Tuesday 11th March 2003

Tuscan Driver Jailed

Six months for dangerous driving whilst testing a Tuscan

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A 45 year old businessman has been jailed for six months for his part in an horrific accident whilst test driving a Tuscan Speed 6.

York Crown Court heard how Simon Conder was out in the Tuscan and during the course of his test drive followed an Audi which was overtaking slower cars.

Witnesses estimated Conder's speed as being 90mph on the 60mph limited road. It was also alleged that he was racing with the Audi. Conder followed the Audi as it 'gap hopped' but then he tried to overtake it as it approached a right hand bend.

He lost control of the TVR, swinging one way, then the other before smashing head on into a Peugeot 306.

The driver of the 306, 18 year old Lorraine Marsden suffered whiplash and bruising whilst her 21 year old passenger suffered several broken bones. Conder's wife - in the passenger seat of the Tuscan - broke her spine and had to be air lifted to hospital.

Pleading guilty to the charge of dangerous driving, Conder received a six month jail sentence and was banned from driving for one year.

Thanks to Rich Abbott for this story

[d_drinks]

Where was the dealership during all this? They can't have been too happy to find their demo car involved in this sort of thing - aside from the injuries to those involved, breaking someone back !!!!

[plotloss]

Blimey!

Matt.

[apache]

oh what a complete cnut! I hope the victims sue his arse

[nicholasblair]

These people give us a bad name.

I for one have no sympathy.

[mrsd]

The court imposed the maximum sentance available to it without referring the case to a Magistrates Court. Pleading guilty to the charge of dangerous driving, Conder received a six month jail sentance and was banned from driving for one year.

Eh? Either the case was tried in the magistrates and not passed to the crown court or was tried in the crown court and not passed to the high court on appeal, crown court is senior to magistrates

edited to add: thank goodness the totally innocent other driver and her passenger were in something solid, there could have been a bike/horse/cycle round that corner . I hope the guy's wife recovered.

>> Edited by mrsd on Tuesday 11th March 12:37

[Psychobert]

Given how little the penalty seems to be for actually killing someone doing this sort of thing, this seems harsh. However, personally I'd up the sentance for the likes of the bloke that killed the girl a while back..

Seems odd; wonder why? Is it 'flash git in a flash car so we'll throw the book at him' or was he being particularly stupid, (seems a fair bot of the latter)..

>> Edited by Psychobert on Tuesday 11th March 12:38

[alt]

Joe Pubic will read this and assume we're all the same kind of drivers!
Doesn't matter how many of us drive responsibly it's the one that doesn't that people think of!
Cheers... Andrew

[M@H]

Which dealership was it ?

[Beano500]

I think that there's a thread or two tucked away last year on this.

We all had sympathy for the dealer and for the people in the cars. I think from the courtroom result, our sympathies for the driver (and his wife) will take a downturn.

At the time there was plenty of comment about the dealers having to take a reasonable approach to potential test pilots - sometimes they get it wrong, but they would only know that with hindsight. I'd rather that they would let me have a test drive if I wanted it - but I have no intention of racing Audis. This guy needs stringing up and never let out in anything more powerful than a BMW Isetta..........

[EdT]

I hope everyones recovering now. And I hope he doesnt drive a TVR again.

Ed

[trefor]

I wonder what his wife thinks of the sentence.

I guess she won't be letting him get into a sports car again either!

[jamesc]

Surley the thing to do if a customer wants to test the car for speed; is for the dealer to invite the customer to a trackday. Then he can drive fast with expert supervision.

James

[bennno]

hope he drops his soap in the prison shower

it is idiots like him that will one day get the performance car banned in our ever increasing PC society.

Bennno

[RichB]

EdT said: I hope everyones recovering now. And I hope he doesnt drive a TVR again.

Ed

Probably won't be able to afford to run much more than a micra. Probably lost his job, insurance will be sky high when he gets his licence back etc...

[FourWheelDrift]

If he was driving and wife was the passenger, where was the dealer/salesperson. He could have just driven off with the car or even had an accident...........

:ironicmodeoff:

>> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Tuesday 11th March 12:58

[robkola]

Well he could have been driving the same way whether he was driving a Tuscan or a twenty-year old clapped-out Datsun with 4 of his p155ed mates in the back. Either way - his showed a serious lack of responsibily for EVERYONE . . he would have got at least a 5 year ban if someobne had died.

I seem to remember that some dealer's make you sign papers before any test no matter what car you have . . (noticed something like this when someone took a T350 out last week and their "usual" motor is a Ferrari!)

[Bonce]

No mention of a sentence for the Audi driver...?

[mikes]

The dealer was Harrogate Horseless Carriages, my local. I think that they, and some other Harrogate garages have now stopped unaccompanied test drives.

The driver of the Tuscan was also injured quite badly, and indeed the early newspaper reports suggested that his wife had died in the accident. I think that both suffered severe pelvis injuries as well as the broken back.

The report of the case in the local paper made interesting reading though. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, however when his wife was questioned she commented that:

a: She was nervous before the accident
b: She thought that there was a problem with the Audi

other witnesses suggested that the Audi had been racing the TVR etc.

Overall the court report left me and Mrs S with the feeling that, although he was probably driving dangerously, no questions appeared to be raised over the Audi driver's behaviour... He may have been a bit scapegoated, or at least by getting one of them the insurers will pay up for personal injury claims.

I think that the comments on this thread show how easy it is to judge the situation - ably supported by the media. Sadly several people were badly hurt, luckily no one was killed.

Once again, you are right that performance cars and their drivers will be assumed to be at fault by many people who have no ral idea of what happened.

Drive safe.

[fish]

The individual had the car on a weekend demonstration and had previous high performance experiance. I understand that basically he got it wrong upto the corner with a bridge lost it and hit the bridge parapet before hitting the 306. Hence the greater injuries to the Tuscan people as they had no crumple zone left when they hit the 306.

Yes they way he was driving was unacceptable. Not sure it should carry a custodiale period when burgler don't even get locked up now adays.

[TVR5]

bennno said:

it is idiots like him that will one day get the performance car banned in our ever increasing PC society.

Bennno

Spot on. Accidents like this one happen every single day. Just happened that this one involved a TVR.
The PC brigade will use incidents like this one to stop all of us having any enjoyment.