So I just hit a drunk pedestrian...

[Clipse]

So I'm turning into my court and suddenly see a girl in my headlights and slam on the brakes. She walked away with only a few knicks and cuts and doesn't want to call the cops, but would rather leave the scene asap with her drunk bf. We exchange contact info and part ways. As I pull into my driveway, police start showing up and I have a chat with them about what had just occured. They said I have really have nothing to worry about since she was drunk, walking in the middle of the road at night and after our conversation they were going to start looking for them to lock them up or something.. I'm just wondering from a legal standpoint, should I be worried at all or take the cops word for it?

[bebeci]

My family's bank teller got hit when crossing the street, and then got fined by jay-walking.

If the cops say you're good, you're good. Any threats made by the person you hit should be laughed at.

[FNH]

criminally probably good, negligent is a possibility. civil suits you're are likely wide open for being brought to court, whether you lose anything other than attorney fees is up in the air.

[_chuchu]

Nothing will happen, you'll be perfectly ok

[Meian]

lol wasn't there a news story a while back with some bus driver and another guy helping a lady from the bus cross the street which ends up a car nearly hitting them so the driver pushes them away as he takes the hit then is later fined for jaywalking (he was in bad shape too)?

[Odon]

It depends, were they a minority?

[thestalkmore]

A few years back in my home town a driver struck and killed a 6 year old on Halloween who happened to be jaywalking in an unmarked and unlit section of the road. Driver was taken to trial for vehicular manslaughter and was acquitted of all charges.

[miokomioko]

I wish I had the balls to not hit my breaks every time something like this almost happened to me. Living in downtown Santa Barbara got to me after a while.

[Ddz]

God dude, first you shove old dudes down stairs, now you're hitting people in your car :[

[Ensam]

I wish I had the balls to not hit my breaks every time something like this almost happened to me.

Same.

Every time I hit my brakes, I'm like "dammit, I should gassed it"

Especially if it's a dumbass car pulling infront of me

Cuz I drive my dad's old car (he's dead), and another car should do a enough damage to my car

So I could sue them for emotional damage

Be in court crying my eyes out about how it's the only thing left I have to remember him by, randomly screaming out in court DADDDDDDDY WHYYYYYY

Get set it for life

[Dezzimal]

Forwarded to your alderman and local PD.

[Gregorio]

Technically ANY time you hit a pedestrian the driver is at fault. But you'll probably be ok if the cops said you are.

[Pikarya]

Cops word is the final word. Right?

[Kohan]

Forwarded to your alderman and local PD.

http://slashangry.net/~callisto/lolphaba.gif

[thestalkmore]

Real topic title: So I just drunk hit a pedestrian

[Furionstormrage]

Happened to a guy I worked with back in '99, except that the impact killed the girl he hit.

He was acquitted because the girl was drunk and crossing an unlit street (nowhere near a crosswalk) at like 2am, and he (the driver) was sober and slammed on his brakes, thus showing his attempt to avoid the collision.

Question for the OP though: Did the cops show up in relation to this incident, or did they happen to be there for another reason and you talked to them?

[Mistress Stowastiq]

As long as no injury turns up later that she could not feel at the time when she was drunk, she will probably forget about it.

If she is hurt and she cannot afford it, she might try to find other methods of affording it. For instance, if she calls one of those ambulance-chasing law firms that have commercials on at 4am, they might try to convince her to sue for that injury.

You might want to keep any information from the police that proves what they said to you. Or keep anything that you might need later just in case. Maybe take picture of your car where the collision occurred. BTW I am over cautious so disregard what I just said lol. :D

[Tricen]

Public intoxication is a no no :D. You didn't do anything wrong.

[Clipse]

Happened to a guy I worked with back in '99, except that the impact killed the girl he hit.

He was acquitted because the girl was drunk and crossing an unlit street (nowhere near a crosswalk) at like 2am, and he (the driver) was sober and slammed on his brakes, thus showing his attempt to avoid the collision.

Question for the OP though: Did the cops show up in relation to this incident, or did they happen to be there for another reason and you talked to them?

Was either a passerby or a person who lives on the street who made the call when they heard the commotion outside.

As long as no injury turns up later that she could not feel at the time when she was drunk, she will probably forget about it.

If she is hurt and she cannot afford it, she might try to find other methods of affording it. For instance, if she calls one of those ambulance-chasing law firms that have commercials on at 4am, they might try to convince her to sue for that injury.

You might want to keep any information from the police that proves what they said to you. Or keep anything that you might need later just in case. Maybe take picture of your car where the collision occurred. BTW I am over cautious so disregard what I just said lol. :D

The cop I talked to gave me his name, badge # and phone number.

[jmc]

like someone else has said....

for a criminal complaint, your pretty much in the clear. Intoxicated in public, jaywalking and randomly walked in front of you? Ya your good for criminal charges.

However, anytime a driver hits a pedestrian....the driver is always at fault in some way. So a civil suit is possible. If thats the case, and she does sue you for hurt back/whiplash w/e...... just goto court, explain she was highly intoxicated.....got up, and walked on her way. If the injury occured from the accident, she pretty much waved her right to claim injury when she denied police/medical attention. Hell, just claim she was so shitfaced that she could have gotten injured AFTER the accident by falling down.