I got sent out to an accident yesterday.
All the details I got in advance was; one of our lorries had been damaged, take another lorry out and swap so the driver can carry on with the trailer, wait for the recovery truck to pick up the damaged lorry and ride back with it.
Narrow twisty A road just outside Tenbury, Worcs.
There were two home made looking signs on the side of the road warning “Fuel spillage”
Our lorry had gone in to the back of another lorry which had stopped suddenly between the two signs, ie. on the spillage.
The other lorry had gone by the time I got there, our lorry had dropped the trailer, half on the road, half on the pavement, and pulled forward.
I pulled up in to the gap and reversed under the trailer.
Bloke from the house just down the road came over moaning about “his” grass being damaged.
I had a look at the situation. From right to left we had; road, 1.5m pavement, 1.5m obviously newly seeded grass, 1m stone, 2m rough grass, hedge, his garden.
Our lorry was on the road and pavement, the tracks on the grass and the mud spread along the pavement and road had obviously been made by the other lorry.
He was ranting on about paying £5000 to have his verge landscaped and making a claim for damage.
I asked him if he had a camera so that he could take a picture before we moved the lorries to prove that we had not driven on the grass and it must have been the other lorry.
He said “I’ve got lots of cameras”, then told me he was a police accident investigator and I shouldn’t tell him how to do his job.
I tried to explain that as the mud was in front of our lorries, it was unlikely that we had spread it there.
His answer was that as our lorry had caused the accident, we had caused the mud. He then stormed off in a sulk.
So there you are then, that’s how the police investigate accidents in Worcestershire.
Don’t take photos.
Don’t take names of people involved.
Don’t take registration numbers of vehicles involved.
Don’t take notes or measurements.
Attribute blame at the scene.
On the other hand, that could be how care in the community works in Worcestershire.
Nutters walking along country roads claiming to have paid £5000 to have a strip of grass about 1.5mx100m reseeded and pretending to be police officers.
Luckily, all the drivers are issued with cameras, he just hadn’t thought to use it. As there was a risk that one of us might get blamed for the damage to the grass I took a load of pictures showing everything I thought might be relevant and gave him the camera to hand in to the traffic office.
camera phone, digital camera and a 12 shot accident camera from my days with arla foods.
while working for arla i had a altercation with an illegally parked coach (caught the back end with the swing) and blooming well forgot to take pictures. they sent a accident claim through as if i’d just about worte the bloody thing off.
all i did was smash the side indicator and put a couple of scratches on the back of it and it was his fault for parking opposite a junction on double yellows
A cheap film camera is good. Simply because it can sit in your bag for a couple of years and still work when you need it to. Digital cameras are OK, but they’re reliant on batteries.
If he was claiming to be a police accident investigator, then ask to see his warrant card and if he refused call the police and say he’s “impersonating a police officer”
If he claims that your lorry caused the accident then just counter claim that the fuel spilage caused the accident and was illegally signed. Putting up a sign saying “fuel spilage” even if it’s an official one is Illegal, just like putting up the “mud on road” signs. On the basis that it is illegal to spread mud or fuel on the road, putting a sign up warning of it is admiting liability.
recently while in Gloucester, I was coming out of a side road onto the A38, and to the right were a set of traffic lights, 3 cars in front and as the lights to the right went red, 2 of the cars in front moved into the A38, the other car was fannying around and not going anywhere. I gave him a good toot of the horn and he lurched forward and then stalled the car.
In the meantime the lights to the right changed to green, the guy panicked, started his car and shot backwards straight into my bumper.
Less than please, I got out inspoected the damage, told him my opinions of him and got out my digital camera… what a time for the batteries to be flat!!!
no damage done to the truck… thank god, but lots to his motor, offside bumper knackered… for good measure I got the details of the bus driver who witnessed it all just in case anything came of it.
Later that day I informed my insurance company, and told them I have no damage and dont intend to claim, but just in case here are the details, and also the details of the bus driver who saw it all.
End of the story as far as I am concerned.
This week, a letter drops on the mat holding me fully accountable, they even want to know how I intend to settle to excess of £100 the guy has to pay…
I wish I had the pictures… luckily enough I have the bus driver, if he was not there, god knows how this would have ended up, who in their right mind would have believed he reversed into me??
Yep,i carry always a Camera from Dixon with my which costed my £9.99 for six Cameras.
I also make Phone pictures and Video
Dixon has now a printer for Camerapictures which works only if you have Infrared on it too.
you also can download camerapicture on PC or by tesco
carry a disposable camera also a digital camera , just been to maplins bought a battery regharger that works of the cigarette lighter with 4 AA batteries included for £ 9-99, so no excuse for flat batteries
i was taking a picture of the wonderful scenery alongside the M1 at sheffield
when i just happened to look down, honest guv ,honest
but to be serious for a minute {if thats possible for a whole minute on here}
i hope i haven,t offended anyone,you cant see any faces or anything,i was only having a bit of a laugh!
.
and it was his fault for parking opposite a junction on double yellows
