So just earlier I covered the story of the plans to have more speed cameras on Britain’s roads. Although many are sceptical of the feasibility of such a project, the consequences of speeding and failing to adhere to legal limits (which are there for a reason of course) is evident.
According to a report from the Daily Mail (more), a speeding driver already serving a motoring ban attempted to ‘cover-up’ a high speed crash that left a passenger, one of his own closest friends, fatally injured. Stephen Helm (27) was reportedly going more than twice the 30mph speed limit when he failed to negotiate a left turn due to his excessive speed, and subsequently colliding through railings at the roadside. When he realised he could not save his passenger and friend 20 year old Stephen Ball, he and the remaining passengers left him in the wreckage only to later return and set fire to the vehicle in an attempt to erase any evidence of his presence.
A chilling story to say the least; and it serves only to illustrate the dangers of breaking the speed limit and breaking the law!
After a weeklong enquiry, Helm was linked to the accident by Police and he eventually gave himself up after an appeal from Mr Ball’s grieving mother. Helm is now starting an 8 year jail sentence for causing death by dangerous driving and attempting to pervert the course of justice by trying to cover the incident up. He has also been banned form driving for 10 years.
Helm had already been banned from driving with previous motoring offences for dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified. Helm had managed to purchase a Skoda Octavia by using a friend’s name. Realistically he should not have been behinds the wheel of a car at all!
The tragic incident occurred on New Year’s Eve as Mr Helm, Mr Ball, and two other passengers were heading to a party at 2am after celebrating in pubs. The vehicle lost control as it careered round the band at reportedly 60mph and crashed through the railings and rolled down an embankment. Mr Ball had been impaled by a railing and was left for dead as the others selfishly fled the scene of the accident.
Tina Landale, prosecuting, said “if the car had been travelling at a reasonable speed, it would not have crashed through those railings and the fatal accident would not have happened”. After setting light to the vehicle, Andrew Walch, one of the other passengers, dialled 999 and gave a false name, pretending to be a passer by reporting the accident. He has also been jailed for two years for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
This incident is clear evidence of the dangers of breaking the speed limit. Although this incident is tragic enough, it could have been a whole lot worse; what if other vehicles had been involved in the accident, with further fatalities?
Drivers who break the speed limit and subsequently cause accidents are liable for any suffering they cause to others. Passengers in road traffic accidents usually always have a claim for compensation, given that as a passenger there is nothing they could have done to prevent or cause the accident.
Tragically this won’t be the last time we hear about an incident of speeding where fatalities are involved. So there clear moral of course is that the speed limits are therefore a reason; so tick to them!
If you have been injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you are eligible to claim for the compensation you are legally entitled to. Speak to an expert personal injury solicitor for the right and honest advice on what you can do.
