Killer texting driver jailed for four years

[dowtherz]

Tragic story, interesting to note the cyclist jumped a red light. Is the sentence too harsh or insufficient?

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/display.var.2083818.0.killer_texting_driver_jailed_for_four_years.php

 

[Mudster]

Actually I'd felt it completely just until I read the part about the kid jumping a red light.

Reading between the lines they've made a point of the texting issue here and made an example of this girl.

If she'd been driving at 45mph, no phone, and a kid jumped a red light would she have been able to avoid him? We'll never know if it would or wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference but I guarantee it would never have made the news.

Tough call, the kid running a red light makes me feel uncomfortable about the sentence for some reason which I don't fully comprehend.

 

[Shude]

If she'd been driving at 45mph, no phone, and a kid jumped a red light would she have been able to avoid him? We'll never know if it would or wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference but I guarantee it would never have made the news.

So she was allegedly speeding (not sure how this was established) and hit a cyclist that had run a red light (not sure how this was established either). It is said that she "...received a text from her husband as she approached the junction with Mountbatten Way." BIG DEAL, I receive text messages all the time while I am driving but the phone almost always stays in my pocket. It then goes on to say that she was typing a message when the incident took place (not sure how this was established!).

Some very emotive language used and phrases like "ploughed into a teenage cyclist" are quite sneaky.

 

[television]

We had a discussion about looking both ways recently at traffic lights, I for one could never go through without looking both ways.

I have never sent a text message yet

 

[Rory]

My initial reaction was that it was a bit harsh as the cyclist ran a red light, but 45MPH (I presume estimated by Police accident investigators) while driving through traffic lights, while texting, is asking for trouble.
She'd also been done 3 times previously for speeding, *twice* in the road where the crash happened.

 

[GordonTarling]

While there's no doubt that she was in the wrong, I just can't help feeling that the cyclist was partly to blame as well. Wonder what would have happened if she'd been doing 30mph, not texting and still hit the cyclist who jumped the red? Frankly, it's about time some positive action was taken over cyclists going through red lights - they are a danger to themselves, as well as others!

 

[BTB 500]

It was also mentioned on TV that the cyclist (who died from head injuries) wasn't wearing a helmet. His death was avoidable at so many levels ... as is often the case. But texting while driving is SO dumb that an occasional high-profile prosecution for it could help save a lot of lives.

 

[prprandall51]

...I have never sent a text message yet

U R kdng? LOL No suprise U rite fny M8.

 

[grober]

Excerpt from the " light signals controlling traffic" of the highway code http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070202 "GREEN means you may go on if the way is clear. Take special care if you intend to turn left or right and give way to pedestrians who are crossing" Lots of folk assume green means "right of way" it doesn't!
On the other hand the law on pedal cyclists and traffic lights is clear
"You MUST obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals."

Without going into the rights and wrongs of this particular case with the increasing numbers of pedal cyclists on our roads and particularly on the pavements (one of my pet hates ) the "laisez faire" attitude to a growing number of inconsiderate cyclists has to change.

 

[glojo]

We all pride ourselves on our driving skills but it saddens me hen we all forget that a green traffic light means proceed if it is safe to do so.

Forget the cyclist lets put anyone else in that situation, child, old age pensioner, fit young man etc etc. This person never saw them because she was not paying attention.

Green means proceed if it is safe to do so. We should all develop the habit of clearing junctions and by that I doi NOT mean stopping or significantly slowing down.

How on earth did we survive without a mobile phone?

regards
John

 

[johndugganC]

If we can believe reports that she was doing 45mph at traffic lights AND texting she deserves all she gets. No sympathy for her...Texting whilst driving is a MORONIC thing to do!
Regards, John Duggan, Wales UK

 

[kikkthecat]

I can see the ways the cyclist was in the wrong and sadly came across someone else who was also doing wrong.
2 wrongs will never make a right and whatever the cyclist did or didn't do wrong wouldn't compensate for the speeding or texting of this moron. She has already had 3 speeding fines, 2 on the same stretch of road and obviously didn't learn from it. Well she has now cost someone his life and lost her freedom for a while, lets hope she learns something this time.

 

[st4]

Its a hard call.

IMO her crime is a road traffic offense, and it should be prosecuted as such.

The consequence of the crime is another matter. She had no intention of killing anyone, and I think prison isn't a suitable place for her. her crime was speeding £60 fine and careless driving.

