Well the driver has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on 22/11/12 so I would presume he will be spending the next couple of Xmas’s at Her Majesty’s pleasure. It sounds like the judge doesn’t quite believe his plea in mitigation No tacho or hours problems so it will be interesting to see what the further investigation in to cause throws up.
I was travelling Northbound at about 0530 the day after it happened and the EPS outfit was still parked on the hard shoulder/lane 1 it was difficult to make out the exact position but the front of it didn’t look badly damaged, it wasn’t until I got into the factory that I found out just what had happened.
What I find really worrying in this case, is the request to the Judge to have the case dealt with without revealing why the collision occured. I would have thought that would go against him, when the Judge considers the fact of the case, and any mitigating circumstances. I think he’s looking at a min 5 year custodial.
Whatever the other investigation finds out, there is no doubting that he hit a stationary vehicle on the hard shoulder killing someone. Within being a marked police car, I would be pretty sure that it had all its flashing lights on making it very hard to miss, even from a distance. So if his eye was that sore, why did he continue driving?
He is meant to be a professional driver that should know better and I think the court will come down hard on him.
No tacho or hours problems so it will be interesting to see what the further investigation in to cause throws up.