Taxi Driver Online

Maybe I missed it, but the most probable factor isn't even mentioned in the article below, although the inquest isn't finished yet.

But at least the driver wasn't charged.


'Wonderful young man' died after being hit by taxi on unlit Redcar road, inquest hears

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... r-20676308

Liam Hibbins, 26, passed away in hospital after being struck on Coast Road after a day at the races with friends


Image: Teesside Live

An inquest has opened into the death of a "wonderful young man" who suffered fatal injuries after being hit by a taxi.

Liam Hibbins, 26, was struck by a car on an unlit section of the Coast Road in Redcar after spending a day at the races with friends.

He was given CPR at the scene before being rushed to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, where he passed away.

The inquest, held at Teesside Coroner's Court on Tuesday, heard how the collision took place during the early hours of October 8, 2017.

Colin Clarke, who worked for Frontline Taxis, was behind the wheel of the vehicle which hit Mr Hibbins.

He told the court how he was on his final job of the night, taking passengers from Redcar to Marske and Lingdale, when the incident happened.

Mr Clarke said he began to accelerate when the speed limit increased to 40mph and could see what he described as a "silhouette" around 16 metres ahead of him.

He said he did not realise it was Mr Hibbins, who was wearing dark clothes and had his back to him, until he was was five metres away and it was too late to stop.

Mr Clarke, who has not been charged with any offence, said pulled over his taxi, called an ambulance and rushed to his aid.

From the witness stand, he said: "I had seen a silhouette shape and by the time my brain indicated it was a person it was at the point of impact.

"I got to the brake, I was on the brake and clutch but we were impacted.

"As soon as I stopped the vehicle safely I think we were all out very, very quickly."

Mr Clarke told the inquest, which was held at Teesside Magistrates' Court, that he had previously experienced people "playing dares" on the Coast Road.

He said that when travelling from the residential area into the darkness, where there are no street lights and the limit increases to 40mph, your eyes need to become accustomed to the darkness.

Mr Clarke said he had carried out fell walking at night, and suggested that Mr Hibbins may have been walking on the road due to not being able to see the path.

He said: "When you are walking in the darkness you can't see what's underfoot.

"I think if it had been light he would have been on the path.

"Personally I think because he won’t be able to see the path I don’t think he will have known he was in the road."

Mr Clarke said that he "pretty much stopped" working as a taxi driver after the collision and was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

He said: "I'm still adamant I was doing 37, had I been doing 30 I think I would have still hit.

"It doesn’t matter how quick you were the circumstances that night played against us, I honestly don’t believe I could have avoided that collision.

"This young man has lost his life, it's a tragedy. I'm devastated for him and his family but he's not the only victim in this.

"Obviously I believe, and I still believe, I wasn't directly responsible for Liam's death in that I caused it. I don't believe I could do anything different."

Simon Hills, on behalf of Redcar and Cleveland Council, questioned why Mr Clarke accelerated if he has previously experienced people in the road, and asked why he did not increase his dipped beam lights. (Dipped beam lights are otherwise known as 'low beam lights' or 'headlights' and are designed for driving at night.)

Mr Clarke said he was carrying out a duty and that his passengers wouldn't want him travelling 30mph when the speed limit was 40mph.

He said that he always kept his dipped beam headlights on the lowest setting during a shift, to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic, and would use a main beam (full beam) when the road was clear.

Mr Hibbins’ grieving mum Alison asked Mr Clarke if seeing a silhouette would not make him slow down.

He replied: "The sighting of the silhouette was the initial start of actions if you like. I couldn't equate it to being a person or anyone else."

When she asked him if there was usually things in then middle of the road, Mr Clarke replied "not usually".

He questioned how you would get through life if you stopped driving because there was the prospect something could happen.

During her evidence, Ms Hibbins told the court in Middlesbrough that her son’s death had broken her heart and she missed him "deeply".

She said: "My son Liam was a young man who had his whole life ahead of him. He was funny and kind, loving and loyal, with the biggest heart and the kindest soul.

"He was a really hard worker. He barely went out that much because he was saving to get a house, start a family, doing everything right and it was my honour to be called his mam.

"He was a really good kid and I was really proud of him because of the man he was. He never gave me any bother, he was a good lad.

"My son was a wonderful young man."

Clare Bailey, Senior Coroner for Teesside and Hartlepool, asked Ms Hibbins if her son was on his way home from Redcar Racecourse at the time.

