accidents happen
The driver approached the T. He stopped at the stop sign and allowed a pedestrian to cross. He wanted to turn right, so he looked to his left. Visibility was blocked by two cars, both parked illegally on the corner, the second doubleparked alongside the first. The driver inched out, and the front corner of the car was clipped out of nowhere by an oncoming motorbike, traveling fast and very close to the righthand side of the road. The motorbike flipped, sending its rider to the ground, and at the same time, striking that pedestrian in the back, flattening him in the median.
An ambulance came within minutes. The police took their time. It looked bad. The motorbike guy had a broken ankle, possibly a concussion. The pedestrian said he was okay but was held in the hospital for six hours for tests. Neither the car nor its driver suffered a scratch, but charges were pending. He had the stop sign. Legally speaking, no matter the conditions, he was at fault.
He called his lawyer. If the injuries had been any worse, she told him, you would have been arrested. Things looked very bad.
Until.
It was discovered that the guy on the motorbike had been driving without a license. Not only that, but the bike was determined to be a full-size motorcycle, despite its deceptively small wheels that made it look like a scooter, which requires a special class of license. And not only that, but the driver happened to be a citizen of a neighboring Balkan country. Whether he has a residence permit or not, and whether he is in any way to blame or not, being involved in an accident without having a license constitutes automatic grounds for deportation. Considering his country of origin, this was a near certainty. His employer, the actual owner of the motorbike, asked the driver of the car to report to the police that he had been the one using it at the time of the accident, just so his insurance would cover the damage, he said. That’s preposterous, the driver of the car replied. He was already in trouble; he wasn’t about to lie to the police, especially about something that would open himself up to a world of new liability.
In the end, or so it seems, nothing happened or will: no report was made, no charges were filed. The ankle will heal, and the ordeal will be forgotten.
An ambulance came within minutes. The police took their time. It looked bad. The motorbike guy had a broken ankle, possibly a concussion. The pedestrian said he was okay but was held in the hospital for six hours for tests. Neither the car nor its driver suffered a scratch, but charges were pending. He had the stop sign. Legally speaking, no matter the conditions, he was at fault.
He called his lawyer. If the injuries had been any worse, she told him, you would have been arrested. Things looked very bad.
Until.
It was discovered that the guy on the motorbike had been driving without a license. Not only that, but the bike was determined to be a full-size motorcycle, despite its deceptively small wheels that made it look like a scooter, which requires a special class of license. And not only that, but the driver happened to be a citizen of a neighboring Balkan country. Whether he has a residence permit or not, and whether he is in any way to blame or not, being involved in an accident without having a license constitutes automatic grounds for deportation. Considering his country of origin, this was a near certainty. His employer, the actual owner of the motorbike, asked the driver of the car to report to the police that he had been the one using it at the time of the accident, just so his insurance would cover the damage, he said. That’s preposterous, the driver of the car replied. He was already in trouble; he wasn’t about to lie to the police, especially about something that would open himself up to a world of new liability.
In the end, or so it seems, nothing happened or will: no report was made, no charges were filed. The ankle will heal, and the ordeal will be forgotten.
posted by soap at
9:12 AM
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