Encountered a real lunatic today

[gavgav]

So today I was driving to work as usual and I found myself behind a car driven quite erratically. We were on a dual carriageway but the driver kept slowing down to approximately 40mph and then speeding up to 80mph again. At first I kept my distance as I drive defensively and like to avoid those who behave in a capricious way but after a while I felt that being slowed down to 40mph and consequently being overtaken by lorries was more dangerous than just overtaking the guy so I did just that.

A mile or two later we reached a roundabout and I turned right onto the now single carriageway A-road, which he must have done too because out of no-where he was on my bumper, so close that I couldn't see his headlights. Despite the fact that I was doing the speed limit of 60mph. We got to the brow of a large hill and I saw queueing traffic up ahead so I eased off and heard a bump, he'd nudged the back of me. When we stopped where the traffic congestion was I got out to see if there was any damage (I don't think so but I will have to clean it to see clearly, it's filthy). This guy then wound down his window and yelled something inaudible at me. I walked over to get the guys details and the second I saw him through the drivers window alarm bells went off - the guys eyes were rolling around all over the place and he couldn't keep his head straight or even look straight at me. He was just rambling and not making any coherent sense. I quickly started to walk back to my car.....and then I heard it..VROOM.....as I was level with my rear passenger door he accelerated as if to overtake my stationary car and then swerved into me, pinning me against my own car. I looked at him through the windows and saw the manic expression on his face, the look of someone totally out of control. I really thought I was going to die, or at least never be able to walk again.

After a while of pinning me against my own car he veered to the right slightly and drove off to join the traffic that had moved all of about 50 yards in that time. Trembling, I got back into the car. As the traffic started to flow again he again didn't keep up with it, still going at 5mph when a gap approximately 300-400 yards to the roundabout developed in front. I took my chance to get away from the lunatic and overtook him, took a different turning to the one I would take to get to work from the roundabout and hid down a country lane before ringing the police. You see, I'd been a good citizen and taken down his registration plate, car model and description (Silver Renault Scenic, ND07NMA, white, late 50s/early 60s, light brown hair, obese).

I rang the non emergency number (101) and they couldn't be less interested. She just said, in an arrogant and patronising voice "if he's hit you and driven off, you need to fill out some forms reporting the RTA". I replied, as calmly as I could that I couldn't care less about the car even if it was damaged, but that a lunatic driver was at large and I got the response "if he's hit you and driven off, you need to fill out some forms reporting the RTA". I then got put on hold. I hung up.

I know this is a cycling forum and this is a driving story but I am really shaken up and just needed to share what happened. I have done a hell of a lot of miles in the car in my life and have encountered the odd case of road rage before but nothing like this. I've just read back and I haven't encapsulated the fear of the situation. When someone is driving their car deliberately at you and you know there's a solid metal object behind you it is just terrifying. It was 10 hours ago now and I cannot stop thinking about it.

Thank you for reading. I feel a little bit calmer for just putting my thoughts and what happened down on (electronic) paper.

Phone 999 next time, if I was you, as that was a genuine example of someone that needed finding quickly and removing from the road! The trouble with the 101 line is that they are for non-emergencies and so you tend to get fobbed off. I found this out when I worked for a coach tour operator (in Worcester funnily enough) and rang the non-emergency number to report some youths had thrown a brick at the window of one of our coaches and just got told to fill in a claim form if any damage . I then received a call the next day, from the police to say that next time I should phone 999 straight away and they would have a patrol car in the area within minutes!!

 

[helston90]

The rule I always go by when deciding if to 999 it is if the offender is still in the vicinity- which he clearly was had you have got back in your car and called then.
I'd have been inclined to get back in car, lock the door, phone the police and stick with him to guide them in and let them take it from there.
Hope you're ok and there's no permanent damage- does sound horrific.

 

[Mange-tout]

Sounds absolutely terrifying. Regardless of whether a car was involved, this man assaulted you. If he came at you with a cricket bat instead of a car the police would definately be interested (one would hope). The police seem to be regarding it as a minor collision and drive off. 101 sounds like the Police's version of NHS 24 - answered by unqualified staff following protocol and not allowed to use their initiative.
I'm sure the girl answering the phone didn't have a clue and that you'll get a sympathetic ear when you report it in person. Good luck on Thursday.

