i’m driving on the M1, on the way from the studio at about 09h30 this morning in the last of the morning traffic. suddenly the big burgundy double cab mazda infront of me swerves to get past the car infront of it and caroms off its front right side. the driver of the silver car (i suck when it comes to recognizing car makes) which has been hit, seems stunned and stalls. i manage to stop just in time before i careen into the back of her car.

the double cab in the meantime keeps driving. i lean on my horn, trying to get it to stop. by now the other driver has restarted her car.  i’m outraged that the double cab doesn’t stop, so i take off after it. i try to get the attention of the other driver who’s been hit, but she seems to be in a daze and drives on. i flag the double cab as she’s about to take the smit street turn off and she stops.

“you hit that car back there,” i say,”why didn’t you stop?”.

“where’s the car?”, says the heavy-set female driver, arching her thin drawn-on eyebrows. “why didn’t she come after me? are you her lawyer?”

excuse me? you just left the scene of  a crime, lady. don’t get snarky with me.

by this time the other driver has disappeared in her daze and when the driver of the double cab sees me pull out my iphone to take a picture, she takes off like the proverbial bat, but not before i manage to take 2 pics.

the hit and run vehicle

the coward fleeing

and when you enlarge this second pic, there’s the registration number.

i follow her down the off-ramp, but she quickly disappears in traffic after which i head to  the nearest police station.   not much joy to be had there what with all the red tape. i  repeat my story to a number of people, but am countered with official procedure. fortunately i have the number of a detective i’ve dealt with before and i give him a call and repeat my story. now we wait a few days for the woman who was hit to make a case, they’ll match my info with hers  and hopefully soon that fat lady who went fleeing will instead be singing!

what would you have done in the same situation? i certainly hope someone would do the same for me.