She said: "He was just trying to get home. I think it was just because he couldn’t get a taxi."

When the coroner asked if there was any indication that he wanted to hurt himself, she replied: "Oh god no, Liam was not like that.

"He was saving up, he was engaged, he was going to get married. He had lots of plans in front of him.

"No no, never. He was very happy, he was really happy."

In a statement, which was read to the court, Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper said Liam must have been unconscious and unaware from the point of impact.

He said: "Liam Hibbins died as a result of head and neck injuries."

The court heard how Adam Wears was travelling in the passenger seat of the taxi with his brother Jordan in the back.

Mr Wears told the hearing that he had drank a lot of alcohol on the night in question and his memory was a little "hazy".

He said he remembered the road being "very dark", especially when they travelled from the light to the darkness.

Mr Wears said: "We has stopped talking, all the small talk had stopped.

"I was tired and just ready to go home and then, as the driver said, as we got in there, there was a silhouette which we could vaguely make out. It was a literally just like a shadow."

He said said that it "materialised" a bit more as they got closer and before he knew it the taxi had hit Mr Hibbins and he put his hands up to protect himself.

Mr Wears added: "I wasn't really concentrating or looking at the driver. I was in shock. Especially when it became apparent it was a person, I was in shock and covering myself.

"I jumped out the car first, I got my little brother out, he was in the back. I ran straight to Liam, ringing the ambulance service and did what I could."

When asked by Mr Hills why he'd said Mr Clarke's headlights could have been brighter, he replied: "I think my lights are raised higher."

Mr Hills also asked Mr Wears why he'd said he felt he may have been able to swerve if he himself had been behind the wheel.

Mr Wears added: "In that moment I probably felt that way, maybe if I was in control of the car it would been a different way.

"I felt that way but I don't know whether that was just me being in shock, being upset about it and wanting to make a thing about it. I had time to put my hands up and protect myself."

The inquest continues.

Not sure what all this headlight stuff is about - do all cars have adjustable headlights these days? I assume the suggestion is that the dipped beam could have been adjusted higher. Mines are always on the lowest setting, because I thought they were only adjusted higher for towing or with a huge load in the back, or whatever.

If your car is MoTd with the headlights in the lowest position, then presumably it's not a good idea to raise them unless you're towing a caravan, or similar.

Think I may have got that the wrong way round - your headlights would aim higher with a big load or if towing, so you'd have to lower them?

Anyway, mine have always been on the lowest setting, which is the setting they're MoTd on, so I'm not sure why the council's representative was suggesting the driver should have adjusted them to aim higher in day-to-day driving

I hate to appear callous, but if someones walking along on an unlit road in the dark late at night without reflective clothing then don't expect to blame the driver who hit them because they simply didn't see them....pedestrians must take more responsiblity for their own safety on the road.

I vary my dipped headlight height regularly to suit my passenger loading otherwise i'm blinding oncoming vehicles.

They seem desperate to blame the driver.

Where were the lad who died mates?

_________________
IDFIMH

So apart from the boy racer element below, what's the difference between the case above and this recent one below?

(There's other photos and info about the boy racer's career as an, er, real racer, but have just included the photo of the locus.)


Teenager drove away after killing Dundee postal worker in racing driver’s car

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/b ... collision/



A teenage driver who killed a pedestrian in Dundee told police after the fatal collision: “It’s not my car. I don’t have permission to drive it. I don’t have a licence. I’m f***ed.”

Kyle McLachlan, 20, was driving a BMW M4 when he struck father-of-two Scott Millar as he walked across a road in Dundee after enjoying a music and dance festival.

Postal worker Mr Millar, 33, died after sustaining serious head injuries and McLachlan failed to stop after the collision.

He drove on from the scene in the city’s Argyllgait but one witness, who was in a nearby car park, followed him in his vehicle flashing his lights and sounding the horn.

McLachlan pulled up near the city’s police headquarters.

‘I didn’t see him’

On Thursday, the High Court in Edinburgh heard as officers approached him he made admissions but claimed: “I didn’t see him he just ran out in front of me.”

The court heard at the time of the fatal collision McLachlan, then aged 17, held a provisional driving licence which was endorsed with six penalty points.

He had convictions for taking a car without consent, driving without insurance and without a licence.

Advocate depute Ashley Edwards QC told the court: “There were a number of pedestrians who witnessed the collision.

