M5 firework display trial starts

truckingtopics.co.uk/counsellhse.html

GasGas:
http://www.truckingtopics.co.uk/counsellhse.html

I was on the M5 that night, not ten miles from it, still sends shivers up me. RIP all of those lost.

Prosecuting, Peter Blair QC told the jury that Counsell, aged 51, of Ashill in Somerset claimed a “stringent safety regime” but could not fulfil his responsibilities because he operated as a “one-man band” during the display.

The blame game wont bring these people back, but I’m sure their families want some answers and closure.

Thunderbird:

GasGas:
http://www.truckingtopics.co.uk/counsellhse.html

I was on the M5 that night, not ten miles from it, still sends shivers up me. RIP all of those lost.

Prosecuting, Peter Blair QC told the jury that Counsell, aged 51, of Ashill in Somerset claimed a “stringent safety regime” but could not fulfil his responsibilities because he operated as a “one-man band” during the display.

The blame game wont bring these people back, but I’m sure their families want some answers and closure.

And compensation…

I don’t know how he was granted a licence to hold a fireworks display so close to the M5. If he was granted one then whoever granted the licence should be up before the judge explaining why and how they come to a decision to allow it. Did they come and inspect the site beforehand for things like it’s location etc?
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that fireworks, smoke, and a bit of wind blowing across the M5 would cause a major safety issue, and sadly we got to see what the outcome would be.

I firmly believe that this accident although tragic should serve as a stark reminder of the ■■■■ poor driving standards in this country. If everyone did as they should when faced with near zero visibility there would of been no accident and trying to point blame at one bloke is ludicrous.

Yes if he hadn’t organised the display the accident wouldn’t of gapped most likely. But if the drivers involved had kept their vehicles out of other vehicles it wouldn’t of happened either.

Faced with zero visibility surely the answer is slow down and make for the shoulder.

It’s very difficult to kill yourself in a vehicle at 5 mph harder still if you’re stopped

Tipper Tom:
I firmly believe that this accident although tragic should serve as a stark reminder of the ■■■■ poor driving standards in this country. If everyone did as they should when faced with near zero visibility there would of been no accident and trying to point blame at one bloke is ludicrous.

Yes if he hadn’t organised the display the accident wouldn’t of gapped most likely. But if the drivers involved had kept their vehicles out of other vehicles it wouldn’t of happened either.

Faced with zero visibility surely the answer is slow down and make for the shoulder.

It’s very difficult to kill yourself in a vehicle at 5 mph harder still if you’re stopped

+1 … Rip to those involved

I totally agree about driving standards involved, even eyewitness said cars were going past them at 70mph when they hit the “fog” however to allow an organised firework display to go ahead only about 30-40 yard away from a major motorway where thousands of pounds of fireworks would be let off defies belief and whoever allowed the event to go ahead needs their head looking at.

SteveBarnsleytrucker:
I totally agree about driving standards involved, even eyewitness said cars were going past them at 70mph when they hit the “fog” however to allow an organised firework display to go ahead only about 30-40 yard away from a major motorway where thousands of pounds of fireworks would be let off defies belief and whoever allowed the event to go ahead needs their head looking at.

I concur

They do not give up with this.Leave the firework man aline.It is over.It has happened.Let the families grieve in peace.
Firework man has had all this on his head for too long now.

My opinion is it’s a choice of either of these 2 word phrases. Scape-goat or Copp-out. Tragic what happened but lynching this bloke won’t bring the dead back.

mucker85:
My opinion is it’s a choice of either of these 2 word phrases. Scape-goat or Copp-out. Tragic what happened but lynching this bloke won’t bring the dead back.

Nor will justice be served.

Same with the pile up on the Kingsferry bridge, ignorant bloody drivers not knowing that they cant see in dense fog again. Notice how these things all seem to happen ‘darn sarf’ ? Where the standard of driving is abysmal !!!

If I was to drive into the back of another vehicle, then as the law stands ATM, then I am to blame for driving too fast or too close.
How many of the drivers are being done for “due care and attention”?
I bet the number is less than 1

These comments are made by:-

1 An Ex professional firework firer

2 An Ex driving instructor

3 Somebody who has had a lot of “experience” with the police

SWEDISH BLUE:
If I was to drive into the back of another vehicle, then as the law stands ATM, then I am to blame for driving too fast or too close.
How many of the drivers are being done for “due care and attention”?
I bet the number is less than 1

I couldn’t agree more Steve, hanging this bloke won’t solve anything. Yes someone ought to pay but why the bloke who organised it. Why not the bloke who authorised it? Or any of the drivers

Yep the geezer should,nt of done it on his own thats for sure, but the ultimate blame lays with the county council or the local council for the area, going for the cheapest price, they should shoulder most of the blame, thats the problem with this country all over, they want everything done cheap, sh*tsville England.

Rip to those have lost loved ones.

SteveBarnsleytrucker:
I totally agree about driving standards involved, even eyewitness said cars were going past them at 70mph when they hit the “fog” however to allow an organised firework display to go ahead only about 30-40 yard away from a major motorway where thousands of pounds of fireworks would be let off defies belief and whoever allowed the event to go ahead needs their head looking at.

Do you have some inside knowledge that you’ld care to share with us? The investigation, as reported in the link, showed the distance to approx 200 meters from the motor way. Do you know how the motorway sits in relation to the surrounding area at the location of the incident? There were many people who, on that night, made decisions that changed lives and probably regret. At least 7 never lived to regret.

it was also stated that fog was in that area that night,i really cannot see how a fireworks display can cause that type of blanket smog on a motorway,many of us have been to firework displays over the years and they have not caused that amount of smoke,maybe i am wrong i dont know but as i said i have never seen smoke that bad from a display

Wiretwister:
Do you have some inside knowledge that you’ld care to share with us? The investigation, as reported in the link, showed the distance to approx 200 meters from the motor way. Do you know how the motorway sits in relation to the surrounding area at the location of the incident? There were many people who, on that night, made decisions that changed lives and probably regret. At least 7 never lived to regret.

I don’t know if Steve has any insider knowledge but I recovered 6 vehicles from the scene and I travel that road daily so yeah I know how the motorway sits in relation to the area and I know exactly what a ■■■■■■■ state the vehicles were in.

I also know that we were halted from further recovery when another body was found that wasn’t supposed to be there. I know enough to form an opinion and I have.

I was caught up in the traffic that night trunking from Plymouth to Birmingham and was about 15 minutes behind the accident. It was foggy prior to the scene so i cant imagine how bad it would have been with the extra smoke.
The organiser of the fireworks presented a risk assesment three weeks priorto the event to the rugby club but it did not contain a diagram , and unfortunatly the person who received the risk assesment was dyslexic , honest its true. It seems a series of errors and mistakes by many parties were to blame for the awful events of that night .

I hope that the lessons are learnt.

truckman20:
it was also stated that fog was in that area that night,i really cannot see how a fireworks display can cause that type of blanket smog on a motorway,many of us have been to firework displays over the years and they have not caused that amount of smoke,maybe i am wrong i dont know but as i said i have never seen smoke that bad from a display

There was some fog in the area, the worst I experienced was about half an hour earlier around Collumpton when I was down to 40. As I approached the crash scene I stopped just before the river Tone bridge, about 100m from the back of the carnage. There were some vehicles that had stopped and were hit by others, indeed the force of 1 impact ripped an under-slung taillift from the off side mounting of the Iceland trailer.

Some people made good decisions that night and still paid a high price, others made terrible decisions and will have to live with their consciences.