OHTA.ca

I have received a ticket for making an improper left turn during which I scraped another vehicle which had started going through the intersection and then stopped, blocking the intersection. I had seen this vehicle go through the intersection but I did not see it stop as I was watching to see if other traffic was approaching. Do I have grounds to fight this. Oh yes, the Police Officer only interviewed the other driver.

If I'm understanding this correctly... was the vehicle coming straight at you when you turned left? Or was it coming from a cross-street?

It was coming straight at me. In fact, it had already passed me when the driver stopped her car beside mine, blocking the intersection. I had not commenced my turn until it had appeared that she was safely passed and I looked ahead to see if there were other vehicles were coming. There were not, they had stopped to keep the intersection clear.

So would it be correct to say that she came through the intersection, stopped, you started to turn and in the process of turning you scraped her stopped vehicle?

That is exactly what happened. The damage to her car was minimal, a piece of rubber was loosened up and that was all.

I guess the next question is, what section were you charged under? Even with her blocking the intersection, any turn you make has to be in safety. The only way to really "beat" this charge would be if you were charged under the incorrect section, or if the "witness" (other driver) fails to show for trial... otherwise the only course of action I could really suggest would be plea-bargaining...