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Will my daughter be charged for leaving the scene of an accident?
My daughter was driving home at 3am on Sunday morning in dark rainy conditions, she skidded, lost control and hit the kerb and a traffic light (which was damaged) She left the car in a safe place nearby and came home in a cab as she felt shaky and shocked.No one was injured, no other vehicles involved and the road wasn't obstructed.
Her intention was to report to the police Station at a reasonable hr (she knew she had to report within 24 hrs) At 8am the police knocked on the door and she was read her rights and voluntarily explained what had happened.
She had not been drinking/drugs, has a clean driving licence of 15 yrs fully insured (reported to insurers)
The police said the brief statement will be passed to the traffic police and they will be in touch and that they couldn't say what will happen next .Could she be charged with leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving or other?
Her intention was to report to the police Station at a reasonable hr (she knew she had to report within 24 hrs) At 8am the police knocked on the door and she was read her rights and voluntarily explained what had happened.
She had not been drinking/drugs, has a clean driving licence of 15 yrs fully insured (reported to insurers)
The police said the brief statement will be passed to the traffic police and they will be in touch and that they couldn't say what will happen next .Could she be charged with leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving or other?
Asked on 16 November 2023 by Kate
Answered by
David Ross
It is difficult to predict the outcome of this situation, as it depends on how the police interpret the sequence of events. Although there were no other parties involved the fact that the traffic light was damaged meant she was obliged to report the incident to the police, but we think it is reasonable that she went home first rather than doing so immediately. It could be argued however that she could have called the police once she was home, and the police will be looking for evidence of excessive speed or a lack of due care and attention.
Unfortunately there is little you can do at this point other than to wait for further contact from the traffic police.
Unfortunately there is little you can do at this point other than to wait for further contact from the traffic police.
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