“Witnesses in the Lidl car park, some of whom were friends or acquaintances of the accused McLachlan, speak to the accused looking towards the cars in the car park in the seconds immediately before the impact.

“None of the witnesses speak to the accused taking any evasive action.”

Ms Edwards said: “He was not licensed to drive a vehicle unaccompanied and was not covered by a policy of insurance.”

The court heard co-accused, racing driver Finlay Hutchison, 21, from Birkhill, was a named driver of the BMW involved in the fatal collision.

It was owned by Hutchison Technologies, of Harrison Road, Dundee.

Dance event

Hutchison had driven into Dundee city centre on the evening of May 6 in 2018 and parked the vehicle, before making his way to several licensed premises.

He sent McLachlan details of the location of the car and arrangements were made for him to collect the keys for the vehicle from Hutchison.

It was also agreed McLachlan would pick up Hutchison later in the evening.

At about 1 am, McLachlan picked up Hutchison from a pub in the city centre and drove him to Dundee University student union.

Mr Millar had been at the Dundee Dance Event with friends and arrived at Club Tropicana at around midnight.

He was seen crossing Argyllgait about 1.15 am, when he was struck by the BMW driven by McLachlan.

‘Non-survivable brain injury’

Ms Edwards said: “The accused McLachlan failed to take any evasive action prior to the collision. The deceased was in the area of the centre line of the roadway when he was struck.”

Collision investigators concluded the incident happened due to the driver’s failure to observe or react to the presence of Mr Millar in the roadway.

A number of people went to his aid after he was struck but it was obvious he had suffered a significant head injury, the court heard.

Emergency services were contacted and police found him lying on the ground unconscious.

Ambulance staff gave him oxygen and he was taken to Ninewells hospital where it was discovered he had sustained “a non-survivable brain injury”.

He later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Hutchison approached one the police officers involved in the investigation after the collision and indicated he had heard his car had been involved in a collision.

He stated he noticed his car keys were missing and he had not given them to anyone or given anyone permission to drive the vehicle.

The judge, Lord Boyd of Duncanbsy, called for background reports to be prepared on both men ahead of sentencing next month.

The judge agreed to continue bail for them but said all sentencing options remained open to him. He imposed interim disqualifications on them, preventing them holding or applying for a driving licence.

The charges

McLachlan, now 20, of Blacklaw Drive, Birkhill, admitted causing the death of Mr Millar on May 7 in 2018 by driving dangerously.

He also admitted failing to stop after the incident, driving while not accompanied by a qualified driver and without insurance.

A co-accused, racing driver Finlay Hutchison, 21, of Osprey Road, Dundee, admitted permitting McLachlan to drive the BMW otherwise than in accordance with a licence authorising him to drive and without insurance.

He also pled guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice by stating to police on he did not give the car keys to anyone and had not given permission to drive the car when he had given the keys to McLachlan and allowed him to drive.

Hutchison further admitted an offence of careless driving on September 2 in 2019 on the A923 between Piperdam and Muirhead by driving at excessive speed and on the opposite side of the road while approaching a bend.

This adds a bit more perspective on why they're trying to blame the driver:


Death of Liam Hibbins ruled 'tragic accident' as call made for action to improve Coast Road safety

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... c-20685348

An inquest heard how the taxi driver which hit the 26-year-old was speeding at the time

A Coroner has advised that warning signs should be placed on a road where a young man died after being hit by a taxi.

Liam Hibbins lost his life after being struck by a car driven by Colin Clarke on an unlit section of the Coast Road in Redcar.

The 26-year-old was believed to have been making his way home to Skelton after spending the day at the races with friends.

Claire Bailey, Senior Coroner for Teesside and Hartlepool, concluded an inquest into the landscape gardener's death on Wednesday afternoon.

She told Teesside Coroner's Court that Liam died as a result of an accident after sustaining head and neck injuries in the collision.

Ms Bailey also told the hearing, sitting at Teesside Magistrates' Court, that Mr Clarke was, on the basis of probability, speeding at the time.

The court heard how Mr Clarke has not been charged with any offence by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), despite an appeal by Mr Hibbins' mum Alison.

During his evidence, Mr Clarke said he was completing his final job, transporting two passengers, when the incident occurred during the early hours of October 8, 2017.

He said when the speed limit on the Coast Road changed from 30mph to 40mph he began to accelerate and saw what he described as a "silhouette" around 16m ahead of him.

