Anyone experience with hit and run drivers?

Hi guys just wondering whether anyone has had a similar experience to this. Think it is a pertinent point considering the statistics on road deaths and how 25% are non-nationals. Makes you wonder how many non-lethal accidents are as a result of people driving with what seems like diplomatic immunity. See below

2 years ago I was driving into to vicar street to collect my girlf from a Tommy Tiernan gig. I was indicating to pull over and I heard a screech of brakes and looked in my mirror to see a frightened face and felt a car slamming into my ass. I pulled over to get out and the car drove off and sped off but....... wait for this Clubman ............I took down the reg. Which was difficult because passers by ran over to give me misleading info.It was a red jetta with a louth numberplate. Just as I got out a guarda car was passing so I flagged them down. I explained what happened. People came up to guard and told him the car had gone through pedestrian lights at "around 70".He went off to his car and came back and told me it was a non-national from Cherry orchards. Thought it was strange he would tell me this. He said he would follow up. A week went by with no word so I rang him and he said "I'm just back from week of nights I'll follow it up tommorrow" So another week passed and I rang him and he told me the car is sold on, it belonged to a romanian woman. She says a guy known to guards who is banned for dangerous driving was driving. He called to him but he denied he was driving. I said I saw the driver's face in the rear view mirror. He had a big moustache and I probably would recognise his eyes. He said that he would have to round up alot of romanians for an ID parade and this wasn't possible. I said what can I do. He said I'll give you a report so you can claim off the uninsured drivers fund. Cheers I said and that was that.
I happen to know a girl whos father was killed in a hit and abandon car and it took them 6 yrs for compensation to be paid so as you can imagine as I wasn't hurt I didn't follow up the insurance claim.


Can you imagine if that had been me who rear ended someone and drove off while being banned for dangerous driving!

Why did you not follow up the insurance claim? Was your car not damaged?

rkeane said:

Why did you not follow up the insurance claim? Was your car not damaged?

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It was an old car and I wasn't hurt. It would not have been worth the legal costs or wait- I looked into it. Its very difficult to extract money from the fund for serious damage let alone a bashed bumper and boot that wouldn't close. I put the car in for a scrappage deal a number of months later and they never even looked at the car just took the keys.

Report the Garda for not doing his job. "Id have to round up a load of Romanians for a line up". Aww poor you, Mr.Garda, but is that not your job? That chap who hit you obviously has no respect for the law and no doubt will be driving around again fairly shortly and has it in his power to kill someone.
I think you shouldve pursued the claim also as when the insurance have to start paying out money they'll get onto oour esteemed government to do something about it.

redbhoy said:

Report the Garda for not doing his job. "Id have to round up a load of Romanians for a line up". Aww poor you, Mr.Garda, but is that not your job? That chap who hit you obviously has no respect for the law and no doubt will be driving around again fairly shortly and has it in his power to kill someone.
I think you shouldve pursued the claim also as when the insurance have to start paying out money they'll get onto oour esteemed government to do something about it.

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I agree with this. I'm not suggestin that you are neglecting your responsibility here but dont we all have the obligation to follow through with these type of things for the sake of the old lady crossing the street or the kids playing in their estate? Sure, its not the law and the garda made it even more difficult for you but I think its important to do something beyond following the procedures. Quite a lot of people get away with serious crimes because of things being let go. They are then free to do it again and maybe worse. Its not too late either.

I have some pity for the gardai in cases like this as well - they're constrained by instructions coming down from on high - my experience goes as follows and the guards and sergeant involved were hopping after it but very helpful throughout.
I was on my motorbike heading in towards town by ALSAA. A driver heading out of town crossed the double white, through traffic to turn into ALSAA. He didn't see me - I saw him (ps i was doing about 30 - just after taking off from lights) just in time to haul the bike around the front of the car but it was p%$sing rain and the back wheel let go and the bike skidded and I tumbled about 30 yards down the road. I looked back to see him brake for a second but drive on into ALSAA. other drivers stopped/ helpded me up (i wasn't injured - thanks to gear - just shaken, bike had bent stand and some damage to fairing). After a while I went into ALSAA after him - found him, gave him a piece of my mind and called guards. He told me he saw me moving on the road so knew I was all right!

Guards came, took statements, charged him with dangerous driving causing an accident and leaving scene of accident. File sent up to DPP and rejected - no reason given for it - guards and sergeant in station were baffled but said it happens all the time with ALSAA entrance - loads of accidents and no convictions. And they're getting really peeved with trying to sort it out but getting no backing from higher up. So i can see how some guards appear not to care about these types of marginal cases!

Mate of mine was driving on South circular. The car in front of him stopped to turn right. He stopped. Next thing - screeching of brakes - BOOM! A car rear-ends him. He staggers out of the car, as do the two girls who were making the right. The guy who rammed him reverses and vanishes into the night. Not before my mate and the girls get the reg. They call the Gaurds. The car is registered to a non national. Gaurds call on the guy, who denies everything and has hidden the car. My mates car is a write off and he can't claim from the insurance fund as the offending vehicle hasn't been found.
Lesson - it really pays to obey the law.
Really.

shnaek said:

My mates car is a write off and he can't claim from the insurance fund as the offending vehicle hasn't been found.
Lesson - it really pays to obey the law.
Really.

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Thats exactly what happened to the girl I worked with. Her father was knocked down and killed on way to work and the car was found abandoned with drugs in the boot. The owner was an English fellow and he disappeared and wasn't tracked down for 6 years, it wasn't till then that the family got compensation. So when the Guard told me the car had disappeared I didn't fancy my chances. Another point, even though I had my insurance disc I was required to drop down my insurance details to a police station within 11 days. Who was the criminal?

deisce said:

Thats exactly what happened to the girl I worked with. Her father was knocked down and killed on way to work and the car was found abandoned with drugs in the boot. The owner was an English fellow and he disappeared and wasn't tracked down for 6 years, it wasn't till then that the family got compensation. So when the Guard told me the car had disappeared I didn't fancy my chances. Another point, even though I had my insurance disc I was required to drop down my insurance details to a police station within 11 days. Who was the criminal?

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Well I agree with this procedure as the Gardai cant decide on the spot who was at fault no matter how obvious the circumstances.