Thats not custodial sentence material. The cyclist ran a light, his problem. If she hadn't be texting who knows, so the maximum punishment for a road traffic offense of driving "without due care and attention" is much more be-fitting.

Our prisons are overcrowded, more public benefit would have been had if this woman was given a long community service sentence IMO, and she would be earning, ergo paying tax. I doubt after this she'll do the same mistake again.

 

[glojo]

The best way to murder someone is to do it driving a car, you will be unfortunate to get a prison sentence; is careless driving an excuse? The only reason she appears to have been sent to prison is because of the mobile phone aspect but she has deliberately made an active decisiion to speed (on more than one occassion) and she failed to pay any attention whatsoever to the road conditions. What was the view at this junction?

Why do we keep blaming the cyclist??? Of course he should not have gone through a red light, but we should all look as we negotiate this hazard.

 

[st4]

its not a murder, it was accidental. On the basis she has been caught speeding before, a lifetime ban from drving IMO would fit better.

A cyclist is much more vulnerable than a car driver, perhaps the onus is on him to consider this when he goes thru a light. Perhaps he should have considered that he may not be seen, and that car drivers don't always pay attention. If he had been obeying road traffic law, he'd still be alive, and considering the bike is more vulnerable than the car, its up to him to ensure his safety.

I do agree that a green is not an automatic, go, and having done some advanced training, we should take a defensive position when entering a junction on a green light, i.e. look is someone is running the light.

The key solution is to educate our car drivers into paying attention, and our cyclists need more education. This should require all cylists have to take a basic test, and making the DSA test harder.

 

[robert.saunders]

Accident? No

Something wrong happened, a decision made. Not an accident

 

[st4]

Accident in the sense there was no malicous intent to kill.

It could, and I think has, been argued that due to her complete lack of attention she had intended it to happen as she had no way of preventing an adverse conditon, but that doesn't change the fact the cyclist ran a red light. If he hadn't done so, he'd be okay. His bad decision, his death.


I just don't see her as someone who should be behind bars, but I can see that if she was let of lightly, it sends out a bad message to car drivers who use phones whilst driving.

 

[glojo]

Accident in the sense there was no malicous intent to kill.

It could, and I think has, been argued that due to her complete lack of attention she had intended it to happen as she had no way of preventing an adverse conditon, but that doesn't change the fact the cyclist ran a red light. If he hadn't done so, he'd be okay. His bad decision, his death.


I just don't see her as someone who should be behind bars, but I can see that if she was let of lightly, it sends out a bad message to car drivers who use phones whilst driving.

I certainly agree with your very valid point about intent and perhaps the law has gone too OTT with its wording.

You hire me to kill someone that is annoying you and I wait until I see them crossing a road. I mow them down and then explain to the reporting officer that I had a momentary sneezing fit and only saw this person at the very last minute. It was a complete accident and if only they had looked this terrible accident would have been avoided.

I agree with your point about intent but it is an open door for everyone to drive a horse and cart through.

Just thinking for a sec.... I can recall a foreign lorry driver watching his TV whilst driving his fully laden truck. He overtook a driver who gave evidence saying how he saw this person watching the TV when he drove by the car and shortly after this the truck ploughed straight into the back of a stationary vehicle. This truck driver got away with killing the occupants because it could not be proved he was watching the TV even though our laws are quite clear about the siting of monitors, TV etc.

If you want to kill someone then use a car

John

 

[crockers]

I certainly agree with your very valid point about intent and perhaps the law has gone too OTT with its wording.

You hire me to kill someone that is annoying you and I wait until I see them crossing a road. I mow them down and then explain to the reporting officer that I had a momentary sneezing fit and only saw this person at the very last minute. It was a complete accident and if only they had looked this terrible accident would have been avoided.

I agree with your point about intent but it is an open door for everyone to drive a horse and cart through.

Just thinking for a sec.... I can recall a foreign lorry driver watching his TV whilst driving his fully laden truck. He overtook a driver who gave evidence saying how he saw this person watching the TV when he drove by the car and shortly after this the truck ploughed straight into the back of a stationary vehicle. This truck driver got away with killing the occupants because it could not be proved he was watching the TV even though our laws are quite clear about the siting of monitors, TV etc.

If you want to kill someone then use a car

John

So you are moonlighting on the side.................and your rates are???

 

[glojo]

So you are moonlighting on the side.................and your rates are???

More than a doctor, less than a Premiership football player

Regards
John