So last night my fiance and I were out driving, we decided to get something to eat. We are driving up a 4 lane road and I see this silver jetta speeding towards us and I'm thinking to myself, that guy's gonna cause and accident...well sure enough, he hasn't gotten 3 blocks past us and smashes into to someone making a left turn. Now I saw him speeding (the limit was 60km/hr, he had to be doing at least 80, even though I don't have a radar gun to prove it), I saw the person that was turning but didn't actually see the collision. Should we have stopped to be witnesses????????
2007-09-25 08:06:44 · 14 answers · asked by JD 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
The thing is, I've actually been in a similar situation, where my mom and I were making a left turn from a stop sign and someone coming up the right side of the road slammed into us, we had tons of witnesses saying he was speeding but both drivers were held 50% responsible. Anyhow, in this case other people were stopping, I just figured since I didn't see it actually happen I wouldn't be much of a witness. Should I phone the police now and tell them what I saw?
2007-09-25 08:18:50 · update #1
I just got off the phone with the police. I told them everything I know I saw.
Funny....I don't feel so guilty anymore :-)
2007-09-25 09:12:00 · update #2
yes, you should have stopped.
But since you did not...all is not lost, you can still help. Contact the police and tell them you have information regarding that accident...and make a report.
You will have good Karma for this.
good luck :)
2007-09-25 08:17:26 · answer #1 · answered by Blue October 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In this situation all you would have done is add to the evidence already against the speeder. Most prelimenary reports are going to address the basic fact of who's to blame. If the case goes to court then the fact that he was speeding before hand may be called for evidence by the lawers. Personally I'd probally have stopped to make sure everyone was ok then continued on my way. If you feel guilty about not providing your side of what happened to the police, you can always call the local police departments and find out which one covered the accident and provide your information to them in case they need your testimony at a later date.
2007-09-25 15:16:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you should have...even if not as a witness, at least to render what aid you could or call the police and or fire department. And to get the plate number of captian j@ckass so that you could have told them what happened. Or you could call the local PD and tell them you witnessed the accident and the driver was going wayy too fast for road conditions....
2007-09-25 15:15:38 · answer #3 · answered by vamedic4 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could not make an effective witness if you did not actually 'see' the collison, although you know it did take place.
I feel I would have wanted to stop - I might have been able to assist if necesary. What is important here, too, is that as a witness, you would be expected to give complete details and some 'smart' lawyer would declare your testimony unreliable.
Still, you would have been able to assist the police or the other party. We have to be mindful of these situations - it could just be 'us.'
2007-09-25 15:18:16 · answer #4 · answered by SANCHA 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As bad as it may sound my answer would be no. I use to think that being a good Samaritan mattered. Now you get sued by the people involved. Harassed by law enforcement. Detained to tell them what you saw happen. I'm sorry but to be treated like an accomplice to a crime for merely being a witness, I don't think so. And anyone that thinks that is wrong, sorry, but I was a silent witness once and my name appeared on the search warrant. I will never get involved again.
2007-09-25 15:19:10 · answer #5 · answered by dsrtrat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no need to have stopped at the time -- your presence as witnesses would not have changed anything on the scene.
If you want to testify, you can contact the local police and inform them that of what you witnessed -- that allows the prosecutor to contact you if charges are pressed against that driver.
2007-09-25 15:17:10 · answer #6 · answered by coragryph 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it was safe to stop, you should have stopped. It would have been the right thing to do. Or you could have gotten the license called in a police report, Just put yourself in the shoes of the driver that got hit - what if it had been you?
2007-09-25 15:15:06 · answer #7 · answered by mJc 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you really should have. Independent witnesses are badly needed in those circumstances, the testimony of the participants in the accident is usually suspect and thrown out as hearsay.
2007-09-25 15:15:35 · answer #8 · answered by Pfo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you should have stopped, even if you didn't actually see the crash. The other people may have been injured and if not, you could have attested to the fact that the Jetta was speeding.
2007-09-25 15:14:58 · answer #9 · answered by KitKat 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes you should have. But you didn't. You feel a little guilty but do not dwell on it. You can't find the rewind button now.
2007-09-25 15:18:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