Felt like it might have been my first time...

[Voice]

I had my first experience where I thought I might have to draw my pistol the other night. Fortunately, it didn't come to that.

There was a hit & run involving a parked car across the street. I grabbed a flashlight and headed outside to try getting the license plates. The driver turned down the next street and parked for a few minutes, during which I got the plates and kept an eye on her waiting for the cops to arrive. After those few minutes she restarted the car,and drove off, apparently unfamiliar with the layout of the neighborhood. She turned down another street which turned out to be a dead end, while I stood on the corner to direct police when they arrived.

Moments later, the car came barreling back into the intersection, turning back up the street toward me, at which point I booked it back past a fence and bushes to get out of sight. She ended up going up over the curb, and severing a light post, before crossing the street and slamming directly into a telephone pole.

Fortunately, the driver never made it back up to the corner, because my initial worry was that she was coming back around to go after me with her car. I can honestly say now that I'm pretty sure if have drawn if she had continued down the street, but I'm very glad I ended up not needing to. It's the first time I've been genuinely afraid for my life, or the lives of other people around me (I wasnt the only person who came out to act as a witness).

The driver ended up totaling at least two parked cars, came within a foot or so of ending up inside someones house on that side street, and narrowly missed two other cars. The car had already been reported stolen by the driver's mother. I was surprised that the cops didn't take any official statements, but when I drove around the next morning, the physical evidence of where she'd been was plain as day, so I guess they didn't really need to.

[glocksmith]

Yep, keeping well out of the way, and simply observing/reporting is the best policy if you, or your property are not directly involved.

[TJW815]

Glad you are okay Voice, was she inebriated?

[soberbiker]

Not sure a pistol would be a great choice in the matter. A small available target with a barrier protecting the driver moving at a high rate of speed. Just getting out of the way seems like the best course of action to me.

[Voice]

Glad you are okay Voice, was she inebriated?

Based on what I saw? Almost certainly, but I don't know whether it was drugs or alcohol. I do know that they took her to the hospital, but I didn't get the impression her injuries were serious. (Lucky, right there.)

[Voice]

Not sure a pistol would be a great choice in the matter. A small available target with a barrier protecting the driver moving at a high rate of speed. Just getting out of the way seems like the best course of action to me.

Yeah, getting out of the way was my first choice, but a persistent driver in a car can be tough to dodge repeatedly, so the pistol would have just been insurance.

[GatorNavy]

I would have went far enough back to where the driver couldn't get to me but then I live out in the sticks and have huge maple trees to get behind
Glad nothing bad happened to you Voice

[djthomas]

Could have been medical. Years ago I was going to a friend's house a little after midnight when I spotted a driver going the wrong way on Route 2 in Lorain County (it's a divided highway at that point). Try as they could the responding officers could not get her stopped. Somehow or another a full 20 miles went by until she ran out of gas, thankfully without hitting anyone. She got out and started kicking her car since it wouldn't go anymore. I stopped and hopped over the median to give a hand because she was big and at the time there were only two officers. She fought, cussed, screamed, and kicked but while handcuffing her we noticed a medical bracelet stating she was diabetic.

A squad was called and they gave her a little poke and 10 minutes later she was a completely different person. She started bawling profusely and then fainted when she realized what had transpired and just how lucky she was. During the investigation they polled other agencies along the route for 911 calls and estimated that she had probably gone at least 35 miles. I don't think they ever charged her. I checked the municipal court site for her name a few months later and nothing was showing.

[BobK]

Could have been medical. Years ago I was going to a friend's house a little after midnight when I spotted a driver going the wrong way on Route 2 in Lorain County (it's a divided highway at that point). Try as they could the responding officers could not get her stopped. Somehow or another a full 20 miles went by until she ran out of gas, thankfully without hitting anyone. She got out and started kicking her car since it wouldn't go anymore. I stopped and hopped over the median to give a hand because she was big and at the time there were only two officers. She fought, cussed, screamed, and kicked but while handcuffing her we noticed a medical bracelet stating she was diabetic.

A squad was called and they gave her a little poke and 10 minutes later she was a completely different person. She started bawling profusely and then fainted when she realized what had transpired and just how lucky she was. During the investigation they polled other agencies along the route for 911 calls and estimated that she had probably gone at least 35 miles. I don't think they ever charged her. I checked the municipal court site for her name a few months later and nothing was showing.

In Texas, she would have her license suspended for medical reasons. A state level medical review board would have to review her medical situation and approve (or not) reinstating her license.

[djthomas]

In Texas, she would have her license suspended for medical reasons. A state level medical review board would have to review her medical situation and approve (or not) reinstating her license.

That may have happened, I don't know. Ohio does have provisions for medical suspensions. To be honest though I don't know how that works with diabetics because if they take their insulin they're fine, as with many medical conditions. It's a little different than someone who randomly suffers from seizures or is otherwise uncontrollably unfit.

[rickt]

To be honest though I don't know how that works with diabetics because if they take their insulin they're fine, as with many medical conditions.

Every year my son (type 1 diabetic since age 9) receives a form from the BMV which he has to get signed by his endocrinologist. If he doesn't return the form to the BMV within a certain time period his license would be suspended.

[djthomas]

Every year my son (type 1 diabetic since age 9) receives a form from the BMV which he has to get signed by his endocrinologist. If he doesn't return the form to the BMV within a certain time period his license would be suspended.

But what happens if he doesn't take his insulin and has an episode on the road? From the doctor's standpoint as long as he takes his insulin as prescribed he's fit to drive.