Did I do the right thing?

martinedwards

So OP, how does it feel being an accomplis to the crime, assisting a fugitive, and perverting the course of justice?

Phone the Guards!!!

I once stopped to help someone who was stoped on the motorway. when my wife opened her window the fumes of drink would have put US over the limit. I had a full car so no room to give him a lift so I said we'd phone his mate for help (he gave us the number) we made 2 phone calls.

Cody Pomeray

martinedwards wrote: »

So OP, how does it feel being an accomplis to the crime, assisting a fugitive, and perverting the course of justice?

Phone the Guards!!!

I think all your post needs is more exclamation marks.

kylith

gramar wrote: »

The first thing I was going to do was call the ambulance as when I saw him almost fall out of the car I thought he was concussed and I had the phone in my hand. He insisted he was alright and physically (missing arm apart) he was ok.

I would urge you that, should you find yourself in a similar situation, insist on calling an ambulance. Many people will claim that they're ok when they're not, out of embarrassment, or out of fear of being caught driving while drunk out of their minds, or even because they don't realise that they are injured.

A family member of mine was involved in a fall, she insisted that she didn't need to go to hospital, she was fine, it was only a bruise, etc. Now, a few years later, she's discovered that she damaged her knee so badly in that fall that she needs a replacement, and it may have been avoided if she'd just gotten over being embarrassed about falling and gotten an x-ray at the time.

Jester252

You made a bad choice. You should have phoned for an ambulance when you came across the accident. You let a guy leave the scene of an accident without having him checked out by a trained medical professional. You also aided with the cleaning up of a crime scene. The owner of the field is going to have a nice cost at fixing the hole where the drunk guy drove into.

gramar

The driver just called and thanked me for 'helping' him and apologised for what had happened and for the awkward position he put a few of us in.
He told me it was a once off which I neither believe nor disbelieve as I don't know him.

Apparently he has been involved in some kind of civil court case and yesterday the judge ruled in his favour and after many months of the tension and stress caused by this he went out and celebrated and got himself into another mess. It goes without saying that the explanation in no way justifies his behaviour it just explains why he was pissed.

Ilik Urgee

gramar wrote: »

The driver just called and thanked me for 'helping' him and apologised for what had happened and for the awkward position he put a few of us in.
He told me it was a once off which I neither believe nor disbelieve as I don't know him.

Apparently he has been involved in some kind of civil court case and yesterday the judge ruled in his favour and after many months of the tension and stress caused by this he went out and celebrated and got himself into another mess. It goes without saying that the explanation in no way justifies his behaviour it just explains why he was pissed.

That'd make my mind up straight away. I'd ring them. That's just me mind.

splashthecash

Jesus I would have called the Gardai. He was drink driving and it was just pure luck he didn't injure anyone. I just hope he doesn't take this episode as an excuse to do it again...

December2012

gramar wrote: »

The driver just called and thanked me for 'helping' him and apologised for what had happened and for the awkward position he put a few of us in.
He told me it was a once off which I neither believe nor disbelieve as I don't know him.

Apparently he has been involved in some kind of civil court case and yesterday the judge ruled in his favour and after many months of the tension and stress caused by this he went out and celebrated and got himself into another mess. It goes without saying that the explanation in no way justifies his behaviour it just explains why he was pissed.

Explains why he was pissed? Maybe.

Explains why he drove when pissed? Not a fücking chance.

splashthecash

gramar wrote: »

The driver just called and thanked me for 'helping' him and apologised for what had happened and for the awkward position he put a few of us in.
He told me it was a once off which I neither believe nor disbelieve as I don't know him.

Apparently he has been involved in some kind of civil court case and yesterday the judge ruled in his favour and after many months of the tension and stress caused by this he went out and celebrated and got himself into another mess. It goes without saying that the explanation in no way justifies his behaviour it just explains why he was pissed.

At least he has your number in his phone now if he decides to go out for a drive again while scuttered drunk :rolleyes:

--Kaiser--

Odysseus wrote: »

OP you did the right thing in seeing if anyone needed help or medical treatment. As to the reporting aspect well that is for you and you alone to decide.

He absolutely did not do the right thing, the man was so drunk he could barely speak or walk, he should go to jail. Frankly I think the OP should also go to jail for not reporting a serious crime

splashthecash

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

I think all your post needs is more exclamation marks.

