Drunk Driver - Accident - Gardai Not Interested

ballooba

I met an accident today at the corner opposite IFSC house on the south quays (beside Ulster Bank). An old guy, apparently off his face, was wombling around in traffic while his damaged car sat on the road. He had apparently hit the traffic light / island on the right hand side of the lane for turning left. He could easily have moved it out of the way as no one was injured and he was causing a major obstruction.

I asked him not to leave the scene of the accident, he said he wasn't while walking away. I repeated myself then asked him to move his car off the road. He asked me who I was and I told him he was blocking me in. He then proceeded to try and stop the traffic behind me to let me out. I then tried to ring the gardai.

At this point a gentleman in a blue shirt approached me. I asked him if he was with Dublin Bus and he asked me was I a garda. He had called the gardai half an hour previously to report the incident and that the man appeared to be locked. At this point I decided to move off and let the Dublin Bus guy handle it.

This a bloody disgrace. What is so important at 5:00 on a sunday evening that the gardai can't deal with this?

Our man in Havana

what did they say when you rang?

You could have detained him under citizens arrest pending arrival of the Gardai. If you had told them that you were holding a prisoner they would be there faster than you can say false arrest.

NUTLEY BOY

What is so important at 5:00 on a sunday evening that the gardai can't deal with this?[/QUOTE]

Catching motorists speeding at 5 kph over the limit on safe roads. I think it is called the numbers game.

Hagar

That's a disgrace. You are within walking distance of Store St Station. Someone should have been available to deal with the incident.

robo

Hagar wrote:

That's a disgrace. You are within walking distance of Store St Station. Someone should have been available to deal with the incident.

In between Pearse St and Store St...like they could have someone there in a matter of minutes.
It is crazy!!
Doesn't really matter what time of day, they should have been on the scene quicker!!!

The Gardai and their speed guns...:rolleyes: Never mind the drink drivers!!

NUTLEY BOY

You could have detained him under citizens arrest pending arrival of the Gardai. [/QUOTE]

Do you know how to effect a so-called " citizen's arrest " without ending up being prosecuted yourself for false imprisonment, assault and battery ?

I don't and would not try it.

If you can identify the individual he might be done for leaving the scene of an accident.

To do him for drink driving I think that he needs to be apprehended within a certain period of time after the offence has been allegedly committed. You also need evidence of driving by the suspect.

I reckon that is why he was so keen to walk away from the scene. Although they will have his car they will not have him for at least several hours after which time there is probably no possibility of doing him for D.D. ! Unfortunately, some people know to do this because they are so practised at it.

Sarsfield

robo wrote:

In between Pearse St and Store St...like they could have someone there in a matter of minutes

Believe it or not, Gardai don't spend all day within sight of their station

I think we're jumping to conclusions about the Gardai not being bothered. I mean, what Garda wouldn't be interested in such an easy arrest?

Without being in a Garda control room and knowing what else was going on around town I think it is unfair to assume they didn't care.

Our man in Havana

NUTLEY BOY wrote:

You could have detained him under citizens arrest pending arrival of the Gardai.

Do you know how to effect a so-called " citizen's arrest " without ending up being prosecuted yourself for false imprisonment, assault and battery ?

I don't and would not try it.

.

In that case I could not see a problem with it.

bucks

Sarsfield wrote:

I mean, what Garda wouldn't be interested in such an easy arrest?

One that doesnt want to process all the paper work:cool:

ballooba

I didn't proceed with the call, I got the dispatcher and was about to be forwarded to Gardai when I hung up. They tried to call me back later.

I hung up because the Dublin Bus guy approached me. I left the scene because he was dealing with it. I didn't answer the returned call because I was driving and there was no safe place to pull over.

They probably couldn't have done him for drink driving because witnesses to the accident had apparently not stopped. I arrived on the scene about half an hour after the accident.

Guy:Incognito

bucks wrote:

One that doesnt want to process all the paper work:cool:

Well if these quotas that everyone on here loves to bleat on about really exist then surely a drink driving conviction would have been worth a few points.

69 mustang

Stekelly wrote:

Well if these quotas that everyone on here loves to bleat on about really exist then surely a drink driving conviction would have been worth a few points.

According to Garda mates of mine the drink driving arrests are a pain in the arse to get, due to the time involved compared to other crimes.
They can take quite a few court visits and paper work.
Speeding parking fines etc is much less hassle.
As it is more serious so you have more to lose with a drink driving conviction so in turn, its fought more.

ds20prefecture

ballooba wrote:

I didn't proceed with the call, I got the dispatcher and was about to be forwarded to Gardai when I hung up. They tried to call me back later.

I hung up because the Dublin Bus guy approached me. I left the scene because he was dealing with it. I didn't answer the returned call because I was driving and there was no safe place to pull over.

They probably couldn't have done him for drink driving because witnesses to the accident had apparently not stopped. I arrived on the scene about half an hour after the accident.

Unbelievable. This has to be a troll.

So because you couldn't be arsed waiting for a garda to come on the phone you come onto a discussion group claiming that the Garda were not interested? Where's your sense of civic responsibility? Why did YOU leave the scene, if you were so concerned? Also, have you ever met anyone who was badly concussed? They behave as if they are drunk. You had this guy tried and sentenced before rushing home to your PC to villify the people who should have been there. Why didn't you drive the poor sod to a hospital?

Ah I forgot, because "the Dublin bus guy was dealing with it". Pathetic.

At least consider ringing the Gardai before hanging them.

seamus

ds20prefecture wrote:

Why did YOU leave the scene, if you were so concerned? Also, have you ever met anyone who was badly concussed? They behave as if they are drunk.

Indeed. Even if they haven't hit their head, a person in severe shock will behave extremely strangely.

Turner

As would a diabetic whos blood sugars were running low.


All emergency calls are prioritised and traffic accidents with no injuries are not considered high priority.

Its just added to a list and the emergency service personnell work their way through the list.

ballooba

ds20prefecture wrote:

Unbelievable. This has to be a troll.

So because you couldn't be arsed waiting for a garda to come on the phone you come onto a discussion group claiming that the Garda were not interested? Where's your sense of civic responsibility? Why did YOU leave the scene, if you were so concerned? Also, have you ever met anyone who was badly concussed? They behave as if they are drunk. You had this guy tried and sentenced before rushing home to your PC to villify the people who should have been there. Why didn't you drive the poor sod to a hospital?

Ah I forgot, because "the Dublin bus guy was dealing with it". Pathetic.

At least consider ringing the Gardai before hanging them.

The Dublin Bus dispatcher is stationed there dealing with buses at Tara St AFAIK. I got off the phone to speak to him because I thought he would be better able to deal with the situation given his experience. I haven't been driving long and this is the first accident I have come across. He was the first on the scene. He told me to go on. he also agreed that the driver was drunk.

Macy

Chief--- wrote:

All emergency calls are prioritised and traffic accidents with no injuries are not considered high priority.

Erm well then they must have assumed he was drunk, rather than suffering from a head injury or a diabetic whose blood sugar levels were down as well then.

Does anyone believe there isn't quota's for arrests and convictions? Even the bloody gards themselves will tell you that as most don't agree with them either.