Difficult week....

[litchy]

Difficult week. On Monday night at 9.30pm, a 4 year old infant ran out in front of me. I'd just picked my daughter up from the train station and was on our way home. The young lad ran from between park cars, having been left to make his own way home alone that late at night. Fortunately I was only doing 30mph. I can still see the lad at the side of the road.

Police arrived, the poor lad was taken to hospital. After the formalities (took my phones, breathalyzed and wouldn't allow me back to the car), they decided also the car was going to be taken for examination.

The following night, I rang the Police for an update about the lad, they told me that he was recovering and they were continuing with their enquires. They had instructed a VOSA engineer to check the car out, and were waiting for his engineer report.

The following night, I rang the Police again for update. They informed me that I had been vindicated from any wrong doing, the lad was returning home the following day with a small fracture to his skull which will heal naturally. I was only doing 26-28 mph.

They informed me that the VOSA report was concluded, and no concerns with the car. The engineers list noted everything done to the car, that was not standard. The only issues highlighted were the high level brake light needed a bulb, and the reverse lights switch wasn't working. They also noted that the cat had been removed. He didn't have any equipment to test the emissions. The engineer has given me 2 weeks to put these issues right, but I could collect the car tomorrow.

But it doesn't end there....

The morning we set off to collect the car, only to get a phone call that they are now not releasing the car again because of the 'engine'. I had to wait till the night to speak with the Police officer who was managing the case.

Before I could call, he arrived at my house. He apologised and inform me that someone had taken the decision to not release the car (its alleged) cause it makes 300bhp, and questioned whether the mods had been declared by me to the insurance so wasn't releasing it until they clarified the circumstance with my insurance. I was fuming!!!!

Couldn't believe that some clown had made the assumption that the mods were not declared. The issues had now shifted from the incident to now the car!!!! Neither-less to say, the car was released immediately. I will be making a formal complaint.

Thread feels like 'war and peace' but the outcome could have been soooo much different.

Although I was vindicated of any wrong doing regarding the incident, if there were any issues with my car, the quality of the conversion or not declaring my mods to insurance; the Police would have been looking to prosecute me.

Interestingly, we feel he knew the bhp of the car, because he must have looked on the forum....clio197.net tax disk!!!! 300bhp was too specific. Talked about the car being remapped, bigger injectors...was almost quoting my project build...

Car needs new grill and headlamp. Must admit, I've wrestled with whether to keep the car or not. Cant shift thinking about the accident, and the cars just a constant reminder of it. Might be a good time to move on....

Not a great week tbh...

 

[weebob]

Christ. Hope next week is a better one.

Can only blame the parents, things could of been so much worse.

Interesting that they have been forum snooping, pretty rubbish that they presumed the worse.

 

[Deaks]

Deep mate.

Hope you're all good, there's nothing you could have done differently, you can not account for the behavior of every pedestrian - especially 4 year olds!

Main thing is you're okay and so is the child, it would've happened in any car so I don't see it as a reason to part ways.

Keep your head up mate

- Will

 

[Ashton]

Saddens me to hear of this for a number of reasons that im sure you are fully aware of

Firstly, accidents do happen and this does seem like a genuine accident. fair play to you for enquiring about the person involved and like you said im sure he will make a full recovery

Unfortunately we are the type of people that are easily taget by the boys in blue do to being branded as 'boy racers'. i get it every day cause of my car. im 31 for gods sake. that aside i am regulary pulled over by the police and they almost seem shocked that i have a clean licence, never been in any trouble with the police and that ALL my mods are declared to my insurance. They actually go out of their way to try and trip me up with something. I know they have a job to do but assuming someone hasnt declared their mods is a serious case of tarring with the same brush

I hope that you do keep the car as its an inspiration to a lot of users on the forum

Chin up mate

Kenny

 

[litchy]

Saddens me to hear of this for a number of reasons that im sure you are fully aware of

Firstly, accidents do happen and this does seem like a genuine accident. fair play to you for enquiring about the person involved and like you said im sure he will make a full recovery

Unfortunately we are the type of people that are easily taget by the boys in blue do to being branded as 'boy racers'. i get it every day cause of my car. im 31 for gods sake. that aside i am regulary pulled over by the police and they almost seem shocked that i have a clean licence, never been in any trouble with the police and that ALL my mods are declared to my insurance. They actually go out of their way to try and trip me up with something. I know they have a job to do but assuming someone hasnt declared their mods is a serious case of tarring with the same brush

I hope that you do keep the car as its an inspiration to a lot of users on the forum

Chin up mate

Kenny

Cheers. Its interesting cause in a professional capacity, I have lots of contact with the Police. Its funny cause their attitude completely changed on Thursday when I told them what I do for a living.....

