Every year, there are a large number of accidents in the Borken district in which the perpetrators do not care about the damage, but leave the scene of the accident without leaving any personal details.
Misadventure must not become a criminal offense
Many people who cause these often minor fender benders or scratches are not even aware that they are committing a criminal offense if they leave the scene of an accident after such a mishap without taking care of the consequences.
Leaving the scene of an accident without permission is not a trivial offense and can be punished with a prison sentence of up to 3 years or a fine.
Loss of driving license threatens
Far worse for many road users, however, is the threat of losing their driving license! The driving license is usually revoked by the court if the amount of damage in a traffic accident is 1000 euros or more. This sum is reached very quickly and can be assumed, for example, when repainting a bumper.
High material damage
The damage caused to the vehicles left behind can quickly amount to several hundred euros, for which - if the person responsible cannot be traced - the vehicle owner usually has to pay. In such cases, the injured parties often file a complaint with the police, for whom the police investigation work now begins.
Every accident scene is a crime scene
For the investigators in the traffic divisions, every accident scene is also a crime scene where individual traces can be recovered. For example, parts of the fleeing vehicle can be found there, which can provide information about the person who caused the accident. Vehicle parts found at the scene of an accident are often marked with a number that is stored at the Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg. The vehicle type can thus be determined within a short time, including vehicles registered in the Gütersloh district. In these cases, all owners of the relevant cars are visited and their vehicles checked.
Even the smallest traces of paint found at the scene of an accident provide clues as to who caused the accident: every paint job has a certain structure that allows conclusions to be drawn about the vehicle type and day of production and thus also offers investigative approaches.
Witnesses wanted
Of course, the police are often dependent on the help of attentive witnesses. In this context, the police ask anyone who witnesses a traffic accident to note down the license plate number of the person who caused the accident and to contact the police immediately by calling 110!
Always call the police
Contrary to popular belief, the person responsible for an accident does not avoid the charge of hit-and-run if a note with the phone number is left on the windshield. It is also wrong that the perpetrator can report to the police within 24 hours and go unpunished. Leaving the scene is treated as a hit-and-run. A rule of thumb says that the person responsible must "wait at the damaged car for a period of time commensurate with the amount of damage" - but at least 30 minutes. This means that anyone who waits at the scene of an accident, notes the license plate number of the damaged vehicle and then immediately reports the accident to the nearest police station or notifies the police immediately by cell phone is acting correctly.