News Forum - Police claim that officer didn’t commit a hit and run, admit the driver hit someone and left

[Stardust]

On 9/15/2021 at 9:11 AM, kerryd said:

It is clear that the vehicle was "at speed" and driving straight when the pedestrian/protestor ran out into the traffic lane and then ran directly in front of the truck.

WTF was he thinking ? That the truck would be able to stop in 2 meters ? I'm sure the driver never thought anyone would be stupid enough to run in front of a speeding vehicle.

Think about this.
According to the wiki article "Braking Distance" and some other sites, a vehicle travelling at (30 mph or 48 km/h) takes from 23-27 meters to stop.

I'm sure that truck was doing over 50 km/h as well. Probably 70+.

Lets say he was doing 65 km/h. That means it would take him 36-42 meters to stop (depending on his reaction time).

Now go back and look at the video again and decide at which point the driver should have known that the pedestrian was about to jump in front of him. 

I used to teach Defensive Driving and was always amazed in places like Vancouver where people would simply walk out into an intersection without looking and expect 2 ton vehicles travelling at 50 km/h to instantly stop for them. And then curse the driver for a near miss (or blame them for an accident).

I used to point out to students to watch people at crosswalks and intersections and see how many of them look both ways before crossing and how many just simply walk out onto the roadway. It's scary how many simply assume they have the right-of-way and that all traffic should be able to stop instantly for them.

And what do you think would have happened if he'd stopped (as he should have done by the law) ? 

It's all nice to think that the protestors would have just stood by and done nothing but I'm sure most of you know that wouldn't have been the case.
The driver would have been dragged from the vehicle and beaten, possibly killed.

Nothing a mob loves better than blood on the street. And an authority figure to vent their anger on.
 

Actually, that is one of the most common excuses people use when filing insurance claims (in the US at least). There was a meme going around a long time ago that listed the top excuses people gave when filing claims for (single person) accidents.
Trees and lamp posts and barriers that "jumped" in front (or behind) a vehicle from out of nowhere was a very common excuse ! 

Most often (so it seems) in mall parking lots and people's driveways. In broad daylight. 

Maybe they hire you for the Red Bull case. Like , how can sombody drive on the same street like a Ferrari? Do the people not know how difficult it is to stop a Ferrari at 200 mph on Cocaine?!

[billywillyjones]

Sounding a lot like similar news spins in Australia reflecting police violence against protestors.