Hit a cyclist today - what sort of trouble am I in

pert

Hi,

Was driving to work this moning and a cyclist pulled out in front of me and I knocked him over. Not much damage to him, but there was a bit of damage to the bike. This was in rush hour traffic mind. I stopped to see how he was, was pretty angry. Anyway, another motorist had phoned the police so I paniced and drove off leaving him there.

What sort of trouble do you reckon I would be in bearing in mind it was an accident and pretty much his fault.

jhuskey

Class a misdemeanor or possible felony if there is injury involved, I believe.
Not sure where you are but that the way it is in most states. You are required to produce ID, registration and proof of insurance when an accident occurs.

__________________
Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

pert

Sadly I have no insurance and am banned from driving for reasons I don't want to go into

stlblues

Felony leaving the scene of an accident. Your screwed. Stupid to leave. If you were under the influence of anything, your beyond screwed.

jhuskey

True, depending on where you are they could also file "implied consent rule".
I am not sure about this but I believe it to be accurate.
I would consult an attorney.
You will have attorney/client priviledge, so your conversation are kept private.

__________________
Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

buckybux

You hit a cyclist????? Then you left???? You say it was the cyclist's fault???? Cyclist pulled out in front of you??? Got any witnesses??? Sure sounds to me like you are guity. Cyclist have the same rights as cars, and if you hit one from the rear, which it sounds like you did, 99% of the time it is the autos fault. Autos have an obligation to avoid an accident. Sure the cyclist pulled out in front of you, and if they did it 3 car lengths in front of you, then it is your fault for not avoiding the accident.

__________________
He who dies with the most bikes.....Wins

gh78

Is your car damaged?

pert

Well it was my mums car

There was no damage

TheDarkLord

So, were you driving legally or illegally?

pert

Illegally, that's why I fled when the police were called

I hope that nobody took my details

C'dale Girl

Well, first I would suggest getting off the internet. Next, you should contact a lawyer asap. I note based on your use of the term "mum" that you likely are from Oz or England or some such place. I believe everyone that gave you "advice" here is state side.

My point . . . such pesky little details as the nation, state, city, etc. that you live in and the incident took place in do in fact matter and all of the above advice is likely rendered useless.

All of these posts are pointless as they pertain to your particilar situation. Contact a lawyer in your area, quickly.

Bottom line . . . don't ask for free advice from a bunch of internet strangers who possibly have no expertise in your area, in that area of law . . . and likely aren't even lawyers. Contact a lawyer . . . .

swimmer88

i would lay low for awhile if i were you

BoarderDave

haha.. this can not be serious. Would someone really come on to a cycling forum to post that they hit a cyclist?

If so.. that is messed up that you took off.

huboon

The good thing is there aren't that many cycling boards on the web. If there was an investigation they can always check the logs and trace your IP.