Taxi Driver Online

Sneezing taxi driver walks free after death crash


A taxi driver who claimed he was having a sneezing fit before he crashed into the back of a car, killing the driver, has walked free from court.

Phillip Parker wept as a jury acquitted him of causing death by careless driving.

The 38-year-old black cab driver, of Fir Tree Grove, Chatham, was driving home from working in London in the early hours of New Year's Day last year when he crashed into the back of Malkit Khatkar's Vauxhall Vectra.

Mr Khatkar, 70, sustained serious spinal injuries in the accident on the A2 at Wilmington and died two weeks later.

Mr Parker told how he had started sneezing repeatedly - seven or eight times in a row - and was suddenly aware of something in front of him.

Prosecutor Anthony Prosser told Maidstone Crown Court Mr Parker would have had at least 30 seconds of visibility of the car in front and plenty of time to brake.

There were no independent witnesses to the crash, which happened at about 5.20am on a long straight stretch of the coast-bound carriageway.

The Vectra was struck from the rear and spun around. The driver's seat was reclined and Mr Khatkar had to be cut out.

He was taken to Darent Valley Hospital and then transferred to Stoke Mandeville in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, where he died on January 16.

Mr Prosser said it was not possible to say how fast Mr Khatkar was travelling and his car could even have been stationary at the time of the collision.

Mr Parker, who suffered a broken collarbone, said his speed was about 50-60mph.

Mr Prosser said if sneezing did not explain the cause, it could have been lack of concentration or tiredness.

Mr Parker, who denied the charge, said in a police interview of his sneezing: "It didnt well up, it just - bang - happened."

He said in evidence: "It was just one after another."

Asked by Mr Prosser how he missed an object in the road directly ahead of him, he replied: "All I can tell you is I had a sneezing fit and the car was there. It looked like it was stationary and I went into the back of it. I did brake."

He denied being tired.

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

sounds like he got away with it . Sneezing fits don't prevent you from seeing whats ahead they are just a minor distraction perhaps a new law should be brought in causing death or wilful destruction of market crosses through sneezing

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

I think this guy worked a flanker. A sneezing fit could happen to anyone and effect's people differently. It's a hard one to disprove, bearing in mind that's exactly what the prosecution would have to do, to prove careless or reckless driving on his part.

A smart move if you ask me.

Ever tried keeping your eyes open when you sneeze

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Hmmmmmmm.

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IDFIMH

well i have never known a sneeze to shut my eyes for 30 seconds !!

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Perhaps that's why he said it was a 'sneezing fit' so as to imply it was one sneeze straight after another

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

its not the first time

its a medically proven fact that you close your eyes - involutarily - when you sneeze

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

I think this smells myself if that was me and my eyes became naturally shut I would be on the idicator stalk and brakes asap, to say you had a sneezing fit and carried on driving through it just shows how lacking in depth the justice system is,

No doubt there was no intent to harm anyone, but some poor sod lost his life all because either someone fell asleep or just had no common sense to continue driving when they couldn't see, had he simply braked the man would still be alive and had someone gone into the back of the cab, well it would simply say the fool who broke the 2 second rule.