EACH month the Roads Policing Prosecutions Team attend a special court session that deals solely with traffic matters.

Two drivers who failed to stop at the scene of collisions earlier this year, were each given seven penalty points on their licence and jointly fined over £2,500 in addition to costs at such a hearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on 21 November.  

Sergeant Pete Sharpe: “Not only is it imperative that your vehicle is correctly insured, but that if you are involved in a collision, you stop, check that the other party is okay and exchange details. 

“They could be injured and need help; they could be in shock or their vehicle is unmoveable.

“Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s the law.”

In one case, a 56-year-old man from Brentwood admitted, by post, that he failed to stop following a collision on the A414, Harlow, on the afternoon of 18 April. He left the scene knowing that he had collided with another car and had failed to exchange his particulars. 

After the victim reported the incident, which had been captured on an independent dash cam, the driver was traced. 

When viewed, the footage showed the defendant had gone through a red light, whilst other vehicles in the next lane had stopped.

He was fined £1,140, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £456 and had his licence endorsed with 7 penalty points.

Just a month later, we received an online report detailing a two-vehicle collision that had occurred on 17 May in Harwich Road, Manningtree.

The driver of a Volkswagen Golf, whilst trying to park in a car parking space, collided with a parked BMW, then reversed and drove away. It left the BMW with damage to the car’s rear quarter, driver rear wheel, and driver side rear bumper.

This driver too, failed to comply with the law and stop at the scene of a collision.

When traced, the 57-year-old driver from Manningtree was notified of police action.

At the same court, the offence of failing to stop at the scene of a collision was proved in his absence. He was fined £660 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £264. In addition, he too was issued with 7 penalty points.

The Roads Policing officer added: “When we are informed of collisions where one party has failed to stop, we will do all we can to trace them.

“We will send a notice of intended prosecution to the registered car keeper, as we did in these cases, and require them to nominate the driver at the time.  If they fail to nominate a driver we will prosecute the vehicle owner.

“If both men had stopped, they could have avoided a court case and penalty points that will affect any future insurance policies.”