Driver ‘forced to say sorry’ after ‘terrifying’ row
SHE FEELS ‘VIOLATED’ AFTER BEING ‘HELD HOSTAGE’
A WOMAN was “terrified” when a man jumped in front of her car, holding her “hostage” and accusing her of splashing him by driving over a puddle.
The incident happened on Valley Road near its junction with Radford Road, in Basford, at around 4pm on Sunday.
Police were called to the bizarre event.
Jelena Verdi, 38, from Arnold, claims she was driving home from London when she was accused of splashing two pedestrians, which she denies.
She said the pair stopped her from driving away from a set of traffic lights as they “shouted a n d screamed” at her.
The stand-off lasted for more than 20 minutes, causing “chaos” with traffic queuing behind Ms Verdi, before police arrived and tried to deal with the situation. Ms Verdi said: “It happened because someone tried to accuse me that I splashed them in water when I drove back home – which I didn’t.
“I was held hostage for 20 minutes or so by these people, which caused a bit of chaos in the road itself.
“Police then came and said to me ‘the people are drenched, so can you go and apologise for what you did – and then the matter will end.’
“I said to them that I didn’t do it. If I did do it, I would have been happy to, but I didn’t because I drove from one traffic light to another at 20mph. I’m an experienced driver and I know when I hit a puddle. “They were screaming and shouting at me.”
Ms Verdi attended Broxtowe Police Station later that night with her solicitor.
Nottinghamshire Police said the driver apologised to the two pedestrians which meant the matter was resolved.
But Ms Verdi said she felt forced to apologise.
“These two people made it up,” she said. “They may have got splashed a tiny bit because the surface of the road was wet, but certainly I’ve not splashed anyone. They literally bullied me throughout the whole thing. I felt violated.”
Inspector Gordon Fenwick, of the City West neighbourhood policing team, said: “Officers were called to Valley Road, Basford, following an allegation that a driver had intentionally driven through a puddle and splashed two pedestrians, who subsequently tried to stop the driver from leaving the scene.
“The driver attended a voluntary police interview and apologised to the two pedestrians. The apology was accepted and the pedestrians did not wish to take the matter any further.”
It happened because someone tried to accuse me that I splashed them in water – which I didn’t Jelena Verdi