 

[Paddy_R]

The main issue for me wouldn't have been the car it would have been the fact that someone allowed a 4 year old kid to walk home on their own at that time of night (or at all really). A few of my mates have 4 year olds and their in bed hours before 9:30. I hope that the police informed social services about this blatant neglect on behalf of the kids parents.

I can see your point of view towards the car but a lesser or heavier car may not have slowed as much.

 

[Fernandez]

Holy **** mate, not a good week. Glad everyone is ok though. I had a teenager run out in front of me a few years ok. I was driving the wifes car, in 2 lane traffic doing around 20 when this boy just appeared from infront of a lorry and went straight onto the bonnet , smashing his head on the windscreen.

Ironically we were less than 100 yrds from the Police Station, due to the amount of witnesses I was cleared at the scene and by some miracle the lad had no injuries other than a bruised ego or stained pants.

I received a call from the police officer the next day asking if I wanted to make a claim or action against the boy or his parents which I refused as he a had no doubt learned a lesson and the slight dent on Carolines bonnet was nothing to worry about.

The incident really shook me up so I understand how you must've been feeling at the time and on reflection.

Mental about the police getting all jobs worthy on you though but doesn't suprise me that that looked on the site, Social Media is goldmine of intelligence for them. I'll be registering my conversion with DVLA, apparently you can change the title of the car too... That'll be "Renaultsport Clio 300" then.

 

[nutnutwelshman]

Iitchy hi hope you and your daughter are fine and the young boy is on the mend I just can not believe the plod have a friend in the Job if you need any help take care Kevin

 

[Fernandez]

To be perfectly honest I can totally understand fully and appreciate the actions of the Police.

During the course of an investigation it's highlighted to the Police that the car isn't standard as it left the factory. It would be dereliction of duty to not ensure that the car is adequately insured especially as there is an investigation involving an injured child.

The officer in question was obviously using good investagative techniques to come to a correct conclusion. If my daughter was knocked over, no matter who's faukt it was, I'd expect the police to fully investigate the matter.

I fully appreciate the frustration it must have caused though but at least it's all sorted and I hope the Police are just as thorough investigating why a 4 year old child was out alone at that time of night.

 

[Ashton]

out of interest, what is it you do for a living?

 

[Matt197]

Not good, glad everyone was ok because like you say could have ended much worse.

What I don't get is why did the police get all jobs worth about your car when clearly the main focus of what happened was that a 4 year old child was wondering the streets at 9:30pm all alone! You was cleared of any wrong doing so that should have been the end of their investigation with yourself.

Obviously we don't know how the child came to be alone, may have got out the house however something is clearly very wrong and I just hope the police are fully investigating the parents and the poor kids living conditions like they did with your car.

 

[ranger4tk]

It scenarios like this when parents need to be prosecuted and given a bollocking, im sorry a 4 year old child out by themselves!!! and at 9:30 at night!!! Seriously, its ridiculous. Although for them they are lucky he wasn't offered sweets and snatched into someone else's car.

They more than likely went snooping, or googled something about your car, not all that surprising when they saw it and could see modifications. I understand that the police have a job to do, and ensure all vehicles are correctly insured and covered for the road, but I think their attitude to people is too similar, that with any modified car the driver is tarnished by the same brush - undeclared mods and a 'boy racer'

At least its sorted, but its not a nice situation to be in, the in-limbo of what's going to happen next

 

[Yiannis197]

First of all, I'm really gutted for you Litchy. Such a bad thing to experience....Luckily it ended up not that bad after all.

Now re the police....well, I was expecting them to do an investigation but this is out of order. Motorists - especially the ones with modified cars - are always the easy targets. I know where you are coming from re filling a formal complain, I would do the same.

I'm really hoping that in the parallel the police questioned the boy's parents as well, I'm really hoping that for the sake of our society the police haven't spent all the resources investigating a modified car and its owner, leaving a rotten family carry on.

