Just Been Hit By A Drunk Driver

[Band]

What an evening!

Just dropped my eldest off at rugby in Tala and was driving away towards Kissonerga when a car coming towards me started veering across to my side of the road. I pulled as far left as I could and honked my horn, but he carried on coming and hit me. To make matters worse, he just carried on driving.

I turned round and went after him and managed to stop him. He got out of his car and could barely stand up. It is a long time since I have seen anyone that drunk, let alone driving. He then tried to deny hitting me and, when I showed him the damage, he tried to claim it was the wrong side of my car because he was too drunk to realise what side of the road he was driving on.

Police arrived and took all the details so we will have to see what happens now, although I have been told that he will definitely be prosecuted.

On the positive side I have a good dashcam and the footage shows exactly what happened, including him driving off and struggling to stand up.

If anyone is wondering, he was British.

I will not at this stage make public his name and address, until I have calmed down a bit, but people do need to be aware if him. I am lucky that I drive a Pajero, but suppose it has been someone on a scooter or a bicycle. Sooner or later he will kill someone!

[Band]

that could open up a whole world of pain for you.

Or him!

Happy to let police do their thing, but he will be dealing with me to pay for the cost of the damage.

[trevnhil]

Will it not be a case of the two insurance companies sorting out payment for the damage. I was in a crash last year in which my car was a write off. I never had to deal with the other driver at all.

[Anarita John]

Hope you are OK and not suffering too much from shock. It amazes me that many people here think it is OK to drink and drive. In the UK it is regarded as anti social and generally, people do not take their cars to the pub, or completely abstain.
I was breathalyzed in the UK a couple of years ago at Christmas time. I had been to the post office to post our Christmas Cards to America, so it was early December. Someone reported me, and I was visited by pc plod at home, as I was getting out of the car.

Must say I was a little worried, as I had had a few cans the night before. However, I registered zero.

[Band]

Trev, he refused to give me his insurance details (another offence I believe) and had the wrong address on his registration document (another one), but at least I have his correct address, so need to get his details somehow.

I would actually like to look him in the eye, sober, and see what he has to say for himself. Drink driving here happens far too frequently for my liking and anyone who drinks and drives needs to be held to account. You can see the guy staggering around on the video, which will be going to the traffic police shortly.

[Band]

Hope you are OK and not suffering too much from shock. It amazes me that many people here think it is OK to drink and drive. In the UK it is regarded as anti social and generally, people do not take their cars to the pub, or completely abstain.

Thanks for your kind thoughts.

I have just watched the video back again and I was actually stationary when he hit me, but he managed to scrape his entire car from front wheel arch to tail light.

It seems he is not too popular with his neighbours either. When the police got there and were trying to find his apartment, once of his neighbours came out and said "he lives in that one, he is very drunk".

[LouiseCastricum]

So understandable that you are very upset and angry. The most important thing is that you are not hurt because of this irresponsible idiot. It might indeed be best to let your insurance company and the police deal with this.

[Varky]

So you leave it to the police and the insurance companies...there is absolutly no need for You to get involved...you deal with your insurance who will arrange for your car to be repaired and claim against him or his insurance...the police are involved and any interference from you will potentially just muddy the water...sorry but the best advice is just step back and let the professionals get on with the job.

Sorry to be a party pooper but if the other driver was drunk I would have thought that his insurance company will most probably cancel his insurance and refuse to pay, so repairs to the innocent driver's car might have to be paid from the innocent driver's insurance and might affect his No Claims Bonus.

[Band]

So you leave it to the police and the insurance companies...there is absolutly no need for You to get involved...you deal with your insurance who will arrange for your car to be repaired and claim against him or his insurance...the police are involved and any interference from you will potentially just muddy the water...sorry but the best advice is just step back and let the professionals get on with the job.

Sorry to be a party pooper but if the other driver was drunk I would have thought that his insurance company will most probably cancel his insurance and refuse to pay, so repairs to the innocent driver's car might have to be paid from the innocent driver's insurance and might affect his No Claims Bonus.

To be honest, I would rather he lost his insurance and was taken off the road. That to me is more valuable than the cost of the repair.

[WHL]

Its a shame that people who knew him to drink drive, didnt grass him up to the police before this.

[Poppy]

You say Police arrived and took his details. Did they not breathalise him and if he was so surely well over the limit should they not have arrested him?

[Band]

This happened at 6:30 this evening, so I guess he had probably been drinking since lunchtime. I have no doubt he will do it again. His neighbour said it was a regular occurrence, so he can look forward to a few nights in the cells to think it over.

[Band]

You say Police arrived and took his details. Did they not breathalise him and if he was so surely well over the limit should they not have arrested him?

No. The police couldn't find me, so I had to go and get them. In the meantime he went to his nearby apartment and locked himself in and the police wouldn't let me kick the door in.

I am happy that karma will do its work.

[Paul]

Buy a dash cam, we have been using one for a for years now.
I have been told insurance company's like to see what happened.
We have a Nextbase 312g camera and is very good.

[MacManiac]

Martin ... sorry to hear your news. I suppose that the positive thing about it all is that no-one was hurt (this time) and it may lead to a drunk driver being taken off the road. I can understand your feelings as I would be hopping mad if that happened to me, and I would probably have done something I would later regret.

[WHL]

Please keep us informed on how this develops...

[smudger]

I echo Macmaniac thoughts Band, really glad you're ok, could have turned out so much worse, and look forward to both your claim being settled in full and this idiot being taken off the road.

Jacs

[PW in Polemi]

I echo Macmaniac thoughts Band, really glad you're ok, could have turned out so much worse, and look forward to both your claim being settled in full and this idiot being taken off the road.

Jacs

Ditto - and let the insurance company take the strain, that's what you pay them for.

[exodus]

What age group was this low-life driver?
Amos.

[boycott]

Band has this chap been arrested for drink driving or anything else as you say he had locked himself in his flat and it appears that the Police did not enter the premises.