Friend involved in driving accident - advice on what is going to happen now.

[killsta]

Be careful about not giving a statement for TWOC as others have said.

Either she had your permission or not. If not she gets prosecuted for TWOC.

If she did have your permission, if the plod is on the ball, you get prosecuted.

Which ever it was, tell the truth.

 

[Swifty55]

If he did take the blame, worst thing he would get is a fine...

She would get points/fine and probably hours or unconditional bail.

 

[K.C. Leblanc]

At the moment, I don't want to go to our families for help because her family are the primary cause for her low self-esteem and my family will think badly of her, although they are both wonderful parents (mine) I worry they won't understand. If we really need to, we could turn to them, but I worry what they will think of her.

I'd give this some real though, she's going to have to make a court appearence. She's going to have to tell them at some point.

 

[doofer]

I wonder how different this would have been had she killed someone and not just ploughed into parked cars. If she can get depressed, drink and think it's OK to drive a car, she needs to be taken off the roads.

How really nice she is or any of her problems doesn't matter, you'd actually be doing her a favour in the long run letting the Police throw the book at her for this incident, not trying to help her out of it. Hopefully it will be the wake up call she needs, so it never happens again.

 

[Abraham]

I'd give this some real though, she's going to have to make a court appearence. She's going to have to tell them at some point.

Yes, chances are SHE will have to tell them at some point, if she doesn't want him to and the OP doesn't think it's completely for the best then it's not the OP's place to tell them

 

[Participant]

DO NOT GIVE A STATEMENT. It is your choice whether you talk to the police or not. If you don't talk to them then they will not have a witness statement to press charges of theft upon her in court! You will not get into any trouble for this.

Can anyone else 'in the know' confirm this? Sounds strange to me.

 

[Vixen]

Insurance doesn't tend to cover drunk drivers as far as I'm aware so she would be responsible for covering the costs of the repairs. I'm not so sure about whether the insurance companies for the others involved will cover costs in any way.

I think insurance will cover criminal damage for the cars she damaged, but the owners will still be charged the excess on their policy which could be several hundred pounds.

 

[Repta]

Can anyone else 'in the know' confirm this? Sounds strange to me.

You dont have to give a statement so i can see how if he refuses then the police can't prosecute for TWOC. The problem comes if shes said she had permission then the police could just go arrest him. Personally i would just say she had access to take the car whenever she wanted as long as her license allowed it. She could still be charged with TWOC but its better than outright saying she didnt

 

[I get around]

Tell the truth. She got drunk and stole your car.

If she had that kind of reaction when drinking, then she shouldn't be drinking.
It's her own damn fault let her suffer the consequences.

Mental illness isn't to blame here, her being an idiot is. Sounds more like she took your car to get some attention and then crashed it.

 

[Vixen]

Personally i would just say she had access to take the car whenever she wanted as long as her license allowed it. She could still be charged with TWOC but its better than outright saying she didnt

As Fox has already pointed out, she is a learner and so couldn't have free access to the car.

 

[Repta]

As Fox has already pointed out, she is a learner and so couldn't have free access to the car.

What my dad said to the police when his housemate crashed his car while trying to move it so he could access his bike. Was a learner to, in the end police didnt charge him with anything.

 

[orderoftheflame]

What my dad said to the police when his housemate crashed his car while trying to move it so he could access his bike. Was a learner to, in the end police didnt charge him with anything.

I'm pretty sure there's a massive difference between moving a car to get a bike, and moving a car down a road.

 

[Sparky__H]

What my dad said to the police when his housemate crashed his car while trying to move it so he could access his bike. Was a learner to, in the end police didnt charge him with anything.

He just posted on a publicly available forum and your advice is to lie to the police?

 

[Kethridge]

I think it's unlikely they will press for dangerous driving. No-one has seen her drive dangerously, and just because she was drunk and a learner does not automatically qualify her to be charged with dangerous driving.

Drink driving and leaving the scene of an accident are very likely. BUT, they are both driving related convictions. When she goes for a job (unless it's a driving job) these 2 convictions will make little difference.

However, if you do give a statement to the police and they do prosecute for TWOC. Then you can pretty much kiss goodbye to her getting any half decent job for 7 years. Employers don't like a criminal record for theft of any kind.

The police may try to put pressure on you. They may also arrest you for allowing her to drive. But a 'No comment' interview would give them exactly the same conclusion, they wouldn't know whether she stole the car or not. Hence no prosecution case. If she's a good enough friend then you will be willing to go through all of this.

 

[bam0]

I don't understand the talk about TWOC. She is named on his insurance and had access to the car's keys. There is no requirement that he accompany her in the car when she's driving, only that she is accompanied. Surely there is an implied consent there that she can use the car, without the OP being responsible in any way (assuming he didn't actually hand her the keys knowing she was drunk)?

 

[fadetoblack]

Main thing OP is you need to support her through all this . Also make sure she tells the truth, and don't let the police (or OcUK) jump to depressed = headcase conclusions .




Get out.

Until you've been with someone through their depression you frankly don't know what you're talking about.

And you do? And yes I have had depression in the past

 

[edscdk]

I for 1 would be trying to find out how to AVOID my friend getting charged with theft....

You must be able to not press charges... the police have her for drink driving and the accident, that going to be at least a day in court a fine and a 2.5 year ban...

I would ask the police if I can retract the statement (i'm sure they will tell you the possible consiquences if any), its only going to be an issue if you lie to the insurance and say it was stolen...

maybe there was a standing agreement that she took it when she watned it? surely its the learners responsibility to take a licenced driver with them not the owner of the car who has to make sure?

Future job wise if I were to interview someone who said they got done for DD i'd not really care, however if you add theift to that I'd not employee them jsut to be safe...

 

[doofer]

But a 'No comment' interview would give them exactly the same conclusion, they wouldn't know whether she stole the car or not. Hence no prosecution case.

AKA: Perverting the course of Justice , great advice!

 

[Westyfield2]

And you do?

Yep

 

[iamdjdz]

She's going to get:

Provided with a solicitor by the police at the custody suite.

Done for dangerous driving and drink driving. Leaving the scene of the accident may or may not be taken into account providing when interviewed that she says that she was getting help and was intending to return.

Also probably done for driving unaccompanied on L plates, and if they weren't up then driving without L plates whilst on a provisional license.

For these she's looking probably at a year driving ban and nearly £600 fine (and I reckon this is minimum).


You need to give a statement and say that she took the car without consent. As far as it goes with her applying for jobs then she'll have to declare any charge from this but write that it was related and she would more than likely have to talk about it at interview stage.

She should stop drinking. She also should go to her GP for help and she will have to tell her family unless she is able to pay the fine, accept the ban without their asking why she isn't driving and attend court a few times (with experience the court service aren't very good at making sure everything's ready on the first appearance).

You should tell your parents so that they at least give you support whilst trying to give her support.

Criminally she made a mistake and she isn't going to be able to get much, if anything reduced from being depressed etc. Life's life and unfortunately the section for traffic and road offenses appears to work the best in the justice system.