Traffic incident witnessed by Police - advice

[Type_S1]

Call him back. If he is a complete @ss you can have lots of fun with cell phone numbers on Kijiji and elsewhere.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Would it help you to call him if we all threw in 10 bucks?

[jwslam]

Originally posted by Gman.45
Here is my question - how did he get your cell phone number so quickly? You said you got a call while still driving shortly after the cop saw you. IIRC your cell phone isn't attached to your DL in any way.

Plate to address. Address to billing carrier?
Or y'know... maybe OP has an open profile facebook where his phone number is posted

[Buster]

I want OP to call him. So if it happens to me, I know which way to go.

[JustinMCS]

I had a cop call me once about my tinted windows and nothing resulted from it, he just wanted to flex his ego basically. Profusely apologised and nothing came of it. He was threatening a ticket though like "do you want a ticket." throughout the convo. I wouldn't call him back, but you bet he will keep calling you.

[Feruk]

Originally posted by Gman.45
Regarding the OP topic, I would call him back, no question about it, and start by apologizing for driving like an ass, and then tell the officer you're willing to drive yourself to meet him where it's convenient so you can listen to what he needs to say, and accept any paper on it he deems necessary. This in my opinion is your best odds play right now.
...
I think it's pretty obvious you have little to lose and possibly something to gain.

You recommend he calls the cop and confesses everything? What a terrible idea. As for win-loss, if he calls he can get a ticket with demerits, if he doesn't, he can't.

[Buster]

What happens if he doesn't call back, and they give him a ticket, and he takes it to traffic court?

[Xtrema]

Is this even proper procedure since there are so many phone scams? What if that's not a cop and a scammer?

[suntan]

If he wants the fine in the form of iTunes GCs it's a scam.

[blitz]

Wouldn't calling the officer convert it from a registered owners ticket to a ticket directly to the OP with demerits?

[Gman.45]

^^ That won't matter, if you end up in court trying to defend against a direct ticket instead of a registered owner ticket, all the officer needs to say is he visually ID'd the driver and his face matches the one on the license of the registered owner, IE the OP was the driver. No judge or crown is going to believe you saying "it was my friend who borrowed my car not me driving" over the officer, you can pretty much count on that, even if the cop didn't get a clear view. All he needs to say is that he DID.

So, again, based on that, there is nothing to lose at this point by calling the officer, as all he needs to do is issue the ticket(s) and IF the OP decides to dispute them based on the "someone borrowed my car that day" defense, all the officer need do is say he ID'd the OP driving. Plus then you'll have a pretty unhappy judge thinking you lied in court.

Everyone thinking the OP is somehow going to incriminate himself, it's too late for that, if the officer went to the trouble to search him out, find his #, and call him, he likely already has decided that the OP was driving based on the pic on the license that comes up in the cruiser field computer. I think if he thought someone else was driving, he would have likely said so when he called the OP, ie "tell your wife/gf or whoever is driving your car to call me", not HIM call back.

It's pretty surprising to some that tickets can be issued after the fact in this manner. My x wife's mom delivers mail by contract in the country to those boxes around Okotoks, and she got a ticket by phone for proceeding against one of those school bus stop arms, an extremely expensive ticket in both $ and demerits. All based off a civilians story and a plate number. Luckily for her she had a dash cam, which also has the largest memory chip you can buy for it, and it was only a couple days from looping and erasing the day of the incident when she got a call about the ticket from the RCMP down there. She had to bring in her cam footage and show it to the crown/whatever person at the ticket gate, and the RCMP, and neither of them were willing to drop it, so she had to take a day off for court, and when she showed the crown or whatever the "ticket prosecutor" is called, she immediately tossed the ticket when seeing the complaint was complete BS, and that the bus hadn't even been stopped, but was moving when she drove by it, and did so legally on a 4 lane road in the passing lane at 5 km/h under the speed limit even.

So, TLDR point being that if some stupid civilian can show up at the RCMP counter with a song and dance about why you need a ticket, and the officers will issue one without even consulting YOU about it, an officer certainly can issue you one without doing the same.

Call the officer back if you haven't already.

[B69]

If you don't call him back he's probably going to just mail the ticket out. So either way you're screwed. Haha.

[SCHIDER23]

On a related note I just got a photo radar ticket from June just this week...lol

[Buster]

Originally posted by Gman.45
^^ That won't matter, if you end up in court trying to defend against a direct ticket instead of a registered owner ticket, all the officer needs to say is he visually ID'd the driver and his face matches the one on the license of the registered owner, IE the OP was the driver. No judge or crown is going to believe you saying "it was my friend who borrowed my car not me driving" over the officer, you can pretty much count on that, even if the cop didn't get a clear view. All he needs to say is that he DID.

