Lunacy on the M40

[anonymous-user]

Lord Marylebone said:

Unfortunately you seem somewhat representative of this horrific 'culture' we seem to have acquired in 2018 where people have 'had enough of experts' and think that it's totally fine to be incorrect.

Experts? It's basic GCSE physics!

[heebeegeetee]

NorfolkInClue1 said:

Disgusting apologist horse manure. Typical response these days, pathetic.

Once behind the wheel you are fully responsible for your actions.
I'm sure the family of the 30'year old will join you in detracting blame from the elderly driver.
Perhaps you could just clarify exactly how far you have to drive the wrong way in lane 3 of a motorway before it's your fault, I must have missed that in my driving lessons?

Get a grip, man.

What you've clearly missed is the bit where he said "They shouldn't have been driving". Why you would ask someone who has said that to "clarify exactly how far you have to drive", I really don't know.

This is clearly a very unusual situation. The death of the 30 year old is indeed tragic, but remember that some 1,300 people died that day, as they do every day. The majority of those will be people reaching the end of their lives, but also many of them - 3 figures? - will be as equally tragic as the 30 year old driver. A lot of those tragic deaths will probably be amongst a great number of people who die too young because our health care lacks behind a good many other developed countries, so you/people would do far better wringing hands over this daily toll, rather than getting exercised over a very unusual incident.

[bradders]

NorfolkInClue1 said:

Sorry mate, can't remember the name, it was on commercial street in the centre, he was with his wife.
Bit sad really as you knew it was going to take away a massive part of their independence but it had to be done, imagine if he'd fancied a trip to Blackpool with the wife and his family were all still to scared to say anything because it would cause so many changes......

Yes, that fits too. Small world. Knew the bloke fairly well. You won't be too surprised to hear he was mortified by it after the event (he has passed now, hence the tense). Also fully in agreement with your stance. In fact I had a chat with my old man last year about the very same. We've agreed that as soon as either of us spot any danger signs, he will pack it in.

[NDA]

NorfolkInClue1 said:

I had an elderly driver nudge the side of a van I was driving in Batley many many years ago, he drove at the side of it, hit it, reversed, then did the same again and then reveresed into a bollard before giving up, the police came and were very understanding, a WPC accompanied them home and a relative drove the car home, his licence was revoked due to his eyesight and his relatives, it turns out, had been telling him to stop but no one actually did anything about it, it took a very minor but public incident to do it thank god but it shows just how dangerous things could be.

We managed to stop my elderly MiL from driving after she was stopped driving around a supermarket car park, at speed, on full lock writing off 3 other cars. "I was a bit confused". She could not see that she could have killed someone quite easily - supermarket car parks usually have toddlers running around too. Shocking. She seemed to think it was a trivial matter.

Now that she (thankfully) no longer drives, the quality of her life has deteriorated as she never goes out (she does not walk with ease) and had to rely on others for her shopping etc. No internet or mobile phone - she's old.

I was going to say it's a 'catch 22' situation - but of course it's not. She had to stop driving or she could have killed an entirely innocent person. The fact that she's lost her independence is secondary.

[pavarotti1980]

Driver of vehicle towing caravan was involved in a non injury RTC 3 days earlier.

Thames Valley Police have referred it to the IOPC for potential further investigation due to police conduct prior to the fatal RTC on the M40

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7523933/m40-motorway...

[Volvo1956]

pavarotti1980 said:

Driver of vehicle towing caravan was involved in a non injury RTC 3 days earlier.

Thames Valley Police have referred it to the IOPC for potential further investigation due to police conduct prior to the fatal RTC on the M40

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7523933/m40-motorway...

Oh dear the plot thickens.

[kev1974]

Volvo1956 said:

pavarotti1980 said:

Driver of vehicle towing caravan was involved in a non injury RTC 3 days earlier.

Thames Valley Police have referred it to the IOPC for potential further investigation due to police conduct prior to the fatal RTC on the M40

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7523933/m40-motorway...

Oh dear the plot thickens.

"The driver and passenger of the Subaru Forester towing the caravan, both aged in their 80s, are yet to be formally identified."

Does that mean the police still don't know who they are, or does it just mean they haven't told the press who they are yet.

There's surely some paper trail even if it was foreign plates, must be traceable back to a ferry ticket at least.

[4x4Tyke]

The Sun article says the Forester was UK registered, so not foreign.

The Sun also mentions three teachers being killed in a separate accident on the M40 within 48 hours .

Their names have probably not been released because they have not been formally identified.

The BBC are saying the IOPC is because of Police involvement in the earlier no injury crash.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-...

Edited by 4x4Tyke on Thursday 18th October 11:27

[pavarotti1980]

Volvo1956 said:

Oh dear the plot thickens.

New police issue crystal balls

[4x4Tyke]

4x4Tyke said:

The Sun also mentions three teachers being killed in a separate accident on the M40 within 48 hours .

I had not seen this previously reported at all, and much as I dislike posting the DM, they do seem to be the only newspaper that have covered it.