There were none left - he used them all up

Rasheed

OP you probably didn't handle the situation as good as you could have but I think you know that yourself. Might be no harm to just pop in to the Garda station and say you have you suspicions that your man was drinking. Nothing can't be proven now but as another poster said, a stern talk by a guard might cop him on.

You did what you thought was right at time, you can't change it now. It's a tough high adrenaline situation to come across a crash so nobody knows what they'd do if it was them.

I was in a similar situation 7 or 8 years ago,
Seen a woman leave the pub completely buckled,got into her car and drove out the gate.
From the front of the pub you can the top of my road and she turned down my road.
A hour or so later on the way home there she was slumped back in the drivers seat and covered in puke,lights on engine running.
I rang the cops,felt a bit scabby for doing it but **** her.
Dont know what happened but I hope she was done

harry Bailey esq

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Well, they won't get him on a drink drive charge, but a couple of guards coming round his house for a word wouldn't do any harm, would it?

yes.the long arm of the law.

darced

This post has been deleted.

harry Bailey esq

darced wrote: »

Good man,nobody like's a grass.

our one armed bandit don't like grass anyways,sure didn't he tear up a big chunk of it in his motor?

Odysseus

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

He absolutely did not do the right thing, the man was so drunk he could barely speak or walk, he should go to jail. Frankly I think the OP should also go to jail for not reporting a serious crime

Please re-read post, I stated he did the right thing by seeing if anyone needed medical attention. As for the report I left that to his own morals.

However, neither person would be going to jail and no one will be, no matter how strong your personal opinion is.

looking_around

humberklog wrote: »

Calling the police would have been the correct thing to do but I don't think it would have been such an automatic response as many people seem to think it would be.

You did the normal thing OP. Reacted to the immediate situation.

What I don't get is WHY calling the police/ambulance isn't an automatic response?

It certainly is for me. And should be for everyone. Otherwise we're trying to exempt ourselves from blame. But we're not exempt. Not reporting the crime, makes us as much at fault as he who did the crime.

humberklog

looking_around wrote: »

What I don't get is WHY calling the police/ambulance isn't an automatic response?

It certainly is for me. And should be for everyone. Otherwise we're trying to exempt ourselves from blame. But we're not exempt. Not reporting the crime, makes us as much at fault as he who did the crime.

I simply don't believe anyone, that hasn't been in the situation, saying that they'd automatically call the police or ambulance.

The OP comes across as an average decent person and this is what he did. I think it's what most people would do but not what most people would think they would do.

It is ok not to believe people expressing an intent that haven't been in the situation.

Schnitzel Muncher

Very disappointed that you didn't call the cops.

monkeysnapper

I'm shocked that somebody falls onto the scene of a accident and can see somebody is injured and doesn't call the emergency services. Never mind the over the limit . This man could have had internal injury's.

The op has shown really bad judgment in all this. If the man then goes on to hurt or kill somebody in the future the op can hold himself/herself partly responsible.

knotknowbody

Definitely should have called an ambulance, the guy could have had a head injury for all you knew, he should have been checked out by a medical professional, this would have had the side effect of getting the gardai involved, without you calling them directly.

Jester252 wrote: »

The owner of the field is going to have a nice cost at fixing the hole where the drunk guy drove into.

The point about the field owner is a valid one also, I am aware of a land owner who has land along a busy N road, some numpty crashed through the ditch and down into his field overnight one night, he definitely would have needed help to get the car out as the field is about two foot lower than the road, he couldn't have drove out where he went in and didn't drive across the field. He made a big hole in the fence and just left it there.

Anyway the landowner gets a phone call at about 5:45AM the next morning to say his 40 cattle are playing chicken with the artics on the main road, he called me and we raced up, fcuk me that was dangerous till we got the situation under control, if the emergency services had been called that would not have happened as they would have ensured the hole he punched in the fence was fixed or contacted the landowner to advise him of the issue.

666irishguy

The Op did nothing wrong. He didn't tell the guy to drink, he didn't let him out of the establishment or house he was in drunk, he didn't get into a car drunk and drive away. Not reporting a crime is nothing more than not reporting a crime, not a crime in itself. It's easy to say you'd call the guards but we all have this thing called pity and it is a powerful response. I hope those who said they would call the Guards will practice as they preach and voluntarily turn themselves in if they have ever drunk driven or broke the law at any time in the past.

