Vigo Vs Bicycle

[snowflake]

Going to work on Wednesday afternoon (Special class) I was standing still in my Vigo waiting for green lights...

Infront of me I had several motorbikes and a few cars on my right hand side.

Green light came and all the bikes disappear along with the cars on my right hand side...

I started slowly (usually I am bolting out of those light like a bat out of hel_l) and I managed to drive about 1 meter before I felt something with the car... Then I saw this bicycle tire up in the air and an old man going down infront of my car...

I slammed the brakes (was only doing about 5kmph) and jumped out of the pick up...

He was laying in the middle of the road and I helped him up... He walked by himself over to the side of the road.

Ambulance came and dragged him to the hospital, police came and got disappointed that I have a drivers license.

After that I went to the hospital, Insurance guy came, and then we went together to the police station... Got copies of what they wanted and were told to come back at a later stage...

Now I am leaving for the police station to meet with the guy I hit...

Wonder how much and what will happen!!!

Just a friendly advice, have your papers in order... You might need them one day...

Will post more later...

[Pomthai]

I hope you're not still in the police station.

[steven100]

I hope you're not still in the police station.

Is there anything fishy about the old man ?

just my thoughts !

[deadman]

yeah, sounds fishy to me also

"have yr papers in order'?....what papers ru refering to?

[snowflake]

sorry folks, got back home late last night... Here is what happened...

I arrived at the station just before 1000am. The other party's sister was there as an insurance guy she knew. She was also armed with her husband. I came there with my mate (younger than me) and we had to wait for my insurance guy.

The policeman in charge asked me into his office (air con) while we waited. He started to complain about the lady and told us she had been there every day asking for money, and that she had lots of problems with all the police officers there.

He then decided to begin without my insurance agent... Maps where drawn and lots of translations where done. He asked if it was my fault or the okd guy i hit. I told him it was my fault. (the police man wanted it to be his fault but i refused)...

I signed my statement and the police man invited the woman and party inn. (this is where the fun begins)...

She opened up with stating that they wanted cash from me (numbers were around 200K-300K)...

My friend told them that they would have to wait for the insurance guy to come (he was 5 min away)...

She persisted with demands (cop looking up in the ceiling) my guy told her we had to wait...

Then her husband joined his wife and started to get angry, my mat got pissed off and asked if they only wante money since i am a foreigner, and why so much.

They being older than him started to complain even more and threatening me... (cop still looking up at the ceiling)

my mate stood up and asked if they wanted more problems and that he had no problems shooting them. (cop looking at the computer now)...

They both shut up and her insurance guy said that they had to wait for my insurance guy...

I went outside with my mate to let him chill down. The cop came after and her friend came after... Only psyco lady and husband left in the office...

My insurance guy came, policeman did not want go back inn, her friend did not want to go back inn, but they had to..

45min later after loud arguments my insurance guy came and told me to sign some papers stating that they will pay for hospital and 35000B... But not to her, to her brother who i hit...

I will have to go back on the 10th at 1pm...

Going to be interesting.

Guy is still in hospital since noone can take care of him... He is not badly hurt, just some baby fractures... He could move his arm last time i saw him....

Will post more later...

[bino]

I have heard of put up jobs to make some cash. Should you have admitted liability ?

I'm inclined to agree, and wouldn't have been so fast to admit liability. According to your account, you had the green light / right of way, and and checked for a clear intersection before proceeding.

Naturally I wasn't there and don't know what happened, but the police told you that these people were known to them as looking to scam their way into a windfall. What if the guy saw your white face behind the steering wheel and saw and opportunity: he ducked down out of sight in front of your grille, and when the light turned green, he jumped up and threw his bicycle in the air, then proceeded to roll on the ground in "excruciating pain" ?

[culicine]

Sounds like that scene out of MASH. Maybe he saw a farang and was being opportunistic; they are known to police so something is fishy there. Glad I got dark tint - noone can see the farang, only through the front window:)

[snowflake]

i got dark tint too. Noone can see into my pick up...

Sure i could protest and make it all his fault but why? I was at fault, i did not see him for some reason, i want to do the right thing... Insurance company have to pay.. I will pay a fine to the police, nothing more...

I want to do the right thing, nothing more

let us ereverse the scene...

Would you say he should lie and make me suffer if he was at fault and hit me? No, sometimes i think we should all be honest. We are not talking about much money here.

Are we really that distrusting? The guy is over 60 years... If they were younger, sure i would argue more... But this is an old man, we should try to take care of them in a manner we would like them to take care of us...

Or am i living in my own little world here?