Mr Clarke said he did not realise it was Mr Hibbins, who was wearing dark clothes and had his back to him, until he was was five metres away and it was too late to stop.

He told the court: "I'm still adamant I was doing 37, had I been doing 30 I think I would have still hit.

"I don't believe I could do anything different."

Mr Clarke told the inquest that the Coast Road could be dangerous due to there not being any street lighting and said he had previously experienced people in the road.

He said his taxi company would send out two to three messages at a weekend warning drivers about people near or in the road.

Mr Hibbins, who was engaged to partner Beth Storey, suffered a cardiac arrest after the collision and was rushed to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where he later died.

Michael Bell, who was a forensic investigator for Cleveland and Durham Road Policing Unit at the time but has since retired, gave evidence from the witness box.

He told the court how he had investigated the collision and estimated that Mr Clarke was travelling at between 45 and 51mph at the point of impact.

Mr Bell told the court that if Mr Clarke, who was 54-years-old, was travelling at 51mph he would travel around 60.41m before coming to a stop.

He said that even if he had been driving at the speed limit, which was 40mph, he wouldn’t have been able to stop in time.

Simon Hills, on behalf of Redcar and Cleveland Council, pointed out that the figure was almost four times the distance which Mr Clarke’s headlights allowed him to see in front of him.

Coroner Bailey put Mr Clarke's comments about the road being dangerous and the lack of lighting to Mr Bell.

He replied: "Unfortunately I’m not familiar with the area at all. What I will say is that there’s no such thing as a dangerous road, it’s bad drivers which create bad statistics.

"I don’t take any issue with the road or the lighting on the road no."

PC Martin Tranmer, who works in the road safety department, told the court how he had undertaken a journey on the same road, while his headlights were on a high level, and didn’t see two children until the last moment.

He said it wasn't illegal for Mr Clarke to have been using dipped beam headlights but said he would have expected him to have increased the level.

When asked by the coroner about how dangerous the road is, he said: "I wouldn’t say it was anymore dangerous than anywhere else."

Mr Hibbins' mum Alison told the that she would like street lights to be put in place by Redcar and Cleveland Council on the road where he son died.

She said: "Obviously since my son's been knocked down it was a fact that it was quite dark there. Also there's a lot of joggers that are back and forth down that road, there's people walking their dogs. There's a school at the end of the road."

The court heard how 40m journeys had been made on the road since the speed limit changed to from 60mph to 40mph in July 2007 and 14 accidents had been recorded.

In the 20 year period prior to that, when the road had a 60mph speed limit, 22 accidents took place.

Steven Newton, Governance Director at Redcar and Cleveland Council, told the inquest that the majority of the accidents involved vehicles.

He said the two which didn't were Mr Hibbins and a pedestrian - Kirsty Fennon - who lost her life after being hit by a taxi on the road in 2012.

He said that during the previous collision nine years ago, the driver was at fault and there was no issue with street lighting.

Mr Newton said: "Thankfully accidents are very infrequent on that road and there’s no pattern or hotspot."

The inquest heard how Redcar and Cleveland Council previously planned to add lights to the street in 2008 after gaining funding through a scheme.

However there was an "adverse reaction" by local residents and politicians and the 53 columns put up to house the lights were removed.

Mr Newton said that it would cost the local authority £120,000 to fit street lights on one side of the road and double if they were to alternate between both sides - cash the council no longer has.

He said the council investigated the Coast Road again following Mr Hibbins' death but that the number of accidents did not meet the threshold for further action.

Mr Newton told the court in Middlesbrough : "If the statistics pointed to a real danger we would find the money no doubt."

He said that it was not something which the council viewed as "necessary" but that if further information came to light or as a result of the inquest, they would look at it again.

The coroner told the court that she agreed with Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper findings that Mr Hibbins' died as a result of head and neck injuries.

She said she found, on the basis of probability, that the taxi was driving in excess of the speed limit when the collision occurred.

She said: "On the basis of probability Mr Clarke was travelling between 45 and 51mph. I believe that Mr Clarke was mistaken in his recollection of the speed."

The coroner said that the taxi driver could not be expected to consider the possibility of someone walking on the road and he reacted as soon as he became aware that the silhouette in front of him was a person.

She told the inquest: "In the circumstances, I am satisfied that Liam's untimely death is as a result of a tragic accident.

"I will therefore be recording the conclusion that Liam has died as a result of an accident."

