- Thread starter Liberto
- Start date
Is It True
You should post your question in the legal forum. In the meantime let me say that it is highly unlikely it will happen if nobody was hurt in the accident and if you happen to have your papers in order. And yes, I speak from personal experience.
Liberto said:
If there are any injuries you will be detained, so a good rule of thumb I alays follow is drive away as fast as possible if you can.
Badpiece
Yeah, great idea! Then they'll add "Leaving the scene of an accident" to your troubles. :tired:badpiece33 said:
I am so glad you're not my dad!
Pib said:
Honestly, I agree with Badpiece on this one. In a country where they are going to lock me up for a minor fender bender if the other party fakes an injury; if I can get away, I am gone! If you are going to lock me up, you are going to have to catch me first. If you want me to do the right thing and stay at the scene, then change the stupid law and I will. Otherwise, catch me if you can.
Larry
I received advice from a long timer here : if you are in a serious accident drive immediately to the nearest police station! As a foreigner you will probably be blamed by whoever is around the accident area! If you have seen locals get into a frenzy over anything - well it isn't always safe to stick around! Get the heck out of the area. The concept is that the police will protect you at least until they decide who is at fault or until you can get a good lawyer!
If it isn't serious: they aren't going to lock you up! Half the time it doesn't even involve the police at all.
If it isn't serious: they aren't going to lock you up! Half the time it doesn't even involve the police at all.
If that 'Old Timer' wasn't me then I totally concur with his/her advice. If it WAS me, glad you were paying attention & that it has remained with you.
I don't agree with running away from ones responsibilities in accidents (At fault or NOT), but I do agree with removing oneself from the possibilities of a crowd turning hot headed & ugly. Going to the nearest Police Station to report the accident & presenting yourself as one of the parties involved, will be a fair step in the due process of law (if LAW is to be followed correctly :cross-eye of course!!). Try also to get to a 'phone on route & call your lawyer with his/her "Get out of jail Quick" responsibilities from your insurance company, & advise which police station you are going to, instructing him/her to get there immediately or send a representative!! ~ Grahame.
I don't agree with running away from ones responsibilities in accidents (At fault or NOT), but I do agree with removing oneself from the possibilities of a crowd turning hot headed & ugly. Going to the nearest Police Station to report the accident & presenting yourself as one of the parties involved, will be a fair step in the due process of law (if LAW is to be followed correctly :cross-eye of course!!). Try also to get to a 'phone on route & call your lawyer with his/her "Get out of jail Quick" responsibilities from your insurance company, & advise which police station you are going to, instructing him/her to get there immediately or send a representative!! ~ Grahame.
la flor said:
.... So do I la flor, - which makes his advice (said & meant in ALL seriousness I am sure) so much more compelling to listen to. Badpiece KNOWS the culture down here, knows how scenes of accidents can get out of hand & therefor gets himself off to the nearest police station to advise them of what happened & await the calm, cool & collected decision as to what actually happened!! ~ Grahame.
planner said:
That sounds like good advice. That reminds me of an incident a couple of weeks ago downtown Santiago when a Haitian guy stole a couple of cell phone while they were in use by the owners. There was a mob of 20 people chasing this guy yelling ladron, ladron. I can't imagine what happened to the guy when they caught him. Anybody know a good lawyer?
planner said:
Drive to the police?????? I have many friends in the Dominican police(Generals,Colonels,and Majors) They tell me to a man if you can get away do so,because Dominican law is all screwed up and you will be arrested!!! I wont but I have to make a few phone calls. You as a foreigneer will be arrested and made to pay out your nose for the accident and to get released from the police.
