Distraction
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 1:22 pm
Thought I would share this to remind us all why we have to take extra care.
Last December, I8-year-old Nikita Ainley admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to three and a half years in a Y0i. She had been sending messages on her Blackberry seconds before hitting an oncoming Fiat Panda. Mary Rutherford, 68, who was in the Fiat, was severely injured and later died in hospital. In his sentencing remarks, Judge Stephen Ashurst told hen 'No message is so urgent that requires someone to lose their life as a result of it.'
In 2009, Philippa Curtis, aged 21, was sentenced to 21 months' custody after being convicted at trial of causing death by dangerous driving. Ms Curtis had been using her phone to make calls and send texts while driving. Shortly after making a call, her car hit Victoria McBryde's car which was stationary due to a flat tyre. Ms McBryde died at the scene, Ms Curtis also hit two other vehicles in the incident.
John Payne, a lorry driver, admitted causing death by dangerous driving after a crash in 2006. He had been using the keypad of his new phone and failed to see a queue of stationary traffic ahead. Tachograph records later showed that the lorry had slowed only from 6 I mph to 47mph in the last few yards before it ran into the car of Trinity Taylor, crushing it and killing her instantly. Payne was sentenced to four years' custody.
In January this year, Susan Noble was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court to three years' custody after admitting causing death by dangerous driving. The prosecutor told the court that Ms Noble had been composing a long text immediately before she crashed into the car of Alexandru Braninschi, stationary at the roadside while Mr Braninschi worked on a flat tyre. He was severely injured and died at the scene. The prosecutor said that investigators believed Ms Noble would have had the stationary car in view for 14 seconds travelling at 70mph, but: '.., she did not in any way, there were no marks on the road to show even emergency braking or attempts to swerve away' .Ms Noble deleted the message from her phone before dialling 999.
In September 2010, 22-year-old Jemma O'Sullivan was killed in a collision on the M18, caused by lorry driver Christopher Kane, 67, who was texting at the time that he hit the car in which Ms O'Sullivan was travelling. Her boyfriend, who was driving, was badly hurt, and those in the other two vehicles involved suffered minor injuries. Mr Kane subsequently pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and received a five-year custodial sentence. Be safe out there folks. R
Last December, I8-year-old Nikita Ainley admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to three and a half years in a Y0i. She had been sending messages on her Blackberry seconds before hitting an oncoming Fiat Panda. Mary Rutherford, 68, who was in the Fiat, was severely injured and later died in hospital. In his sentencing remarks, Judge Stephen Ashurst told hen 'No message is so urgent that requires someone to lose their life as a result of it.'
In 2009, Philippa Curtis, aged 21, was sentenced to 21 months' custody after being convicted at trial of causing death by dangerous driving. Ms Curtis had been using her phone to make calls and send texts while driving. Shortly after making a call, her car hit Victoria McBryde's car which was stationary due to a flat tyre. Ms McBryde died at the scene, Ms Curtis also hit two other vehicles in the incident.
John Payne, a lorry driver, admitted causing death by dangerous driving after a crash in 2006. He had been using the keypad of his new phone and failed to see a queue of stationary traffic ahead. Tachograph records later showed that the lorry had slowed only from 6 I mph to 47mph in the last few yards before it ran into the car of Trinity Taylor, crushing it and killing her instantly. Payne was sentenced to four years' custody.
In January this year, Susan Noble was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court to three years' custody after admitting causing death by dangerous driving. The prosecutor told the court that Ms Noble had been composing a long text immediately before she crashed into the car of Alexandru Braninschi, stationary at the roadside while Mr Braninschi worked on a flat tyre. He was severely injured and died at the scene. The prosecutor said that investigators believed Ms Noble would have had the stationary car in view for 14 seconds travelling at 70mph, but: '.., she did not in any way, there were no marks on the road to show even emergency braking or attempts to swerve away' .Ms Noble deleted the message from her phone before dialling 999.
In September 2010, 22-year-old Jemma O'Sullivan was killed in a collision on the M18, caused by lorry driver Christopher Kane, 67, who was texting at the time that he hit the car in which Ms O'Sullivan was travelling. Her boyfriend, who was driving, was badly hurt, and those in the other two vehicles involved suffered minor injuries. Mr Kane subsequently pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and received a five-year custodial sentence. Be safe out there folks. R