 

[Night Train]

Thank you for the kind responses everyone. I am physically OK but the mental side of things has just come out in a big way. Someone close to me just rang me and after telling them about it they acted like they didn't really care and changed the conversation - I completely lost it and destroyed a plastic bin in my office for no reason, and then burst into tears. I've never used my fists on anything before, either person or inanimate object and I haven't cried in more than a decade. I'm quite embarrassed to admit all that but it just goes to show how shaken up I was by what happened this morning. It's only now that I've found some calmness and stopped shaking. Perhaps it was delayed shock. I've had close calls in the car or on the bike before but they are over in seconds, this really felt like I was going to be murdered and an incident that was probably over in seconds seemed to last a lifetime.

I will think carefully about whether to go to a police station and report it again, although it would just be my word against his unless they put signs up saying "did you see this incident" which I severely doubt they would unless someone had actually died (seems to be always when it's too late with them).

Again, I would agree that you should report it.
Your post above shows that it had a greater effect on you then you thought earlier. No shame in that at all as you had absolutely no idea, at the time, how that was going to end.
Reporting it will help with the feelings of anger and frustration you are feeling now. Then, at least, you have done what you can and can let go of that part and start doing something about the rest of the aftermath and shock.

 

[summerdays]

Sounds a horrific experience I'm not surprised you are a little shock up. I think I might have been inclined to suggest that they were drink driving to explain their erractic driving and hopefully get a response from the police. I have had one operator in the past tell me off for ringing 999 but I was able to say that I had been told to by a police officer in this particular circumstance - as they were turning up too late when I rang the non-emergency number each time. I suspect as others are suggesting that they just saw it as a collision rather than the other behaviour that was going on. I hope you feel better tomorrow. Is it a route you take every day?

 

[Marshmallow_Fluff]

And I thought I had a tough day today..
Glad you're ok!

 

[Eribiste]

That is one frightening event, one that you will take some time to get over. I hope I speak for the majority of your fellow forum members when I say that we don't mind how many times you come back to us for more support, as and when.

 

[simmi]

Glad you came out of it OK, not much I can say, not much you can say!
Just have to right it off to experience and move on, put it behind you and don't let it get you down.

 

[RWright]

Here we can call the highway patrol and report reckless driving. I don't know how many people actually remember the number but I do see it listed on some of street signs that give lighted messages. I will report them in a second if I see them and have a phone with me. From the state Department of Motor Vehicles website:

Call *47 (North Carolina's Highway Patrol) if you suspect a driver of being drunk or reckless. Provide the driver's license plate number, make, model, location and travel direction. Do not try to stop the vehicle on your own.

In the town I live in we have a very large number of city cops (for a town its size). Their response times are sometimes incredible. The HIghway Patrol will normally take longer to respond because they cover a much larger area, but they will respond. With most everything being recorded these days they would have some explaining to do if they didn't. Call the cops next time, immediately.

 

[mickle]

Good god. Glad this didnt happen to me - id have murdered the ****.

 

[Sandra6]

That must have been terrifying. I would definitely pursue it with the police -even if just to make a complaint about their lack of interest,what he did to you was bad enough but he could've gone on to cause a serious accident.
I've never had such a close confrontation but I've been on the road behind an erratic driver before and it is quite scary.
I did once call the police when we were on the motorway as a lorry driver was veering all over the place and it looked like he was nodding off at the wheel - they said they would watch out for him, but I have no idea if anything came of it.
I'm glad you are ok though, your little "episode" afterwards was probably just the release you needed.

 

[postman]

Seeing as you have all the details car reg and things,do yourself and everyone else a favour.Please report it.
This nutter is going to do someone before long.Let the Police watch him.
If he's done it once he will do it again.He feels untouchable.Get it reported.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'd always chance 999, in fact the police told me I should have done to report a pedestrian getting clipped when I used their non-emergency website form.

 

[Billy Adam]

That must have been absolutely terrifying Typhon. I hope you'll be ok. But to echo everyone else you need to take this further. The next person he does it to may not be so fortunate.

 

[Linford]

Whereabouts did this happen ? it all sounds a bit too close for comfort for me (in Cheltenham)...re the hypoglycaemia, it could be a plausible cause to why his behaviour was so erratic.