She said that PC Andy Lawson, of Cleveland Police, suggested that Redcar and Cleveland Council could carry out a review of the street lights the area.

She said: "Mr Newton has explained that they do not feel it is necessary to install lights along the Coast Roads.

"It cannot be said that a lack of lighting definitively caused his death."

However she said she thought it would be a "benefit to road users" if signs were positioned on each side of the Coast Road.

These signs would warn people of the risk of pedestrians on the road so "extra care can be taken".

The coroner gave Redcar and Cleveland Council 28 days to respond to her about the potential steps.

Personally, I'm inclined to agree with Bloodnock's earlier assessment. Of course, one or two in the comments are suggesting the driver 100% to blame, but there's also this:


Indeed, this is one of the photos the Gazette has used, suggesting there's ample and safe footways available at the locus...

By blaming the driver they can claim the lad was an angel who never did anything wrong

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

That's why there was no prosecution.

_________________
IDFIMH

further update

think the rag is trying to milk this story for all it's worth

The driver who was behind the wheel of the taxi which hit Liam Hibbins will not be charged with any offence, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed.
The 26-year-old landscape gardener died after being hit by a car, driven by Colin Clarke, on an unlit section of the Coast Road in Redcar.
Liam, who had spent the day at the races with friends, was believed to have been attempting to flag down a taxi as he made his way home to Skelton.
He was rushed to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where he passed away as a result of head and neck injuries on October 8, 2017.
During his inquest, held at Teesside Coroner's Court this week, Coroner Clare Bailey ruled that Mr Clarke was, on the basis of probability, speeding at the time.
Mr Clarke told the hearing, sitting at Teesside Magistrates' Court, that he was completing his final job, transporting two passengers, and travelling with his dipped beam headlights on the lowest setting.
He said he began to accelerate when the speed limit on the Coast Road changed from 30mph to 40mph and saw what he described as a "silhouette" around 16m ahead of him.
Mr Clarke said he did not realise it was Mr Hibbins, who was wearing dark clothes and had his back to him, until he was was five metres away and it was too late to stop.
He said: "I'm still adamant I was doing 37, had I been doing 30 I think I would have still hit.

"Obviously I believe, and I still believe, I wasn't directly responsible for Liam's death in that I caused it.
"I don't believe I could do anything different."

Mr Clarke also told the court in Middlesbrough that he believed the Coast Road was dangerous due to a lack of street lighting and his experience of people "playing dares" on the road.
Michael Bell, who was a forensic investigator for Cleveland and Durham Road Policing Unit at the time but has since retired, estimated that Mr Clarke was travelling at between 45 and 51mph at the point of impact.

Mr Bell told the court that if Mr Clarke, who was 54-years-old, was travelling at 51mph he would travel around 60.41m before coming to a stop.
He said that even if he had been driving at the speed limit, which was 40mph, he wouldn’t have been able to stop in time.
Simon Hills, on behalf of Redcar and Cleveland Council, pointed out that the figure was almost four times the distance which Mr Clarke’s headlights allowed him to see in front of him.

Coroner Bailey put Mr Clarke's comments about the road being dangerous and the lack of lighting to Mr Bell.
He replied: "Unfortunately I’m not familiar with the area at all. What I will say is that there’s no such thing as a dangerous road, it’s bad drivers which create bad statistics.
"I don’t take any issue with the road or the lighting on the road no."

The Senior Coroner for Teesside and Hartlepool said: "On the basis of probability Mr Clarke was travelling between 45 and 51mph. I believe that Mr Clarke was mistaken in his recollection of the speed."

The coroner said that the taxi driver could not be expected to consider the possibility of someone walking on the road and he reacted as soon as he became aware that the silhouette in front of him was a person.

The inquest heard how Mr Clarke has not been charged with any offence, following the collision.
The CPS said that they have reviewed all available evidence in the case and have advised police to take no further action against him.

A spokesperson said: "Following the tragic death of Liam Hibbins in October 2017, the CPS were asked to consider whether any criminal charges could be brought against the driver of the vehicle involved in the fatal collision.
"After reviewing all available evidence in the case, we advised police to take no further action."

In July 2019, the Mr Hibbins' family made a request, under the Victims’ Right to Review scheme, to have the decision to take no further action in the case reviewed.
The CPS spokesperson said: "The case was referred to the CPS Appeals and Reviews Unit, where a different prosecutor scrutinised the evidence that informed the original decision in the case, alongside additional questions asked by Liam’s family.
"As a result of that review, the original decision was upheld and the family were subsequently informed of the reasons for this in writing alongside a response to their questions."