So, again, based on that, there is nothing to lose at this point by calling the officer, as all he needs to do is issue the ticket(s) and IF the OP decides to dispute them based on the "someone borrowed my car that day" defense, all the officer need do is say he ID'd the OP driving. Plus then you'll have a pretty unhappy judge thinking you lied in court.

Everyone thinking the OP is somehow going to incriminate himself, it's too late for that, if the officer went to the trouble to search him out, find his #, and call him, he likely already has decided that the OP was driving based on the pic on the license that comes up in the cruiser field computer. I think if he thought someone else was driving, he would have likely said so when he called the OP, ie "tell your wife/gf or whoever is driving your car to call me", not HIM call back.

It's pretty surprising to some that tickets can be issued after the fact in this manner. My x wife's mom delivers mail by contract in the country to those boxes around Okotoks, and she got a ticket by phone for proceeding against one of those school bus stop arms, an extremely expensive ticket in both $ and demerits. All based off a civilians story and a plate number. Luckily for her she had a dash cam, which also has the largest memory chip you can buy for it, and it was only a couple days from looping and erasing the day of the incident when she got a call about the ticket from the RCMP down there. She had to bring in her cam footage and show it to the crown/whatever person at the ticket gate, and the RCMP, and neither of them were willing to drop it, so she had to take a day off for court, and when she showed the crown or whatever the "ticket prosecutor" is called, she immediately tossed the ticket when seeing the complaint was complete BS, and that the bus hadn't even been stopped, but was moving when she drove by it, and did so legally on a 4 lane road in the passing lane at 5 km/h under the speed limit even.

So, TLDR point being that if some stupid civilian can show up at the RCMP counter with a song and dance about why you need a ticket, and the officers will issue one without even consulting YOU about it, an officer certainly can issue you one without doing the same.

Call the officer back if you haven't already.

Is there any repercussions against either the officer or the dummy civilian in this case?

I'd almost be willing to let my law firm spend some of my money on something like this, just to piss everyone off.

[BMDUBS]

Originally posted by JRSC00LUDE
Would it help you to call him if we all threw in 10 bucks?

I am not 'known' to police lol.

Ya, lets pitch $10 each and I will call to see what the situation is. I will donate the money to Beyond's chosen charity if I get let off with a warning and will pay the BS fine with the proceeds if buddy decides take it all the way

Otherwise I will roll the dice and not call. I have a legitimate reason for pulling the U turn that is circumstantial that I can use in my defense if there is a RO ticket on the way which I plan to fight.

[BMDUBS]

Originally posted by Gman.45
^^ That won't matter, if you end up in court trying to defend against a direct ticket instead of a registered owner ticket, all the officer needs to say is he visually ID'd the driver and his face matches the one on the license of the registered owner, IE the OP was the driver. No judge or crown is going to believe you saying "it was my friend who borrowed my car not me driving" over the officer, you can pretty much count on that, even if the cop didn't get a clear view. All he needs to say is that he DID.

There is zero chance that he could visually identify anyone as being the driver as it was very sudden decision and his position was also compromised for any sort of positive ID.

[FraserB]

Originally posted by BMDUBS


There is zero chance that he could visually identify anyone as being the driver as it was very sudden decision and his position was also compromised for any sort of positive ID.

Then you'll be asked to prove it.

[gwill]

the cop didnt pull you over.. as far as im concerned he has no way to prove who the driver was. Id see this as a pretty easy ticket to get thrown out.

He may have seen someone looking like your id... he may think it was you who did the u turn but because he never pulled you over so there is no way to definitively prove this.

You shouldnt call him back unless you want him showing up to identify you. The longer he doesnt see you the more likely his memory of the events wont be as accurate... he will come find you... at work.. or at home.. it wont be too difficult for them. This is what they do for a living.

Or you know be a man about it...

[Minimalist]

Originally posted by BMDUBS


There is zero chance that he could visually identify anyone as being the driver as it was very sudden decision and his position was also compromised for any sort of positive ID.

Cops have dash cams. Solid ID. Cops have access to traffic cams. Solid ID. Cops flag your vehicle. All cops looking for you now. Cops pull you over at any moment. Your life is screwed, better get a transit pass.

You will be safe in your condo, cops have zero access to the fortress.

[B69]

Originally posted by BMDUBS


I am not 'known' to police lol.

Ya, lets pitch $10 each and I will call to see what the situation is. I will donate the money to Beyond's chosen charity if I get let off with a warning and will pay the BS fine with the proceeds if buddy decides take it all the way

Otherwise I will roll the dice and not call. I have a legitimate reason for pulling the U turn that is circumstantial that I can use in my defense if there is a RO ticket on the way which I plan to fight.

Even with a circumstantial reason, you'll still waste your time and still lose.