Driving wrong way on road....

[MagJenny]

VA...I was the third car crossing a highway into a mall parking lot. There was a police vehicle in the right hand (straight) lane with lights on). There had been an accident and the police were working the accident. In order to get into the parking lot, all three cars had to go around the Left of the police vehicle, for about 10 yards, to get back into the right lane and proceed into the mall. One half of all three cars did cross over double white line to get around the police vehicle. Well... the officer went bezerk and started screaming at all three vehicles to stop (I was the third vehicle). In a nutshell, he gave us all tickets for "driving on the wrong side of the road". He screamed at me that I should not have even come into the parking lot when I saw there was an accident ahead (being that I was the 3rd car, I didn't even see the accident until I got there). There were no flares, no cones, no police directing traffic. I am horrified...never had a ticket in my life. Any advice? I do plan to go to court and not pay the fine in advance.

 

[HomeGuru]

VA...I was the third car crossing a highway into a mall parking lot. There was a police vehicle in the right hand (straight) lane with lights on). There had been an accident and the police were working the accident. In order to get into the parking lot, all three cars had to go around the Left of the police vehicle, for about 10 yards, to get back into the right lane and proceed into the mall. One half of all three cars did cross over double white line to get around the police vehicle. Well... the officer went bezerk and started screaming at all three vehicles to stop (I was the third vehicle). In a nutshell, he gave us all tickets for "driving on the wrong side of the road". He screamed at me that I should not have even come into the parking lot when I saw there was an accident ahead (being that I was the 3rd car, I didn't even see the accident until I got there). There were no flares, no cones, no police directing traffic. I am horrified...never had a ticket in my life. Any advice? I do plan to go to court and not pay the fine in advance.

**A: so couldn't you have driven around the other (right) side of the accident rather than crossing the double solid lines?

 

[davew128]

**A: so couldn't you have driven around the other (right) side of the accident rather than crossing the double solid lines?

It's my impression that there was no space to do that.

 

[HighwayMan]

Just to be clear, there was NO other way to gain access to that lot? No other entrances?

 

[MagJenny]

No..the police car was in the right lane and his car is the one we went around (thus driving on the "wrong side of the road"). Sure...there were other entrances into the lot, but, as I said, I was the third car and could not see at all what was ahead of me. Once I realized that there was an accident ahead, I was stuck... could not back up or turn....had I have tried, I would have caused a bigger mess. Also, the policeman told me that he was "giving me a break" on the seriousness of my ticket. What else on earth could he have charged me with.... all I did was go around his car?! To me... this is exactly the same as being in the parking lot of a grocery store. There is ALWAYS someone double parked in front of a grocery store waiting for someone. The lines are painted exactly the same (I went up today to take pictures). When someone is double parked, should I sit there behind that person and wait for them to drive away... or go around them and "break the law"?

 

[LdiJ]

No..the police car was in the right lane and his car is the one we went around (thus driving on the "wrong side of the road"). Sure...there were other entrances into the lot, but, as I said, I was the third car and could not see at all what was ahead of me. Once I realized that there was an accident ahead, I was stuck... could not back up or turn....had I have tried, I would have caused a bigger mess. Also, the policeman told me that he was "giving me a break" on the seriousness of my ticket. What else on earth could he have charged me with.... all I did was go around his car?! To me... this is exactly the same as being in the parking lot of a grocery store. There is ALWAYS someone double parked in front of a grocery store waiting for someone. The lines are painted exactly the same (I went up today to take pictures). When someone is double parked, should I sit there behind that person and wait for them to drive away... or go around them and "break the law"?

Was there any way at all that you could have avoided driving around the police car, other than stopping and waiting until the whole incident was dealt with?

 

[MagJenny]

No...there was absolutely nothing else I could have done. His car was completely blocking the right lane...as I said, with no flares, cones, etc. I could have sat behind him until it was over, or really made a big mess by trying to turn around, but I was just following the cars in front of me..... Thanks!