Edited April 25, 2010 by snowflake

[Spoonman]

I will pay a fine to the police, nothing more...

Lets just hope the police dont try to jump on the gravy train and fine you 500,000b.

[snowflake]

the police has standard fines when you have accidents...

Fine me 500000b and i am out of the country before you can say splendid... Not going to happen... Most police officers are nice and just want to do their jobs...

But sure, i will stop by with a bottle before the next meeting...

[Bobr]

All I can suggest after 5 years in Thailand, no matter how ridiculous it get, no matter how much of a greedy money grubbing bitc* the sister is, be polite and firm. Do not get angry, or at least do not show anger or you lose.

[culicine]

i got dark tint too. Noone can see into my pick up...

Sure i could protest and make it all his fault but why? I was at fault, i did not see him for some reason, i want to do the right thing... Insurance company have to pay.. I will pay a fine to the police, nothing more...

I want to do the right thing, nothing more

let us ereverse the scene...

Would you say he should lie and make me suffer if he was at fault and hit me? No, sometimes i think we should all be honest. We are not talking about much money here.

Are we really that distrusting? The guy is over 60 years... If they were younger, sure i would argue more... But this is an old man, we should try to take care of them in a manner we would like them to take care of us...

Or am i living in my own little world here?

Your vehicle is a raised / 4x4 style pickup, but the looks of it. I drove my bro-in-laws pickup and the visibility out the sides and rear is horrible when vehicles are close. You can barely see the heads of bike riders out the back. I think that didn't help your situation. Sedans, and lowered ones like mine, don't have that problem. Hopefully the old guy will get the money to himself and not his greedy family!

[jcon]

Sorry snowflake I may have missed it before, please tell me if I have - You say you admitted liability to the police officer (and signed a statement as such... yikes...), but are you sure you are at fault in the first place? You may 'think' you are at fault, but the way you describe the scene (and of course I wasn't there, just picturing in my head), where and how exactly were you at fault?

If I'm reading correctly, this was at a green light (yours) and you were going straight? And the guy was in front of you (as in perpendicular? going across the road? or was he on the side?)? Either way, it's for the insurance guys and the police to figure out who is liable, especially given that you yourself aren't even sure.

But since you already signed the statement, I guess what's done is done re: that. Now it is up to your insurance company to pay up, not you. Cash does not at all go from your hand to the other party's (greedy) hands. It is an insurance matter. Let them take care of it (it's their job, that's what you pay them for). Demanding 200k-300k THB from the start was a red flag (even the cop knew this, and he tried to warn you). Make a stand for all of us, please - it may be one of us who is driving up there running into this situation - don't set (bad) precedent.... An honest mistake is an honest mistake, remember that by doing what you perceive to be 'the right thing' may actually be doing the opposite (encouraging/enabling greed, etc.). Then it's onto the slippery slope....

[CHdiver]

Never ever tell that you are liable in a accident, you can say that you are sorry, but the rest is written in the law. Police and Insurance know it so they should deal with it. A Layman is not fit to judge this by himself. So Guys stay away from premature confession like this. It actually could bite you, because its not binding for the Insurance.

[PhilHarries]

Standard procedure, in the UK at least, never admit liability. That is what the insurance is for.

Now I know Thailand ain't the UK but the same basic rule applies. Too late in this case but it's worth remembering, refuse to talk to the other party and leave the insurance to sort it out.

[JohnLeech]

... Or am i living in my own little world here?

An unreserved "YES".

The policeman apparently believed it was the other person's fault and told you so in private, but you disagreed.

You admitted liability, even though you did not know if you were liable or not as you are unsure what happened, and your insurance company is actually under no legal liability to pay for your admission.

You signed papers admtting liability even though you knew your insurance rep was only a few minutes away.

You took along your "mate", who had nothing to do with it and who got into an argument with the injured man's relatives and threatened to shoot them!

Unbelievable.

[snowflake]

so to clear up a few things here...

I did hit him- no doubt about that....

Did not want to talk to them and told them to wait for the insurance guy, they talked and then we argued...

I signed the insurance papers that my agent gave me.

I brought my mate who is very well connected for translation (nice to know what i sign and should do)...

Insurance company is paying up and the guy should be out of the hospital tomorrow...

Will not meet them before the 10th again for the final thing...

Have some faith in the system people...

[jackr]

Most admirable. Hope it all goes well.

[sunny747]

by the way, what paper you were referring?

i suppose :

1. passport copy/WP copy/ License copy along with your original one.

2. Insurance papers

3. Blue book copy (is it important to keep the original one in the car ? )

what else?

thanks.

