Taxi Driver Online

Pensioner Dies after Falling from Taxi

By Paul Watson, PA

An 85-year-old man died after his electric wheelchair toppled out of the back of a Dial-A-Ride taxi-bus outside his local supermarket.

Pensioner James Hunt fell less than three feet but suffered serious head and chest injuries outside the main entrance to Morrisons in Clarence Road, Hartlepool.

He died six hours later in the town’s University Hospital.

The Dial-A-Ride service is operated by Hartlepool Borough Council under a contract to Camerons Taxis which has specially adapted vehicles.

Mr Hunt, of nearby Seaton Carew, was the only passenger on board the vehicle which had picked him up and taken him to the Morrisons supermarket yesterday lunchtime.

The minibus had stopped outside the main entrance to the store and the driver had lowered the rear tail lift to allow the pensioner to get off.

Police said it appeared Mr Hunt was then reversing his electric wheelchair out of the bus when it fell off the rear tail lift of the vehicle.

A Cleveland Police spokesman said: “It’s believed Mr Hunt had reversed his vehicle from the passenger area of the bus on to the lift but failed to stop.

“His vehicle hit a physical stop on the floor of the tailgate which appears to have been forced out of position by the rear wheels of his invalid carriage.

“He then fell less than a metre on to the ground and died six hours later in the University Hospital of Hartlepool.”

A spokesman for Hartlepool Borough Council, which operates the service for elderly and disabled people, said: “The council and the police, working with the Health and Safety Executive are investigating to establish exactly what happened.

“Obviously our thoughts are with the family of Mr Hunt at this very sad time.”

Nobody at Camerons Taxis was available to comment.

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

A kind of update (missed this one)

Daughter speaks out as fines imposed after fatal scooter fall


THE daughter of a pensioner who died after his motorised scooter fell off the back of a minibus said the tragedy could have been avoided.

Her comments came after Hartlepool Borough Council and taxi operators Ian Cameron and Gerald Nicholson were ordered by magistrates to pay a total of £23,300 in fines and costs.All had earlier admitted failing to ensure the safety of the public.

James Hunt, 85, died of brain damage after a stop plate on the lift failed as he was reversing out of a Dial-a-Ride taxi outside Morrisons supermarket, in Hartlepool, on January, 19, 2005.Mr Hunt, of Major Cooper Court, Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, fell about 3ft, and his scooter landed on top of him.

He died six hours later.

Speaking after the case, his daughter, Pat Rowntree, 64, said: "The accident was completely avoidable and need not have happened if correct safety procedures had been carried out."We can only hope that lessons have been learnt."Dr David Shallow, representing the Health and Safety Executive, told Hartlepool magistrates that tests on the tailgate lift showed the stop plate, which is designed to prevent wheelchairs and scooters rolling off, was faulty.

An inquest into Mr Hunt's death had heard how he had reversed his scooter onto the lift, but failed to brake.The stop plate was damaged and part of the safety device was misaligned.

A fully working stop plate can resist a force of 280kg, while the one in the accident failed at 16kg of force.Mr Shallow said proper practice was for scooters to be pushed on and off the ramp, with the motor disengaged. In this case, Mr Hunt had reversed the 149kg scooter onto the ramp.

The court heard that the Dial-a-Ride service was provided by the borough council, which is also responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles and driver training, and the work was contracted out to Cameron Radio Taxis, owned solely by Cameron.

However, no contract was signed between the council and Cameron, who sub-contracted the work to Nicholson to provide drivers -in breach of his agreement with the council.

The Dial-a-Ride service is no longer contracted out.Lisa Judge, representing the council, said: "In circumstances like this, hindsight is a wonderful thing. But since the accident, the council has put into effect a number of changes."Barry Gray, for Cameron, said his client had no day-to-day dealings with the Dial-a-Ride vehicles or their maintenance, and said all the drivers were supplied by Nicholson.

John Relton, for Nicholson, said his client had declared himself bankrupt since the accident and was now living on benefits.

District Judge Roger Elsey fined Hartlepool Borough Council £10,000 and ordered it to pay £5,000 in costs. Cameron, of Wynyard Road, Wolviston, was fined £5,000 with £3,000 costs, and Nicholson, of Blakelock Road, Hartlepool, was fined £300, after they admitted offences under the Health and Safety Act 1999

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I fear this could be the first of many accidents.

Its from a while ago.....I was looking for the report from the HSE on it....but found details of the actual offences.

CC

There for the 'Grace of God' go we all.

Don't agree with the force figures in the court report ..... absolute crap. If the scooter alone weighed 149kg, then add the weight of the passenger & then multiply the speed of the scooter even at 2mph say, the mass force would almost certainly be well above the 280kg maximum force for the stop plate. Where do they get a force of 16kg from?

And of course it would be damaged after the accident, when it was inspected.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

I'm sure this was the gentleman who has a taxi court case to his name in Middlesborough, I'm pretty sure he has stood for parliament and for mayor of Hartlepool, as you say strange how things happen aint it.

CC

I know from experience how difficult it is to keep the wheelchair on the ramps.I am a reasonable strong man and had to use all my strength sometimes.I had asked the health and safety executive if there were proper procedures,my reply was risk assessment if you think you will hurt your self don't do it.

Just out of curiosity...if you slipped and fell during the loading and the wheelchair and occupant went arse over tit...Would it be you that gets sued ?? and your liability insurance, would it cover such an incident?

Yes and yes.

_________________
IDFIMH