Texting driver kills red-running cyclist, gets 4 yrs prison
Discussion
In the apparent absence of a thread on today's news item:
Text driver jailed for bike death
A motorist who was texting on her mobile phone when she hit and killed a cyclist has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Jordan Wickington, 19, died from head injuries when he went through a red light and was struck by Kiera Coultas' car in Southampton in February 2007.
Coultas had earlier been found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of causing death by dangerous driving.
The 25-year-old from Hythe, Hampshire, was banned from driving for five years.
Following the crash, Mr Wickington, of Netley, Hampshire, who had not been wearing a helmet, was taken to Southampton General Hospital where he later died.
Sgt Alison West, of Hampshire Constabulary, recommended drivers switched off their mobile phones during journeys.
"It's pretty routine nowadays at the scene of these serious or fatal accidents to seize drivers' mobile phones, and to have them analysed to see if the phone has had anything to do with the driving standards involved," she said.
"In this particular incident, it transpired from a phone analysis that there was phone use close to the time of the incident."
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7270751.stm)
Any PHers care to share their thoughts on this?
Text driver jailed for bike death
A motorist who was texting on her mobile phone when she hit and killed a cyclist has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Jordan Wickington, 19, died from head injuries when he went through a red light and was struck by Kiera Coultas' car in Southampton in February 2007.
Coultas had earlier been found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of causing death by dangerous driving.
The 25-year-old from Hythe, Hampshire, was banned from driving for five years.
Following the crash, Mr Wickington, of Netley, Hampshire, who had not been wearing a helmet, was taken to Southampton General Hospital where he later died.
Sgt Alison West, of Hampshire Constabulary, recommended drivers switched off their mobile phones during journeys.
"It's pretty routine nowadays at the scene of these serious or fatal accidents to seize drivers' mobile phones, and to have them analysed to see if the phone has had anything to do with the driving standards involved," she said.
"In this particular incident, it transpired from a phone analysis that there was phone use close to the time of the incident."
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7270751.stm)
Any PHers care to share their thoughts on this?
a few comments already made here
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
id call it darwin in action myself. anyone dumb enough to run a redlight & not check whats comming doesnt deserve to live for long. if he'd looked (or shock horror for a cyclist obeyed the law) then he'd lived.
texting £60 & 3pts - crime punished.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
id call it darwin in action myself. anyone dumb enough to run a redlight & not check whats comming doesnt deserve to live for long. if he'd looked (or shock horror for a cyclist obeyed the law) then he'd lived.
texting £60 & 3pts - crime punished.
Oh, sorry about that.
With no offence meant to the OP, the title "Is this a little unfair?" is also more than a little ambiguous, and I had not taken note of it.
I would have thought this topic a natural for SP&L, but with the regrettable general decline of standards on PH lately, I suppose it's no surprise that the mods let it ride.
I'd delete this thread altogether, but I don't know how.
Cheers.
With no offence meant to the OP, the title "Is this a little unfair?" is also more than a little ambiguous, and I had not taken note of it.
I would have thought this topic a natural for SP&L, but with the regrettable general decline of standards on PH lately, I suppose it's no surprise that the mods let it ride.
I'd delete this thread altogether, but I don't know how.
Cheers.
The exit from the development of flats I live in is traffic light controlled. Last week I was pulling out on a green, at night, and at the last minute saw a cyclist who had jumped the red, was wearing no reflective clothing, or hlemet, had no lights on his bike and was riding 'no handed' - presumably if I'd been adjusting the volume on the radio (whih in the Elise means leaning across the dash) and hit him, I'd go to prison too?...
flemke said:
I would have thought this topic a natural for SP&L, but with the regrettable general decline of standards on PH lately, I suppose it's no surprise that the mods let it ride.
Well yes. But a little harsh to attribute someone placing it in GG to a decline in standards imo...as you were
Having cycled to work for about 3 years whilst at uni I have a large amount of sympathy for cyclists due to the god awful driving habits of a lot of people. I even thought it was fair when a taxi pulled out into a cyclist infront of me and knocked him off and the cyclist got up and put his fist through the taxi drivers window. However in this case surely the texting thing should have just been dealt with by a fine and points. Possibly a ban at worst.
TTwiggy said:
The exit from the development of flats I live in is traffic light controlled. Last week I was pulling out on a green, at night, and at the last minute saw a cyclist who had jumped the red, was wearing no reflective clothing, or hlemet, had no lights on his bike and was riding 'no handed' - presumably if I'd been adjusting the volume on the radio (whih in the Elise means leaning across the dash) and hit him, I'd go to prison too?...
That would be harsh - but there is a time and a place to fiddle with radio's/phones/partners, and crossing junctions probably isn't it....hornetrider said:
flemke said:
I would have thought this topic a natural for SP&L, but with the regrettable general decline of standards on PH lately, I suppose it's no surprise that the mods let it ride.
Well yes. But a little harsh to attribute someone placing it in GG to a decline in standards imo...as you were
The OP is of course entitled to post wherever he or she thinks fit. The advantage to posting law-related topics here is that they appear to get a lot more attention from our resident BIBs than they do on GG or other places, and obviously the authorities' insights are a lot more interesting than those of another adolescent who's been teased onto PH by a Haymarket ad campaign.
She was certainly Driving Without Due Care, and Speeding. So, probably Dangerous Driving would fit. But the "Death By" part was down to the actions of the cyclist, and I think she was given a fairly harsh sentence.