Badpiece
That is probably the sensible thing to do BB, and what myself would suggest under most circumstances, fleeing from your responsibility IS NOT. And I wish the harshest possible outcome for someone who just ups and leaves the scene of an accident without so much as reporting it.BushBaby said:
Pib said:
Oh you do hmmmm? What 'outcome' do you wish for all the police on the north coast who monetarily rape gringo motorists on a daily basis? Gringos who have accidents and attempt to go through the proper motions frequently find themselves in a jail cell and I am told it is not pleasant. This especially happens to gringos who do not speak Spanish. By the time the police arrive, 30 Dominicans come out of the woodwork as witnesses against the poor gringo and the Dominican driver of the other vehicle always has some mysterious injury. If the gringo does not know exactly what to do (and most do not) he/she is put in jail and extorted. Then of course after all is said and done and enough palms are greased, an accident report is needed for the rental company or insurance company and the gringo is told the report cost a few hundred dollars more. So, tell me Pib, can you blame a foreigner for speeding away if he feels he can? The second party who does not speed away but stays should not direct their anger at the man who fled the scene but at the system that caused him to do so. It is easy for you to stay and go about things the proper way. You are Dominican and know what to say/do. Most foreigners do not and suffer the wrath or the corrupt Dominican system.
Larry
Larry,
Read GB's post. Then read mine.
In the back of your insurance card there is a telephone number. Go to the police, make your statement, tell them to go help/investigate and inmediately call your insurance agent who will send one of their beagles pronto.
If you fail to report yourself at a police station and you are found out you will deserve all the s*** that will be coming at you.
Read GB's post. Then read mine.
In the back of your insurance card there is a telephone number. Go to the police, make your statement, tell them to go help/investigate and inmediately call your insurance agent who will send one of their beagles pronto.
If you fail to report yourself at a police station and you are found out you will deserve all the s*** that will be coming at you.
Pib,
I read all the posts in the thread already. I have never had an accident down there but have heard too many horror stories to dismiss them. There is another developing thread where a woman describes an accident she had on the north coast and everything went fairly well. For every one of those stories, I hear five horror stories.
On a side note, why should someone be held overnight in jail if they are involved in an accident and there is an injury to the other party? If the insurance companies were are as prompt and efficient as you suggest, this should never happen.
Larry
I read all the posts in the thread already. I have never had an accident down there but have heard too many horror stories to dismiss them. There is another developing thread where a woman describes an accident she had on the north coast and everything went fairly well. For every one of those stories, I hear five horror stories.
On a side note, why should someone be held overnight in jail if they are involved in an accident and there is an injury to the other party? If the insurance companies were are as prompt and efficient as you suggest, this should never happen.
Larry
That is how the system works. A most unfortunate thing. If somebody got hurt and you are a local I don't know why you should be detained. In Santo Domingo it is easier since there is even a private jail (formerly a hotel) funded by insurance companies. A non-resident foreigner is a flight risk, but maybe they have figured something better in other countries.Larry said:
That is why we locals and long-time expats CONSTANTLY tell people to forget about driving here until after they have worked out the system. It is a risk we all take, we decided to drive here in spite of this. If somebody doesn't feel like taking the risk taxies are available at all times.
If you want to hear horror stories I can tell you about my father. I am, however, very proud that he did the right thing. It was a long, hard journey but at the end justice did prevail. His story is not the only one I've heard though, other people have it easier. In the end I am sure he didn't regret picking up that motorcycle driver and driving him to the hospital even though he was DOA. He sleeps better at night.
la flor said:
I am curious to know what badpiece and Larry, two white male with similar background. Would say if a minority in US had an accident and felt compelled to leave the scene because they were afraid of how the Police would treat a minority in the USA. Where the system can be biased, towards minority (especially black man)? Would this person be excused because the system is not fair to all?
I am very curious of your response because, I too know what you do or did for a living?
linamia said:
In the USA or at least in NY, a person cannot be punished for having an accident as long as no laws were broken. It dosen't matter if the person is white, black, yellow or purple. Both parties and all witnesses give their sides as to what happened and the officer writes down what was said to him verbatim. That information is then forwarded to the insurance companies who sort it out. Again, the ethnicity of those involved cannot be and is not considered. Also, and most importantly, people cannot be detained for an accident if they have insurance and no laws were broken. If it is suspected that a person is intoxicated, a breathalizer is immediately administered. The breathalizer does not take into consideration who is blowing into it either
, it merely reads the alcohol level of the person taking the test. The police have no opportunity to allow predudice to come into play and the system is very efficient and effective. Larry