The one thing that I am sure that I did right was install that dashcam! This could have been much worse without it.
BHPian ashwinikalantri recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Our family went for a road trip across the Konkan Coastal Route this Diwali. The kids had a blast, my wife is already looking forward to another road trip, and Hedo, our Golden loves the rides and the beaches. This was a wonderful experience, but that story is for another day. This is my reflections on the accident we had on the last day.
About 30 Kms from Jalna, MH, while crossing this village of Shahpur, a young chap (probably without a license and underage) with a pillion, on a bike tried to cross the road in-front of us. His estimations failed him, as did our luck. In spite of breaking, we couldn’t avoid him. Luckily, no one sustained any major injuries. I quickly ensured that the boys were okay. This wouldn’t make a traffic cop bat an eye, just a run of the mill accident.
But this situation escalated quite quickly. We found ourself surrounded by a huge mob in no time. Some of them were sensible and supportive. Some were there just to observe. A few were malicious.
The elderly lady (?mother) tried to hit me while holding my collar, kept banging the car demanding ‘justice’. An elderly man, lay down in front of our car, preventing us from leaving when the others asked us to do so. The boy himself, who initially seemed ashamed for what had happened had found his inner goon and started threatening us.
The sarpanch and others requesting the family to let us go
We had the whole incident recorded on a dashcam and to our relief, the consensus in the crowd was that the boy was at fault. The sarpanch and some of the men tried to explain this to the boys’ family. But now there were monetary demands. Annoyed, we called 112. The local police stationed called us back and asked us to come to the station to file a complaint! We had to explain our situation, and why we need their help to ensure the safety of our kids for him to agree to come to the spot.
At this point, I had started to fear that this situation will only escalate further. We were aware that the police could be another source of harassment. Traveling with kids (one of who had started to cry now) and our pet further pushed me to just get out. We shelled out all the cash we had on us and left.
Here is what I think I did wrong, or could have done differently.
- Waiting on the spot for too long. I just couldn’t gather myself to leave without ensuring no one was harmed. But after ensuring that the boy was fine, I should have left the spot. Maybe inform the police about the incident.
- I got out of the car a couple of times, which in hindsight was a bad idea.
The one thing that I am sure that I did right was install that dashcam! This could have been much worse without it.
I want to understand what should be done in such situations? How helpful is the police is such situation?
The complete dashcam footage:
https://youtu.be/SNThSX5M6YY
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