Looking at the pictures it seems a truck has rear ended it in the middle of roadworks.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6286729/P...

[Puggit]

4x4Tyke said:

4x4Tyke said:

The Sun also mentions three teachers being killed in a separate accident on the M40 within 48 hours .

I had not seen this previously reported at all, and much as I dislike posting the DM, they do seem to be the only newspaper that have covered it.

Looking at the pictures it seems a truck has rear ended it in the middle of roadworks.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6286729/P...

That's referring to the M4 crash last week.

[dandarez]

4x4Tyke said:

4x4Tyke said:

The Sun also mentions three teachers being killed in a separate accident on the M40 within 48 hours .

I had not seen this previously reported at all, and much as I dislike posting the DM, they do seem to be the only newspaper that have covered it.

Looking at the pictures it seems a truck has rear ended it in the middle of roadworks.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6286729/P...

Wrong accident.
This is the one. I apologise for using the Oxford Mail in case it upsets the sensitive reader.
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/16986555.woman-s...

[dandarez]

4x4Tyke said:

The Sun article says the Forester was UK registered, so not foreign.

Sorry, Oxford Mail again!
Local West Oxon Councillor Colin Dingwall (who was on the M40 at the time and managed to avoid the loon) says different.

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/16984302.m40-cra...

“Luckily I and the cars near me managed to pull into the middle lane and get out of the way.

“He must have been going about 60mph. It was a car with foreign plates pulling a caravan. It didn’t look to be slowing down.
“I had about two seconds to react.”


He could of course be wrong about the plates. Don't think I'd have been looking at the Subaru's plates!

Edited by dandarez on Thursday 18th October 12:25

[Elroy Blue]

The IOPC will love that. Officers suspended for five years, IOPC hiding statements that support Officers actions, just the normal stuff they do.

Until Stores stock the ability to see into the future, ridiculous referrals like this will continue to happen

[MysteryLemon]

I just don't get how something like this can happen.

Yes, people make mistakes, whether it be down to poor road layout, old age or something else but why do they just keep on going? I remember reading about an elderly couple who continued for miles driving the wrong way up a motorway before seemly realising their error and stopping. How? Did they just not see the hundreds of other cars flying past them, flashing and beeping?

Even if you did manage to take the wrong turn and head down a slip road the wrong way, why would you join the motorway? How could you not see you are in the wrong and just stop. Unbelievable.

[CoolHands]

MysteryLemon said:

I just don't get how something like this can happen.

It could be completely deliberate. Man has argument with wife and decides to storm up exit ramp to teach her a lesson or whatever

[lyonspride]

MysteryLemon said:

I just don't get how something like this can happen.

Yes, people make mistakes, whether it be down to poor road layout, old age or something else but why do they just keep on going? I remember reading about an elderly couple who continued for miles driving the wrong way up a motorway before seemly realising their error and stopping. How? Did they just not see the hundreds of other cars flying past them, flashing and beeping?

Even if you did manage to take the wrong turn and head down a slip road the wrong way, why would you join the motorway? How could you not see you are in the wrong and just stop. Unbelievable.

The driver has also consciously cross 2 lanes of oncoming traffic to enter lane 3, suggesting they thought they were on a normal road, probably thought everyone else was just a maniac overtaking.

[heebeegeetee]

MysteryLemon said:

I just don't get how something like this can happen.

Yes, people make mistakes, whether it be down to poor road layout, old age or something else but why do they just keep on going? I remember reading about an elderly couple who continued for miles driving the wrong way up a motorway before seemly realising their error and stopping. How? Did they just not see the hundreds of other cars flying past them, flashing and beeping?

Even if you did manage to take the wrong turn and head down a slip road the wrong way, why would you join the motorway? How could you not see you are in the wrong and just stop. Unbelievable.

A health issue, maybe a mental health issue. That's what my money is on.

It's also hard to understand given that 2 people are in the car, but many older people are carers for other older people. I'm wondering if the driver was the carer for the passenger, who was possibly a spouse with dementia. They're battling away and trying to make the most of their remaining active time together, but possibly the driver has also been affected by something and has gone downhill over the last days.

It may also be that they haven't seen or spoken to friends or family over the past days, especially if they have been away caravanning.

I don't normally see the point in speculating over road traffic collisions but this is a highly unusual case and right now I have sympathies for all concerned.

[rev-erend]

Don't forget the elderly very often suffer with bladder infections and it sends them absolutely do lally ...

Edited by rev-erend on Thursday 18th October 13:53

[4x4Tyke]

dandarez said:

He could of course be wrong about the plates. Don't think I'd have been looking at the Subaru's plates!

It could have been NI plates, in general my experience of the councillors is they are often wrong, possessing a a surfeit of confidence over ability. It could still go either way, but it did look RHD to me pausing the video. The Sun claims the Police confirmed the UK registration, but nothing on TVP website I can find, or other news sites.

There is another detail I've not seen reported, the crash also involved a Fiesta as well as the Mondeo.

https://news.thamesvalley.police.uk/pressreleases/...