27-07-2019, 10:23 AM
11
Re: Tragic Accident
I don’t know enough about the medical evidence in this particular case to comment specifically on it but in general terms, if a driver suddenly loses consciousness and had no prior health symptoms or reason to suspect he was not fit to drive, then I do not think he should be punished for the consequences of a tragic but unavoidable accident.My son was a medically and physically fit soldier, with no previous health issues, when he suddenly lost consciousness while driving. He remembers leaving the barracks after lunch and driving along the road towards a roundabout, on his journey to a local town to do some shopping - the next thing he remembers is being in the car in the middle of a roundabout.
He had not been drinking, wasn’t feeling tired or ill at all but he has no recall of approaching or entering the roundabout. Fortunately, the traffic was light and his car did not collide with any other vehicles, although a driver on the roundabout had to brake suddenly to avoid a collision when my son’s car shot straight across her path without giving way at the roundabout.
She was the only witness to the accident and she said that, as the car passed in front of her, she could see my son’s body slumped forward over the steering wheel, head down, so it seems as if he must have lost consciousness before his car reached and entered the roundabout.
He was medically examined and blood tested afterwards to see if there was any underlying health issues that may have caused the loss of consciousness but nothing untoward was found.
In his case, nobody was injured and the only damage was to his own car, caused by mounting the roundabout and hitting a signpost.
However, in the absence of any medical evidence to show why he lost consciousness, he was charged with a careless driving offence and offered a choice of a fine and penalty points or paying for and attending a driver awareness course.
He didn’t want points on his licence, so he chose to attend the driver awareness course - as he had always been a careful driver with no previous accidents or driving offences, he felt rather aggrieved about being found guilty of a driving offence in circumstances he could not have foreseen, controlled or prevented.
27-07-2019, 10:46 AM
12
Re: Tragic Accident
It should be to the eternal shame of MP Barry Sheerman (lab) to suggest that it was a case of "the rich getting away with killing" and even worse to imply that justice had not been done.Medical incidents can come out of the blue and in this case it is clear there was no previous event having taken place.
There are times when it is a case of shit happens. This is one. The behaviour of Barry Sheerman in this is beneath contempt.
27-07-2019, 12:40 PM
14
Re: Tragic Accident
Originally Posted by The Artful Todger
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It should be to the eternal shame of MP Barry Sheerman (lab) to suggest that it was a case of "the rich getting away with killing" and even worse to imply that justice had not been done.Medical incidents can come out of the blue and in this case it is clear there was no previous event having taken place.
There are times when it is a case of shit happens. This is one. The behaviour of Barry Sheerman in this is beneath contempt.
27-07-2019, 12:55 PM
15
Re: Tragic Accident
Originally Posted by Silver Tabby
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Normally I would agree with you - but - it could have happened very suddenly and without warning, especially in this heat.Don't suppose we will ever have all the facts.
It was a horrible thing to happen.
This horrendous crash happened quite close to where I live and looking at the bus shelter where it happened I'm surprised that anyone survived - a total and utter wreck.
The junction where it happened is quite notorious, it's a two-lane carriageway from Huddersfield town centre down to Fenay Bridge (about three miles). Trouble is, the left hand lane also acts as a feeder to traffic turning left at the traffic lights so consequently, when the traffic in that lane comes to a stop as it frequently does, motorist speed past the standing queue (after slowing down for the speed camera) and shoot up the right hand lane to make up for the lost time. This is what happened in this case, witnesses said that this motorist was going too fast and lost control of his vehicle and piled into the bus shelter killing fifteen year-old Katelyn Dawson and crippling two others, Christine Crawshaw and another unnamed teenage girl.
Did the driver suffer a temporary blackout or is it just a reason proffered by a clever defence to distract from the fact that the driver was going too fast? Definitely speeding in my opinion, you don't totally wreck a bus shelter by going at normal speed.
27-07-2019, 02:48 PM
17
Re: Tragic Accident
Yes, a very tragic accident and so very sad for all concerned, especially the parents. A truly awful thing to happen any young person and their family.Most of us who drive could experience an occurrence such as this, we spend time driving and as humans we are all each and every one of us fallible. Eleven years' ago and unknown to me at the time it happened, I had a heart attack when driving at 70mph in the fourth lane on a motorway. Fortunately it was not as swimfeeders described how he was affected but the outcome could have been disastrous had it been. I simply felt unwell, nothing serious enough to think it was what it was actually diagnosed as and just how many of us might feel on an 'off day'.
From conversations with others who have experienced heart attacks it would appear they can vary in severity, from how I was affected right through to how swimfeeders described and everything in-between.
Nobody can ever be prepared for something like that, all we can do is ensure we are medically fit to drive, have regular check-ups and keep ourselves in as good health as possible, there simply is no other way.
27-07-2019, 09:54 PM
18
Re: Tragic Accident
Originally Posted by Baz46
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Yes, a very tragic accident and so very sad for all concerned, especially the parents. A truly awful thing to happen any young person and their family.Most of us who drive could experience an occurrence such as this, we spend time driving and as humans we are all each and every one of us fallible. Eleven years' ago and unknown to me at the time it happened, I had a heart attack when driving at 70mph in the fourth lane on a motorway. Fortunately it was not as swimfeeders described how he was affected but the outcome could have been disastrous had it been. I simply felt unwell, nothing serious enough to think it was what it was actually diagnosed as and just how many of us might feel on an 'off day'.
From conversations with others who have experienced heart attacks it would appear they can vary in severity, from how I was affected right through to how swimfeeders described and everything in-between.
Nobody can ever be prepared for something like that, all we can do is ensure we are medically fit to drive, have regular check-ups and keep ourselves in as good health as possible, there simply is no other way.
This reminded me of my husbands friend, he was driving home from work, pulled up at red traffic lights, had heart attack and died at the wheel.
Shocking, true what they say, e just never know whats around the corner
27-07-2019, 10:10 PM
19
Re: Tragic Accident
Originally Posted by Baz46
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Yes, a very tragic accident and so very sad for all concerned, especially the parents. A truly awful thing to happen any young person and their family.Most of us who drive could experience an occurrence such as this, we spend time driving and as humans we are all each and every one of us fallible. Eleven years' ago and unknown to me at the time it happened, I had a heart attack when driving at 70mph in the fourth lane on a motorway. Fortunately it was not as swimfeeders described how he was affected but the outcome could have been disastrous had it been. I simply felt unwell, nothing serious enough to think it was what it was actually diagnosed as and just how many of us might feel on an 'off day'.
From conversations with others who have experienced heart attacks it would appear they can vary in severity, from how I was affected right through to how swimfeeders described and everything in-between.
Nobody can ever be prepared for something like that, all we can do is ensure we are medically fit to drive, have regular check-ups and keep ourselves in as good health as possible, there simply is no other way.
28-07-2019, 07:03 AM
20
Re: Tragic Accident
Originally Posted by tarantula
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Accidents happen, the parents will just have to accept the fact and get on with their lives, end of story.
Some people are born with a lack of empathy and gross insensitively .
Today they would probaby be diagnosed as on the spectrum
Parents never get over the death of a child they do get on with their lives but their is no 'just 'about it .
This is a life changing tragedy that will be with them forever .
The 'end of story' is that their happy life ended when their child died .
I certainly hope you confine your clod hopping thoughtless remarks to this forum and keep them to yourself when you go out in public .
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