[WarpSpeed]

i did not see him for some reason

Likely this is why you didn't see him, there's another thread here on this...

i got dark tint too. Noone can see into my pick up...

But yet you say you hit him? How can you be so sure if you didn't see him? Something stinks or the whole story isn't being told here..

BTW nice one on your mates part threatening physical harm in front of a cop, real bright. If anything happens to anyone in that family now, maybe they owe some loan shark money in the first place, guess who is in the hot seat.

Edited May 7, 2010 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

... Or am i living in my own little world here?

An unreserved "YES".

The policeman apparently believed it was the other person's fault and told you so in private, but you disagreed.

You admitted liability, even though you did not know if you were liable or not as you are unsure what happened, and your insurance company is actually under no legal liability to pay for your admission.

You signed papers admtting liability even though you knew your insurance rep was only a few minutes away.

You took along your "mate", who had nothing to do with it and who got into an argument with the injured man's relatives and threatened to shoot them!

Unbelievable.

Ditto!!! Nothing else to say...

[snowflake]

It will be fun to see what is happening tomorrow...

Just remember that it is always better to bring a person that speaks English AND THAI to talk to the family, that way someone that has my best interests in mind is helping me...

Looking forward to have this finished tomorrow...

I have faith in the system, so let us hope that I am right, and not you guys...

Ps. do you all suggest that I should say it is his own fault when I know that I hit him? Should I run away and not make sure that he is ok?

I like to think that we are all better than that... We mess up sometimes, but we should be able to stand up and take responsibility for that!

[centrico]

so to clear up a few things here...

I did hit him- no doubt about that....

Did not want to talk to them and told them to wait for the insurance guy, they talked and then we argued...

I signed the insurance papers that my agent gave me.

I brought my mate who is very well connected for translation (nice to know what i sign and should do)...

Insurance company is paying up and the guy should be out of the hospital tomorrow...

Will not meet them before the 10th again for the final thing...

Have some faith in the system people...

Or he hit you. Maybe he has deficient eyesight? Unsteady on his bicycle? A hot day, was he feeling the heat? Too many factors you do not know about. Alas, you have admitted it. End of story, but maybe a warning to others that has already been said. Never admit to anything.

But best of luck on the day when you have to go back. Pleasing to hear the police were not being adversarial towards you. I have often found they can be reasonable people, though not everyone will agree with that ideal

[Heng]

Thank goodness for insurance.

[Chunky1]

Amazing all the people suggesting he should screw the guy over cause its really "suspicious"

[snowflake]

So i have been there now... Brought with me my best mate who happens to be a NAYOK, he talked with the woman for an hour, told her how to get money from the insuarance company because I would not give them anything...

She was overly friendly and the police told me i have to wait for the official doctors notoce what was wrong with the guy...

Fine i have to pay later- drumroll please- 400B... Nothing else...

Police can be reasonable, Thais can be reasonable, we should also be reasonable and treat others like we want them to treat us...

Maybe i was lucky, but even if I had to pay alot more... I know it was my fault, I was there... I will be responsible for the outcome and I will not run away...

Sure I play the 'I dont understand' card... But never ever would I blame the old guy... He/I was at the wrong plac at the wrong time...

[jcon]

U did the right thing - I don't think other posters were telling you to 'run' or outright 'deny responsibility,' but rather to 'not accept responsibility' until your insurer arrives - it's their job, and while you may have gotten off in a good way with a small fine, sometimes you just have to say the correct legal/insurance jargon in order to protect yourself.

In any case, glad things turned out well for you.

That Vigo is a heck of a lot bigger than that Jazz you used to drive!

[Lumumba]

If the guy died, you could have been charged with involuntary manslaughter or assault with a deadly weapon.

Your insistence on claiming guilt is quite stupid, you could have let the cops determine that and still fine you nothing.

[snowflake]

If the guy died, you could have been charged with involuntary manslaughter or assault with a deadly weapon.

Your insistence on claiming guilt is quite stupid, you could have let the cops determine that and still fine you nothing.

Well, to be honest here, if he had died I would have played it a bit different... I would have had proper people to deal with all the stuff from the getgo...

Would still accept the responsibility and taken the punishment, even if it would mean I would have to go to jail/pay a rather large fine!!! (latter would be the normal one)....

[SomTumTiger]

There is only one way to "Play it". Never admit responsibility until your insurance guy arrives. Worked out for you this time. Wanna lay odds that you'll be so lucky next time? I wouldn't. Try getting a "good guy" policeman in Silom lol.