Whatever_fools

'The Op did nothing wrong', are you kidding me? No he didn't make the fella get drunk and no he didn't make him get in the car but he did turn a blind eye when these crimes had clearly been committed - are you honestly saying that this was the right thing to do? Do you think your opinion would be different if he'd hit someone or if the driver had later died due to a head injury? People who drink and drive don't deserve ANY sympathy. They chose to drink and they chose to get in their cars and have absolutely no regard for anyone they might meet on their way home. Your post is shocking, gotta say.

Plazaman

gramar wrote: »

I know his name, his friends name where he works, what he does and I have his phone number and I'll ring him today to see if his attitude is one of remorse and regret or just delighted he got away with it and he'll do it again tonight.

Did you know him before the accident or just have all his details/his friends details since the accident? In his sobriety call to you did he sound like a normal chap or nutjob? (as in if you ring the Guards now it won't take Sherlock Holmes to know who called and would he retaliate?)

Even though I would also say you should have rang the Guards, what's done is done now and it's all coulda shoulda woulda from here on in. Learn from experience but if he ever mentions it to you again, go through him for a short cut, tell him he's a bollíx and that you're still in two minds of making a report. Certainly he shouldn't think he's got off scot free.

Schnitzel Muncher

darced wrote: »

Good man,nobody like's a grass.

And you'd feel the same if yer man knocked one of your friends or family down, I'm sure.

Stay classy.

666irishguy

Whatever_fools wrote: »

'The Op did nothing wrong', are you kidding me? No he didn't make the fella get drunk and no he didn't make him get in the car but he did turn a blind eye when these crimes had clearly been committed - are you honestly saying that this was the right thing to do? Do you think your opinion would be different if he'd hit someone or if the driver had later died due to a head injury? People who drink and drive don't deserve ANY sympathy. They chose to drink and they chose to get in their cars and have absolutely no regard for anyone they might meet on their way home. Your post is shocking, gotta say.

What crime did the OP commit? The guy was plastered fair enough, that was wrong on the drivers part. The OP was just the last guy in a series of events that should have stopped the guy long before he ever ended up in the ditch. Did nobody behind him see him swerving all over the road? How many passed by the scene and didn't stop and report it? As far as I am concerned the OP can continue on with a clear conscience because the fact that the guy had already gotten into the car is proof that nobody gives a toss about stopping drink driving or still don't have a fear of being caught. My post might shock you, but it's the reality of what people do when they encounter something like that.

S28382

Well if you feel the need to get opinions from people on Boards on a topic like this then fu*k me you really need to check yourself, i would of called the cops on the fu*ker and prayed that he got banned for life off the road. I would of thrown him back into the ditch.

Whatever_fools

"As far as I am concerned the OP can continue on with a clear conscience because the fact that the guy had already gotten into the car is proof that nobody gives a toss about stopping drink driving" - have you not read the other 5 pages of comments?

johnny_knoxvile

you should have tourched his car while singing the Prodigy's Fire Starter, naked.

He would have woke up with a hangover, no car and that horrible dream...was it dream?...The nude guy doing the River Dance as the car exploded in flames?

bren50c

humberklog wrote: »

I simply don't believe anyone, that hasn't been in the situation, saying that they'd automatically call the police or ambulance.

The OP comes across as an average decent person and this is what he did. I think it's what most people would do but not what most people would think they would do.

It is ok not to believe people expressing an intent that haven't been in the situation.

Sure some people would turn a blind eye.. but to call your mate with a tow truck? that's a bit further than just looking the other way

FatherTed

He's driven drunk before and will do so again. Also, do you have medical training to assess if he was ok? How do you know he didn't have any internal or brain injuries? Good job OP

Cody Pomeray

S28382 wrote: »

i would of called the cops on the fu*ker and prayed that he got banned for life off the road. I would of thrown him back into the ditch.

i would have delivered him a belt of his fake arm and shagged his wife up the wrong'un.

herp.

Grandpa Hassan

Whether or not to call it in is one thing. Actually helping him out is something else entirely.....personally, I can't believe you did that! It was his mess, and he should have cleared it up. There's no way I would have helped out such a monumental a-hole

Triangla

666irishguy wrote: »

My post might shock you, but it's the reality of what people do when they encounter something like that.

No it isn't.

I would have called an ambulance and the gardai if I happened upon the scene of a car accident. They are trained to deal with the situation. I think this is what most people would have done in that situation.

