Viral video was not a hit and run: London police

London, Ont. -

A video of a crash in London, Ont. posted to social media is gaining lots of attention Wednesday morning however it was not a hit and run despite how it may look.

The video from a dashcam was captured at the intersection of Clarke Road and Dundas Street.

It shows a white Volvo collide with the back of a motorcycle before running over the bike and leaving the view of the camera.

However, London police say this was not a hit and run and they have investigated the incident.

“There are times when images or videos are posted online and it’s not a clear picture of what’s taken place,” said London Police Cst. Sandasha Bough.

London police released the following statement: “This was not a hit and run. All drivers remained at the collision and no one wished to pursue charges in relation to this incident. No injuries were reported.”

Police say no more information will be released as no charges are being pursued.

Cst. Bough added that “in this particular case, all involved parties spoke with officers. There was an investigation. And while it appears as though an individual left the scene, that’s not always the case.”

Technology expert Carmi Levy said the incident shows how the modern rumour mill that is social media can spiral out of control.

“We live in a social media age and unfortunately the pitchfork wielding mobs are always willing to jump to a conclusion and then validate whatever belief they might have, whether it’s true or not. And unfortunately we saw that in this case. Everyone jumped on the hit-and-run bandwagon without even knowing the full facts of this case.”

In the meantime, Cst. Bough advises the public to call 911 in the event of an emergency, rather than trying to contact police through social media.

“We’re tagged in posts on Twitter, on Facebook, where people are reporting incidents to us rather than calling headquarters, rather than calling 911 in an emergency situation. And our social media accounts aren’t monitored 24 hours a day. So we are really reiterating to the public. Call 911 if it’s an emergency situation.”