From YT--
While on a motorcycle tour my pillion and I witnessed a hit and run against a scooter rider. While my passenger and some pedestrians provided first aid to the scooter rider, I decided to chase the accident perpetrator.
When I finally caught him we had the discussion shown in the clip.
In the aftermath I called the police. The scooter driver was brought to a hospital, but is generally not hurt too badly. He was suffering from a severe shock though.
The police revoked the drivers license of the offender immediately. My pillion, the pedestrians and I will be witnesses in an upcoming lawsuit.
Here's a little FAQ as a response to all the comments here and on reddit:
1. I found the spot. Go and punch the offender in the face!
No! Don't do that. Self justice is in no way better than what he did. There's evidence, there's at least four witnesses. There is no way he's gonna get away with this. Let the authorities and only the authorities do their job.
2. Dashcams are illegal in Germany. Do you expect trouble?
No I don't. The cam is not mounted to the vehicle and it also isn't always on. I admitted to the police I had filmed the incident. They asked me why I record traffic and I said I do it for the scenery and to have a memory (touristic purposes). They took the SD-Card and mailed it back to me a week later without deleting anything. So I think they're ok with it.
3. Scenerey? What scenery?
The "Bergische Land" and the "Sauerland" in North-Rhine-Westphalia close to where I live is full of little mountains, lakes, forest, little villages with old half-timber houses and beautiful bent roads. Be sure to give it a go, when you ever visit Germany.
4. How did you know he turned left?
I could see him. The GoPro has a fisheye lens and everthing appears more distant than it is. Also in the video when I approach the junction you can see him thru the fences on the left.
5. Why do you blur face and license plate?
German law requires me to do so.
6. Weren't you afraid of being shot or assaulted?
No, first of all this is not 'murica ;) Weapons are really rare over here. I don't know anyone who owns one. On the other hand I did not think of anything at that moment. All acting was instinctively.
7. What happens next?
My passenger and I faxed our witness protocol forms to the police on Sunday who will forward them and the other witnesses protocols to the prosecution. We expect to be summoned to court lateron.
8. Will you keep us posted?
Yes I will. Don't expect it to be soon though. Courts are usually overallocated. Set a bookmark and check back every once in a while ;)
8 Comments
Jinxsays..."He gave me the finger...what else could I do?"
El. Oh. El.
ELeesays...Thanks for the video and story. (Right about "life in 'murica" - I have chased drivers who almost drove people off the road, and had a couple of them wave guns at me.)
Also, I learned what a "pillion" is. Not a waterfowl, it turns out. :-)
ChaosEngineThis is the advantage of being on a bike. If you get into a confrontation, you're already wearing protective gear
upvote for great justice!
Payback"He gave me the finger, so I ran him over."
Makes perfect sense to me.
Oh, wait a minute, I'm not a psychopath, so no, I don't understand.
skinnydaddy1says...Dashcams are illegal in Germany?
Seriously? I think it should be required. If not for Insurance purposes. For What you just witnessed.
cryptozsays...Seems like a setup to me. Notice how the driver drives completely around the roundabout then exits . If you have no set direction then there are 4 possible exits and they picked the one where someone gets hit... then there is the timing of it all.
coolhundsays...They are not illegal. Its just illegal to publish videos about specific people (in this one the perpetrator) to the public without making faces and other means of identification unrecognizable. No matter if recorded with a dashcam, or a simple camcorder or whatever. Courts are seen as the public, because its not private use anymore.
Some courts have ruled footage of them cannot be used as evidence, but those courts are just regional ones and other may rule differently.
Another ruling from the same regional court that forbid to use dashcam footage in a case, allowed it in another because the guy claimed he only turned it on after he suspected an accident would happen (which it did).
So basically you can just cut that footage to just show the accident and say you turned it on right before that and it will be used. Its stupid laws, but you can find a way around them.
Dashcams are illegal in Germany?
Seriously? I think it should be required. If not for Insurance purposes. For What you just witnessed.
lucky760That's a good point. It's very odd that they circle the roundabout completely then go half way around again before proceeding.
What's more odd is that when he finally leaves the roundabout to go down the road, the black car is waiting stopped at the curb until the camera guy approaches, at which point he finally takes off up the road to commit the hit-and-run.
Maybe some kind of screwy insurance fraud or stupid prank video.
Seems like a setup to me. Notice how the driver drives completely around the roundabout then exits . If you have no set direction then there are 4 possible exits and they picked the one where someone gets hit... then there is the timing of it all.
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