussing?
    What good would that do?

    As I have said several times now, if you aren't happy, go to the station and make a complaint, don't whine about it on here.

    That said I hope the guy is alright and that he reported it to the police having been checked out.
  • drewfromrisca
    drewfromrisca Posts: 1,165
    Even more to the point, could it have been the cyclist's fault for the accident. Just because he's on a bike doesn't make him innocent. I see some shocking riding everyday from chav's to mother's on shoppers and kid's strapped to the back in a kids seat.
    There is never redemption, any fool can regret yesterday...

    Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!
  • FYB
    FYB Posts: 14
    Even more to the point, could it have been the cyclist's fault for the accident. Just because he's on a bike doesn't make him innocent. I see some shocking riding everyday from chav's to mother's on shoppers and kid's strapped to the back in a kids seat.

    You're right. Probably was his fault. Appropriate action taken by all then. Leave an injured, clearly disorientated, but GUILTY man by the road to bleed to death. No problem then.

    NapoleonD - I'm glad I did post this as the point seems to have been to flush out the crazy attitude that leaving an accident, with an injured party needing hospital attention, is acceptable practice in some circles, including the police. And being disapointed by it marks me out as a Daily Mail reading nutter. :? Presumably that's the view the police have of anyone who might question their actions.

    What a world this forum seems to be reflecting. Sorry to have troubled it. I'll keep my mad views on protection for cyclists, police response to cycling accidents and basic first aid to myself.

    Good luck on the roads
    :wink:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Crikey.

    FYB, you weren't there. You don't know for sure what happened.

    No one, at any point, has said the police response in your version of events was justified and again, if your version is correct, iit s indeed shocking..

    You have failed to say whether you are making a complaint (which, if your version of events is correct, I suggest you or the cyclist do) or what you aim to achieve by this post.

    We are all cyclists on this forum, believe it or not and everyone wants to be safe.
  • NapoleonD wrote:
    .Why the hell did the cyclist say 'Yes, I think so'?

    Probably for the same reason Natasha Richardson did !
  • Slow1972
    Slow1972 Posts: 362
    Just had a skim through this, Napolean seems to take a pretty simplistic view of things and sorry, but you do come across as defending the police's actions.

    There's a guy who has just been injured, he has blood running down his face and is disorientated. Your response is the copper is not a trained medic. Well in my mind it doesn't a medic to think that if someone says "i think so" immediately after an accident that they may not actually be.

    As for asking for police identification etc, the man has just been in an accident ffs, yet you think he will have the clarity of thinking to say "pardon me officer, I'm not quite satisfied with the standard of care you have given me, please provide me with your number..."

    I had a similar incident a year or so ago when I got knocked off my scooter, luckily the anbulance arrived before the coppers. The coppers then came into the ambulance whilst I was being treated, said they had enough witnesses to press charges for careless driving and asked me if I wanted to press charges and if I did I would have to give my witness statement there and then, if not they would let her off with a ticking off. Unsurprisingly I said, no let her off. On reflection it was the wrong response, but encouraged by the copper putting pressure on me to drop the charges by making the incident more protracted if i wanted to. But being involved in an accident which causes physical damage and shock makes you react differently to how you usually would.

    So it may sound like the OP is a bit of a Daily Mail "shocker" post, but lets face it, and without picking holes, our boys in blue didnt sound like they covered themsleves in glory. Whether he said he was okay or not, if I passed someone covered in blood I don't think I'd be happy to take their word for it that they were okay, medically qualified or not, most people just call it being public spirited.

    Good point Mr Cellophane, the cyclist was probably less medically qualified than the copper to say whether he was in fact okay, or don't our boys in blue even do basic first aid these days?