Brutal hit and run, Nottingham

[Spinney]

Ah - searching on 120623 got me this:

So the thing itself is not yet ready for the public to sign.

 

[Racing roadkill]

You don't have both sides of the story because the two occupants of the car failed to disclose who was driving and thereby avoided being charged with failing to stop and failing to report. They sound like the type of folk who are going to provide a truthful account of events to help you make up your mind though...

I guess we'll never know.

 

[Sara_H]

Surely it should be fairly simple to legislate to close this loophole. So if the person responsible for the car fails to disclose who was driving they get whacked with the maximum sentence/fine/points of whatever offence has been committed. So in this case Dangerous driving, failure to stop at the scene.

 

[Markymark]

Don't you get the same penalty for refusing to take a breath test as if you were caught drink driving?

 

[Sara_H]

Is that something you'd like to see? A person who has no evidence against him of injuring anyone, possibly punished beyond what the courts have already done?

If you have responsibility for a car, then you have responsibility for knowing who is driving it. If you don't know who is driving a car that you're responsible for then you are negligent and thats your problem, not the problem of everyone else in society.
As it is I suspect its very unlikely that the people responsible don't know who was driving, but if they don't, then that's their fault. Its about time car owners were made to start taking responsibility.

 

[Origamist]

I guess we'll never know.

Oh, I think some journos will be sniffing around and more details/names will follow...

 

[Origamist]

Ah - searching on 120623 got me this:
View attachment 117819

So the thing itself is not yet ready for the public to sign.

It needed the 5 supporters, then it gets checked. Hopefully it will be approved.

 

[glenn forger]

Surely it should be fairly simple to legislate to close this loophole. So if the person responsible for the car fails to disclose who was driving they get whacked with the maximum sentence/fine/points of whatever offence has been committed. So in this case Dangerous driving, failure to stop at the scene.

Doesn't that simply mean that horrible, indecent human beings like this driver will simply use a stooge as the person responsible for the car? That's pretty much what happens already, criminals routinely exploit DOC cover and the car's registered to Mr Homer Simpson.

 

[Sara_H]

Doesn't that simply mean that horrible, indecent human beings like this driver will simply use a stooge as the person responsible for the car? That's pretty much what happens already, criminals routinely exploit DOC cover and the car's registered to Mr Homer Simpson.

Maybe, but the stiffer the sentence the less likely someone is to take the wrap. And I suspect some proper investigation by police could unpick most false stories quite quickly.

 

[glenn forger]

It's truly mad, the penalty for hit and run is less than that for serious driving offences. So if you are a horrible indecent human being OF COURSE YOU WILL RUN! Same with this, refusing to identify makes loads of sense if you're a worthless person. The penalty is less. Of course they won't identify the driver. Never going to happen as long as scum like this can drive a horse and cart through the law.

 

[gaz]

As someone with knowledge of how the Police, CPS and the Court system deal with such cases I've written a post on my blog about how the Police, CPS and the Court System have done what they were meant to, the problem is with the legislation.
http://www.croydoncyclist.co.uk/cyclist-gets-hit-from-behind-police-do-nothing/

 

[400bhp]

why can both/either not be charged with perverting the course of justice?

 

[mjr]

It's horrendous and I agree with many points above but I wonder if the victim feels that the government treats motorists "as lepers" by building motorways?

 

[CaadX]

It doesn't surprise me. They aren't interested as the civil side of the law will 'sort it' - that's effectively what the police officer said to me - 'your insurance/solicitor will sort it out, despite the severity of your injury'. CBA !

'In cases of momentary lapses of concentration it is not police policy to prosecute drivers !' You may like to check with your local force .

 

[steveindenmark]

Gaz, thanks for that. We had a similar case in Denmark recently. It was not a hire car but both parties in the car were insured to drive it.

A new bill needs to go through which in cases like this allows both parties to be charged for the same offence. Obviously one of them was driving and they are using the system to accept lesser charges.