journalman's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fascinating Car Crash A fascinating car accident is unfolding as I write this. I arrived home from a night in the East Village with Jane & friends. Just as soon as I shut the light out for the night, I heard a TERRIFIC crash outside the window. I shot out of bed and looked to see what it was. A white blazer rear-ended a black accord that was double-parked (with hazards on) right in front of my building. In an instant, the blazer was totalled, and the accord's back/left was destroyed & its rear windshield shattered onto the rear-seat occupants. I ran downstairs. Everybody was ok; police had been called as well. I came back up to watch. A small crowd began to gather. The driver of the accord, a young local dude, returned to his car and, all things considered, took it probably a little better than I would have. He was distraught, asking "how am i going to explain this to my father? what am i going to do?" The blazer driver was bumbling and probably drunk. A blue-collar fellow without a doubt, travelling alone, and looked to be scared shitless somewhat. The inevitable 'loud, concerned citizen', a resident of my building, made her way outside. She was summarizing the event, freaking out very loudly, and generally keeping tensions high for the involved parties. The police took forever... over 20 minutes... to get there. I'd sit down for a minute or two before they got there.
I seriously would have noticed him walk away had I not sit down. I would have probably been able to stop it. So blazer driver... even though he's guilty of moving violations, and possibly even 'hit and run', will NOT be getting a DWI this evening. The police didn't seem concerned with finding him. They didn't ask for his description right away, and they definitely didn't radio other police to start looking for the guy. I don't know... can any people who know criminal law out there tell me? If a driver walks away from a car crash but leaves his car there, is it 'hit and run'? This drunk blazer guy... I'm willing to say that what he did was absolute genius. Because of the missing breath data, there's going to be no DWI prosecution. Because of that, his insurance will now cover liability claims from the other guy instead of him getting sued by all parties for the damage. He will escape arrest for DWI, and if he claims that he hit his head, couldn't wait any longer for medical assistance, and took a cab himself instead, he PLAUSIBLY will evade criminal charges. Unbelievable. But a very interesting story, nonetheless. Time to sleep. Goodnight. :-) 3:57 a.m. - 2006-01-22 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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