Coroner Considers Referring M1 Smart Motorway Death to CPS

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M1ke H
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Coroner Considers Referring M1 Smart Motorway Death to CPS

Postby M1ke H » Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:10 pm

A coroner is considering whether to refer Highways England to the CPS over the death of a woman on a smart motorway (M1 in South Yorkshire) in September 2018.

Full story here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-s ... e-55398637

I personally doubt anything will come of it, but it's about time there was some accountability for tragedies like this (imho).

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Horse
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Re: Coroner Considers Referring M1 Smart Motorway Death to CPS

Postby Horse » Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:01 pm

Odd that:
The CPS has decided against prosecuting the driver who hit the Nissan.
?

However, back to the OP, would there be a corporate manslaughter prosecution if the crash happened on a three lane dual carriageway without hard shoulder?
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

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jont-
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Re: Coroner Considers Referring M1 Smart Motorway Death to CPS

Postby jont- » Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:23 pm

Horse wrote:However, back to the OP, would there be a corporate manslaughter prosecution if the crash happened on a three lane dual carriageway without hard shoulder?

Do 3 lane dual carriageways have frequent signage indicating which lanes are clear and in use for running?

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Horse
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Re: Coroner Considers Referring M1 Smart Motorway Death to CPS

Postby Horse » Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:33 pm

jont- wrote:
Horse wrote:However, back to the OP, would there be a corporate manslaughter prosecution if the crash happened on a three lane dual carriageway without hard shoulder?

Do 3 lane dual carriageways have frequent signage indicating which lanes are clear and in use for running?


Do people only, and always, do what signs tell them? You'd hope that 'looking ahead' and 'not driving into things' were considered essential too.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

Gareth
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Re: Coroner Considers Referring M1 Smart Motorway Death to CPS

Postby Gareth » Wed Dec 23, 2020 7:12 am

Horse wrote:Do people only, and always, do what signs tell them? You'd hope that 'looking ahead' and 'not driving into things' were considered essential too.

Some years ago, quite early one morning I was on the lightly trafficked M4 westbound near Reading. Three lanes and hard shoulder although, at the J12 on-slip, the hard shoulder is temporarily interrupted. A few yards after that a car was stopped in lane 2, at an angle, without any lights. Very hard to see in the low light before sunrise, not sure how I managed to miss the car (both meanings).

When people ask 'simple' questions, the scenario they generally imagine is where everything lines up to make it easy to answer the question in the obvious way. Often, actual circumstances make it trickier than is imagined.
there is only the road, nothing but the road ...

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Horse
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Re: Coroner Considers Referring M1 Smart Motorway Death to CPS

Postby Horse » Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:47 am

Being stopped at an angle might have made the difference, an additional clue that the vehicle wasn't moving.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.


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