The CPS said they have noted the Coroner's finding that the driver of the vehicle was travelling at speed when he struck Liam Hibbins.

They added: "The evidence provided by the police collision investigator, who stated that this collision would have still been unavoidable had he driver been travelling at 40 miles per hour when it occurred, was also a factor considered when making our decision in this case.
"We extend our sincere sympathies to Liam’s family at what must be a difficult time for them."

During her conclusion on Wednesday afternoon, Coroner Bailey agreed with the findings of Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper.
She said that Mr Hibbins' had died as a result of head and neck injuries.
The coroner told the inquest: "In the circumstances, I am satisfied that Liam's untimely death is as a result of a tragic accident.
"I will therefore be recording the conclusion that Liam has died as a result of an accident."
She told Redcar and Cleveland Council that she thought it would be a "benefit to road users" if signs were positioned on each side of the Coast Road warning people of the risk of pedestrians.

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

It's the local press, and a newsworthy local interest story.

The inquest was presumably spread over several days, thus several different articles. Of course, one problem with daily newspaper articles about stuff like this is that they always assume some readers haven't read the previous stuff, so there's always a bit of a rehash of the earlier 'narrative', which is always a bit tiresome if you've read the previous articles, particularly when there have been several of them.

Anyway, most interesting aspect of this latest instalment is maybe the stuff about why the driver wasn't prosecuted, which is certainly newsworthy, particularly from our point of view.

This nugget also stood out, and is perhaps the most explanatory line over the several reports:


Which immediately conjures up a picture of someone jumping out in front of you trying to flag you down, and if he appears suddenly and it's a dark road...

But can't recall that particular detail being mentioned earlier (maybe I missed it), and it might certainly help explain the whole thing, particularly from a taxi driver's perspective.

But Edders is at least part correct when he said earlier that in effect the intention of the whole thing is to sugar coat the incident, and not make it sound like the lad was essentially the author of his own misfortune.

So important stuff that hasn't been reported include blood alcohol level, and what happened earlier in the night in the lead up to the incident.

Were these details simply not disclosed at the inquest, or did the media decide not to report them out of sympathy?


So if an animal jumped out in front of a car it's the driver's fault if there's a collision? No prizes for guessing who the forensic investigator here thought was at fault.

So all these Road Safety Experts that are now slagging off so-called Smart Motorways are all talking bollocks?

Some so-called Police forensic investigators should stick to the facts and not make comments merely for headlines.

_________________
IDFIMH

Final instalment on this, for the meantime at least. Thought it was just about the usual calls for funding to make the road safer etc, but some interesting nuggets to watch out for:

- the police road safety 'experts' are at it again

- there were actually streetlights put up here more than a decade ago, but they were removed because they were an 'eyesore'

- in 2013 another taxi driver hit and killed a drunk girl who was walking on this stretch of road, and it's interesting to compare that case with the current one


Concerns resurface about safety and lighting along Redcar's Coast Road

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... g-20687352

A Coroner considered the lack of street lighting on the road during the inquest of Liam Hibbins this week


Image: Gazette Live/Ian Cooper

The absence of street lighting on the Coast Road in Redcar was brought to the attention of a Coroner this week.

Clare Bailey ruled that Liam Hibbins, 26, died following a "tragic accident" on the A1085 between the seaside town and Marske.

The landscape gardener, from Skelton, was hit by a taxi driven by Colin Clarke while walking on the road in the early hours of the morning.

He was rushed to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where he died of head and neck injuries on October 8, 2017.

The taxi driver said he saw a "silhouette" 16 metres ahead of him but was five metres away when he realised it was Mr Hibbins.

Mr Clarke, who was found to be speeding at the time by the coroner, said he was unable to avoid the collision.

During his evidence, he told Teesside Coroner's Court that the Coast Road could be dangerous due to a lack of lighting.

Mr Clarke, who had his dipped beam headlights on the lowest setting, said it can take time for a driver's eyes to adjust when moving from the final residential area of Redcar and into the darkness.


Image: Gazette Live/Ian Cooper

He told the hearing he had previously experienced people "dancing around in the road all over, clearly playing dares".

Mr Clarke said his company at the time, Frontline Taxis, would send out two to three messages at the weekend warning drivers about people near or on the road.