Anyone know what DD would have 'gotten' her, had the cyclist stopped at his red?
Anyone know what DD would have 'gotten' her, had the cyclist stopped at his red?
In Dutch laws, car drivers are always guilty when hitting a pedestrian or cyclist, even if they throw themselves in front of your wheels ...
Is there a difference by the way when caught using a mobile whilst driving versus texting whilst driving? Would have thought that texting was a bit more dangerous ...
Is there a difference by the way when caught using a mobile whilst driving versus texting whilst driving? Would have thought that texting was a bit more dangerous ...
Trax said:
Its great to know the news report I heard, mentioned only a speeding and texting moterist who killed a cyclist. Nothing about red lights.
But a green light does not automatically give you priority - it means proceed if safe to do so. Replace the cyclist with an ambulance on a mercy dash and you may get a different perspective?
I'd also add that, even though we all know that they shouldn't, there are cyclists who run red lights, and we should allow for that in our driving.
She should have got a charge of DD only, as the cyclists lack of protection was what killed him apparently (no helmet - head injury).
All IMHO (and slightly devil's advocate) of course...
Wow. As I have posted in the other topic it seems like they've really hammered the 'public interest' AKA 'let's make an example' angle hard.
On the face of it it does seem excessive given the mitigating factor of the cyclist going through the red light. On the other hand the attention this case will get will send a very clear message, so is that worth it?
Did she go 'not guilty'? That'd increase the sentence.
She should have got a charge of DD only, as the cyclists lack of protection was what killed him apparently (no helmet - head injury).
All IMHO (and slightly devil's advocate) of course...The problem is that the link between A's driving and B's death doesn't need to be a significant one. It just needs to be a cause of it.
Just for everyone's information as it's an interesting fact to think about.
On the face of it it does seem excessive given the mitigating factor of the cyclist going through the red light. On the other hand the attention this case will get will send a very clear message, so is that worth it?
Did she go 'not guilty'? That'd increase the sentence.
Bing o said:
She should have got a charge of DD only, as the cyclists lack of protection was what killed him apparently (no helmet - head injury).
All IMHO (and slightly devil's advocate) of course...
Just for everyone's information as it's an interesting fact to think about.
I wonder what the outcome would have been 20/30 years ago (when you could probably eat a 3 course lunch in your car, whilst driving, and not attract any attention) - I suspect it would be 'the cyclist ran a red light, ergo they are at fault, on your way Mr/Mrs motorist'...
'Blame' society in full effect...
'Blame' society in full effect...
flemke said:
In the apparent absence of a thread on today's news item:
Text driver jailed for bike death
A motorist who was texting on her mobile phone when she hit and killed a cyclist has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Jordan Wickington, 19, died from head injuries when he went through a red light and was struck by Kiera Coultas' car in Southampton in February 2007.
Coultas had earlier been found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of causing death by dangerous driving.
The 25-year-old from Hythe, Hampshire, was banned from driving for five years.
Following the crash, Mr Wickington, of Netley, Hampshire, who had not been wearing a helmet, was taken to Southampton General Hospital where he later died.
Sgt Alison West, of Hampshire Constabulary, recommended drivers switched off their mobile phones during journeys.
"It's pretty routine nowadays at the scene of these serious or fatal accidents to seize drivers' mobile phones, and to have them analysed to see if the phone has had anything to do with the driving standards involved," she said.
"In this particular incident, it transpired from a phone analysis that there was phone use close to the time of the incident."
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7270751.stm)
Any PHers care to share their thoughts on this?
She should have got life in prison, the family of the person she killed will have to live with it for their life.... and the poor sod she killed hasn't got a life anymore, so fText driver jailed for bike death
A motorist who was texting on her mobile phone when she hit and killed a cyclist has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Jordan Wickington, 19, died from head injuries when he went through a red light and was struck by Kiera Coultas' car in Southampton in February 2007.
Coultas had earlier been found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of causing death by dangerous driving.
The 25-year-old from Hythe, Hampshire, was banned from driving for five years.
Following the crash, Mr Wickington, of Netley, Hampshire, who had not been wearing a helmet, was taken to Southampton General Hospital where he later died.
Sgt Alison West, of Hampshire Constabulary, recommended drivers switched off their mobile phones during journeys.
"It's pretty routine nowadays at the scene of these serious or fatal accidents to seize drivers' mobile phones, and to have them analysed to see if the phone has had anything to do with the driving standards involved," she said.
"In this particular incident, it transpired from a phone analysis that there was phone use close to the time of the incident."
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7270751.stm)
Any PHers care to share their thoughts on this?
k herLady Ginswigger said:
She should have got life in prison, the family of the person she killed will have to live with it for their life.... and the poor sod she killed hasn't got a life anymore, so fk her
I was waiting for a well reasoned analysis of the situation from someone who might know a little about this sort of thing. k herThat wasn't it.
Were you actually foaming at the mouth and screaming as you typed that rabid, reactionary rubbish?
grumbledoak said:
Lady Ginswigger said:
She should have got life in prison, the family of the person she killed will have to live with it for their life.... and the poor sod she killed hasn't got a life anymore, so fk her
I was waiting for a well reasoned analysis of the situation from someone who might know a little about this sort of thing. k herThat wasn't it.
Were you actually foaming at the mouth and screaming as you typed that rabid, reactionary rubbish?
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