I think the OP realises that they made a bad judgement call - OP correct me if I'm wrong.

S28382

This thread is going to turn into a classic boards thread

Joe prim

Can I be the first to say that the guy sounds fairly 'armless.?

KeithTS

Joe prim wrote: »

Can I be the first to say that the guy sounds fairly 'armless.?

And he was legless too, poor guy.
No wonder the OP took pity on him

mrsdewinter

OP, why not get on to the guards today? Explain to them that you helped a guy out but after sleeping on it, you feel a little uncomfortable about the state you found him in.
To be honest, all you witnessed was the aftermath of an accident. But at least if they know what you know, they can keep an eye out for similar antics.
He sounds like a thoughtless a$$hole. But you acted in good faith in a stressful situation.

stinkle

OP was it just this guy trying to teach you a lesson?

Seriously, I think you may have reacted in shock. It's very easy to say how someone should react in that situation, but any emergency causes witnesses to act strangely. I'm normally very level headed but was once actually rendered speechless after coming across an incident so wasn't even able to call for help straight away! It's also tricky when someone is insisting they don't need an ambulance,

johnny_knoxvile

you should have given him a dilema...
told him it was the police or you were going to introduce him to the Gimp.

kylith

666irishguy wrote: »

What crime did the OP commit? The guy was plastered fair enough, that was wrong on the drivers part. The OP was just the last guy in a series of events that should have stopped the guy long before he ever ended up in the ditch. Did nobody behind him see him swerving all over the road? How many passed by the scene and didn't stop and report it? As far as I am concerned the OP can continue on with a clear conscience because the fact that the guy had already gotten into the car is proof that nobody gives a toss about stopping drink driving or still don't have a fear of being caught. My post might shock you, but it's the reality of what people do when they encounter something like that.

I'm fairly sure that failing to report a crime is an offence.

Cody Pomeray

kylith wrote: »

I'm fairly sure that failing to report a crime is an offence.

It's only an offence if you act with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution, or agree not to provide the prosecution with evidence. (Section 7 & 8 Criminal Justice Act

Simply knowing about a crime of this nature and not reporting, no, that's not an offence.

Towing the drunken man's car away is more shaky in terms of Section 7 of the Act, but still probably not an offence.

pickarooney

I can imagine the cops' response when he reports the crashed car and there's no sign of the perpetrator.

A one-armed man did it, you say? Sure, Kimble.
Bake him away, toys!

I would do the same as the op did, I'd have helped him out and left the Guards out of it.

looking_around

humberklog wrote: »

I simply don't believe anyone, that hasn't been in the situation, saying that they'd automatically call the police or ambulance.

The OP comes across as an average decent person and this is what he did. I think it's what most people would do but not what most people would think they would do.

It is ok not to believe people expressing an intent that haven't been in the situation.

Thanks for the assumption. :cool:
I have been in a similar situation. And people need to "expect" themselves to call the cops. So that they do so, when something like this happens.
It's not like he only had a few minutes to make the choice.

And more so, an ambulance should've been his frst choice on seeing the crash. I mean people have mobile fones, on his way to check out the crash, he should've been dialing emergencies too.

666irishguy wrote: »

The Op did nothing wrong. .

Actually, NOT reporting a crime is wrong.

It's about the fact, that you're saying that what they did was "ok". That drunk driving is ok. Thats exactly what one is saying when these incidents aren't reported.

Cody Pomeray

looking_around wrote: »

NOT reporting a crime, is against the law.

Not reporting certain major crimes like terrorism and child sex abuse is against the law.

What law do you have specifically in mind causing you to make the above, seemingly blanket suggestion?

looking_around

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

Not reporting certain major crimes like terrorism and child sex abuse is against the law.

What law do you have specifically in mind causing you to make the above, seemingly blanket suggestion?

Okay my apologies, that it isn't "illegal", but it certainly is wrong.

looking_around

looking_around wrote: »

What I don't get is WHY calling the police/ambulance isn't an automatic response?

It certainly is for me. And should be for everyone. Otherwise we're trying to exempt ourselves from blame. But we're not exempt. Not reporting the crime, makes us as much at fault as he who did the crime.

I don't think any decent person would have got the guards involved in this to be honest.

looking_around

Allison Powerful Combat wrote: »

I don't think any decent person would have got the guards involved in this to be honest.

So you ARE saying drunk driving is ok?