Sad story here Litchy, hope you get over it soon enough and not to allow it to affect your personal life (selling out etc).

 

[litchy]

out of interest, what is it you do for a living?

Iitchy hi hope you and your daughter are fine and the young boy is on the mend I just can not believe the plod have a friend in the Job if you need any help take care Kevin

Ironically, I'm a child protection Social Worker.

The welfare of the child is always gonna be my main concern, and thankfully the child is now back home, and will make a full recovery.

Its hard when dealing with such as sensitive issue when its clear that the Police had also another agenda beyond the investigation of the incident. I work with the police on a regular basis so I'm coming from an informed position. It was clear to me that they had made a number of assumptions about me and especially the car. This is to the point where the police internally themselves have advised me to complain. The investigation was over, reported filed and told to collect the car, only to find out that they have decided not to release the car based on an assumption 'not fact' that the car wasn't insured for the modifications.

 

[Roblynn1977]

Sorry to hear of this mate main thing is you and your daughter are ok and the boy is on the mend.

Hope you don't sell the car after all the time money and hard work that has gone into it.

 

[Foxspeed]

4yr old out on his own says it all really doesn't it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

as for the police I can accept them checking it over but doing what they did seems a bit of overkill to me...as if they were looking to find something wrong with the car....

what really annoys me is that you can walk through the local Tesco carpark and there will be a handful of cars with illegal tyres on and not all of them "old bangers" FFS!

 

[Paddy_R]

They informed me that the VOSA report was concluded, and no concerns with the car. The engineers list noted everything done to the car, that was not standard. The only issues highlighted were the high level brake light needed a bulb, and the reverse lights switch wasn't working. They also noted that the cat had been removed. He didn't have any equipment to test the emissions. The engineer has given me 2 weeks to put these issues right, but I could collect the car tomorrow.

How can they make you fix things if they're not required, the reverse light for example. Not required for MoT and isn't tested. I know this as it was broke (needed a switch) on my last car and it never did get fixed. Went through the MoT with no issues at all. Wasn't even mentioned. Sounds like a total jobs worth though I fear he hasn't actually done anything wrong. I'd question as to why the car was taken for an inspection in the first place though. I'd suggest that its something rarely done as its expensive and time consuming to do, esp when it's fairly obvious as to what's happened.

 

[litchy]

How can they make you fix things if they're not required, the reverse light for example. Not required for MoT and isn't tested. I know this as it was broke (needed a switch) on my last car and it never did get fixed. Went through the MoT with no issues at all. Wasn't even mentioned. Sounds like a total jobs worth though I fear he hasn't actually done anything wrong. I'd question as to why the car was taken for an inspection in the first place though. I'd suggest that its something rarely done as its expensive and time consuming to do, esp when it's fairly obvious as to what's happened.

This my point Paddy. There were a number of witnesses at the scene who said I wasn't speeding. The damage of the car was minimal, and it was clear within the first 24hrs that the lad was going to make a full recovery. There was nothing to suggest that anything untoward has happened. The phones weren't sent away to be 'tested' due to the expense too.

The VOSA engineer is saying that new regulations suggest that if its on the car, then it needs to work. There is an awful amount of bullsh**t that I cant put to print as it would compromise me.

Again, a child was injured so I don't want the discussion to lose sight of that, and it needed to be inspected properly. Neither should it be about any opportunity to 'kick the police' but sometimes they can lose sight that there are a number of victims involved in any accident.

 

[Foxspeed]

the only item they can actually enforce is the "missing" cat!

you could understand if it was a bit of a shed but come on this is just looking and trying to find issues - nothing there contributes to the unroadworthyness or safety of the vehicle - vosa job is done - get on with enforcing on real law breakers!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[litchy]

the only item they can actually enforce is the "missing" cat!

you could understand if it was a bit of a shed but come on this is just looking and trying to find issues - nothing there contributes to the unroadworthyness or safety of the vehicle - vosa job is done - get on with enforcing on real law breakers!!!!!!!!!!!!

They appeared almost disappointed they couldn't find anything.....I believe they made all kind of assumptions about me, and the car. The arrived saw this yellow Clio, and couldn't believe there wasn't a crime committed. They wouldn't even let me back into my car. I had to tell them where my personal items were like house keys and my wallet. What evidence related to the incident would I be trying to conceal, they already had my phones, and I'd showed them my driving license to prove my identity?