Taxi Driver Online

Actress’s death is blamed on dirty taxi windscreen



A POPULAR amateur theatre actress was killed when a taxi driver hit her because he could not see through the dirty windscreen of his car, a court heard.

Barbara Holt was delivering a card to a friend’s house on a snowy Christmas Eve in 2010 when Waqar Ahmed’s Toyota Avensis hit her, crushing her legs.

She died a short time later.

Ahmed, aged 34, of Second Avenue, Heaton, was yesterday given a six-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving in an earlier hearing at Bolton Crown Court.

Peter Barr, prosecuting, told the court how snow forced 69-year-old Mrs Holt to park a short way from the curb when she pulled up outside her friend’s house in Smethurst Lane, Morris Green, just before 10am.

There were no witnesses to the accident, but it is thought that Mrs Holt was walking towards the back of her car from the driver’s door when she was struck by the taxi.

Mr Barr said Ahmed failed to see Mrs Holt in time.

“This was probably due to the sun being bright and low in the sky. The windscreen had a thin layer of grime on it, restricting his vision through it,” said Mr Barr. He added that the water in Ahmed’s windscreen washer bottle had frozen.

Mr Barr said there is no suggestion that Ahmed, a father-of-three, had been speeding.

Mohammed Nawaz, defending, said Ahmed accepted he was at fault.

“He is extremely remorseful and personally devastated for the grief he has caused to the family and friends of Mrs Holt,” he added.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy Clayson, sentenced Ahmed to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to do 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also banned from driving for 12 months.

He added that Ahmed’s failure to keep his windscreen clear was a significant fault.

“It is very important that all motorists ensure vision is as good as possible,” said Judge Clayson.

“It doesn’t take long to make sure that is the case.”

Mrs Holt, of Greenland Road, Farnworth, was a stalwart of Bolton’s amateur theatre community and was one of the founders of Bolton Amateur Theatre Society 24 years ago.

Friends and her partner attended the sentencing, but did not wish to comment.


http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/loc ... en/?ref=nt

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

So in reality he hasn't really done anything wrong then, thin layer of grime, we all get those, in the snow, builds up even faster, lady is in the road basically, sounds like what is sometimes known as a genuine accident to me,

Sadly one that someone paid heavily for, but I still don't think the driver is guilty of anything myself.

I think you are wrong. He had a dirty windscre4en and no means of cleaning it because his washers were not working.

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Grandad,

Should have carried some water in a spray bottle or added some concentrated windscreen wash to un freeze his washers.

Possibly, but he's no joy rider intentionally driving like a loon though.

frozen washer bottle......its about time car manufacturers invented somthing to stop them freezing ffs, cant be rocket science.

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

Elementary my dear Watson

They have, it's called concentrated screen wash.
Use it neat in freezing conditions.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Got to be strong stuff to stop the nozzles from freezing......personally I things the should put a small element in the washer bottle

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

Still doesn't stop it it simply freezes on impact with the screen, the only way is screen wash tbh, but even that doesn't always avoid being vodkas best friend

You can have boiling water in the bottle, it doesn't stop the pipes and nozzles freezing. The neat fluid works down to about -15C

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Mondeo's have it.

Hot water freezes faster than cold water, hence why they use hot water in Zambonie machines on ice rinks all over the world.

Been about on top models for years now, but as Gus and I mentioned the minute it leaves the bottle and pipes it will freeze on the screen unless it's got some red vodka in it.

Mine have never froze, I use pure concentrated screen wash, it's never froze when it's hit the window, no nozzles might be frozen 1st thing but when the engine gets warmed up they aren't frozen anymore.