His comments about the road were refuted during the inquest by a former forensic investigator and a police constable from Cleveland and Durham Road Policing Unit.

Michael Bell, who investigated the collision at the time but has since retired, told the inquest: "Unfortunately I’m not familiar with the area at all. What I will say is that there’s no such thing as a dangerous road, it’s bad drivers which create bad statistics.

"I don’t take any issue with the road or the lighting on the road no."

PC Martin Tranmer, who works in the road safety department, said: "I wouldn’t say it was anymore dangerous than anywhere else."

When Coroner Bailey asked Mr Tranmer if he felt a lack of lights were an issue for road users, he replied: "Not particularly, you would drive according to the conditions that you can see."

He said he had never known taxi companies to warn drivers about people on the Coast Road, only to raise awareness of speed checks.

Mr Tranmer added: "I think introducing lights on any stretch of dark road would reduce the risk of an accident.

"There's a number of roads in Cleveland that don't have street lights, it would be impractical to fit them everywhere."

It is not the first time the issue of street lighting has been raised on the Coast Road in Redcar.

Back in 2008, the local authority planned to put street lights on the road to increase safety for people walking on the footpaths.

The work aimed to upgrade street lighting across the borough as part of a Private Finance Initiative with Redcar and Cleveland lighting Services.

However, the lampposts provoked a furious reaction, with several residents branding them an unnecessary eyesore.

At the time, Councillor Madge Moses, of Marske's St Germain's ward, labelled them "horrendous".

She said: "I agreed with road safety, but there's no need for such a high concentration. It looks like Colditz. I've had calls from people up in arms about this."


Image: Gazette Live/Ian Cooper

Marian Skippon, who lived on the Coast Road, said: "The number they’ve put up is totally ridiculous. A few on the corner, maybe, but no more."

Former Council Leader, Councillor George Dunning, ordered the lampposts to be removed.

He said: "We must stress that we carried out the work with the very best intentions of improving road safety and the fear of crime, putting lighting into an area that has increased pedestrian usage at night.

"But we are a listening authority and we do try to response to residents' concerns."

The issue resurfaced during the inquest into the death of Mr Hibbins, held at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Mr Hibbins, who had spent the day at Redcar Racecourse with friends, appeared to have been trying to flag down a taxi in the moments prior to the collision.

He is the second person to have been fatally injured on the Coast Road in the last nine years.

In 2012, Kirsty Fennon, 19, was hit by a taxi as she walked home from a night out in Redcar.

On Wednesday, Mr Hibbins' heartbroken mum Alison told the court in Middlesbrough that she would like street lights to be introduced on the road following her son's death.

She said: "Obviously since my son's been knocked down it was a fact that it was quite dark there.

"Also, there's a lot of joggers that are back and forth down that road, there's people walking their dogs.

"There's a school at the end of the road. You know how kids are, pushing each other, carrying on, like kids do."

PC Andy Lawson, of Cleveland Police, also suggested that Redcar and Cleveland Council reviewed the street lighting in the area following the collision.

A representative from the local authority told the court that street lighting on the rural road was not "necessary".

Governance Director Steven Newton said that the number of accidents on the road did not meet the threshold for further action.

According to data, 40m journeys had been made on the road since the speed limit changed from 60mph to 40mph in July 2007.

Mr Newton said that 14 road traffic accidents had been recorded during that time and the majority of them involved vehicles.

He said that in the case of Ms Fennon the driver was at fault and there was no issue with street lighting.

In relation to the lampposts put up in 2008, Mr Newton said they were introduced at the time as part of a scheme and the council no longer had the budget to fund them.

He told the court that the idea at the time was to increase safety on the footpaths from antisocial behaviour, rather than as a risk of death.

Mr Newton said it would cost the local authority £120,000 to fit street lights on one side of the road and double if they were to alternate between both sides.

He told the inquest: "I'm aware that the council have investigated the Coast Road again following the accident.

"Thankfully accidents are very infrequent on that road and there’s no pattern or hotspot.

"If the statistics pointed to a real danger we would find the money no doubt."

During her conclusion, Coroner Bailey told Mr Newton that she thought it would be a "benefit to road users" if signs were positioned on each side of the Coast Road.

She said the signs would warn people of the risk of pedestrians on the road so "extra care can be taken".

Following the inquest, a spokesperson for Redcar and Cleveland Council said: "We will be considering the position as per the coroner's request yesterday and will respond accordingly in due course."