I was driving down a residential road near my house, about 25 mph (speed limit), about 2 car lengths behind an SUV. The SUV began to slow down with its driver side turn signal blinking. I slowed down in turn. However, instead of turning left, the SUV then pulled completely off the road onto the right shoulder and continued slowing down. At that point, I continued at reduced speed along the road. Without further indication, the SUV then abruptly turned sharply left across and nearly perpendicular across the road and directly into my route of motion. I slammed on my brakes but could not stop my car in time to avoid impacting the SUV. At that point, the SUV, myself, and a car behind me that witnessed the incident pulled off onto a side street.
As I pulled up on the side road, the driver of the SUV shouted at me ?Hey, buddy, I was in the turn lane.? At that point, both my self and the witness (who had also exited his car) informed him that there was no turn lane on that section of road and that he had turned across traffic. At that point, I informed him that I was contacting the police and that I wanted an officer to come and make a report. He then stated, ?Hey, buddy, we?ve already called the police and they said that no report was needed.?
He then proceeded to write his information on his business card and asked me for mine. I informed him repeatedly that I intended to wait for a police officer to come and make a report, but proceeded to give him my insurance information at his request. I also informed his female passenger that I had asked both him and the passenger to wait to talk to the police and that they were leaving in spite of my request. At that point, the driver and his female passenger re-entered their vehicle and drove off. The police arrived about six minutes later.
During the course of my interaction with the driver, he was belligerent and unresponsive to my direct questions and gave no indication that he understood that he had been driving on the shoulder of the road or that he had turned across traffic. He also slurred his speech.
I dunno. I'm pissed at the police for taking so long in responding, especially when there was a potential drunk driver involved. I'm relieved that I got a police report (the other driver will receive a citation and I'm not at fault). Upset that my car's now jacked up and immobilized and I'll have to go through the claims process.
Damn it all. I'm going to finish my movie and go to bed.
As I pulled up on the side road, the driver of the SUV shouted at me ?Hey, buddy, I was in the turn lane.? At that point, both my self and the witness (who had also exited his car) informed him that there was no turn lane on that section of road and that he had turned across traffic. At that point, I informed him that I was contacting the police and that I wanted an officer to come and make a report. He then stated, ?Hey, buddy, we?ve already called the police and they said that no report was needed.?
He then proceeded to write his information on his business card and asked me for mine. I informed him repeatedly that I intended to wait for a police officer to come and make a report, but proceeded to give him my insurance information at his request. I also informed his female passenger that I had asked both him and the passenger to wait to talk to the police and that they were leaving in spite of my request. At that point, the driver and his female passenger re-entered their vehicle and drove off. The police arrived about six minutes later.
During the course of my interaction with the driver, he was belligerent and unresponsive to my direct questions and gave no indication that he understood that he had been driving on the shoulder of the road or that he had turned across traffic. He also slurred his speech.
I dunno. I'm pissed at the police for taking so long in responding, especially when there was a potential drunk driver involved. I'm relieved that I got a police report (the other driver will receive a citation and I'm not at fault). Upset that my car's now jacked up and immobilized and I'll have to go through the claims process.
Damn it all. I'm going to finish my movie and go to bed.
