Accident/pretty shocking driving

FfionWinnie said:
Yes, as I said, this is nothing new in terms of being reported about before a trial. It doesn't mean the person will get off. What is a problem is jurors or witnesses discussing things on FB etc during the case. Completely different to a report on an RTA in the media which happens all the time. It's right that the people involved don't discuss it.
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How often have you seen in the media a RTA with a full description of what happened! Yes a potential Juror could have seen this on FB with others comments and drawn totally the wrong conclusions from the comments as they do become polarised.
The video without all the comments maybe OK but the comments are just already a trial by on the whole a biased jury.
 
I don't watch the TV but when there's a terrorist attack they don't shy from letting people see a truck careering through lines of innocent people. What's the difference?!
 
Tiddlypom said:
Why should it not go to court? Are you comfortable with that?
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Oh yes, I'm thrilled to bits about it!! What an utterly ridiculous comment!

The problem is not the airing of the video but people's comments after, particularly the likes of 'He was probably using a mobile phone' or 'bet he had been drinking' both of which I have read on social media.

There was a terrible accident fairly local to me where a van came over a blind summit, killed the horse, though not outright, and seriously injured the rider. That case never made it to court either.

The video of this incident was linked on a local horse FB group and to be honest the responses made me feel embarrassed to be a horse owner. Ignorant ranting is the best way to describe the average response. Anyone reading the comments would have been justified in thinking the average horse owner has an IQ of approximately -3!

The responses on H&H have been more measured than the average FB response. Idle, uninformed specualation in these situations helps no one and can indeed be a hindrance to any legal action. Why are people advised by their legal team not to discuss impending court actions? It is to avoid prejudicing any future trial, that is sound legal advice not a myth.

It is good to hear that the horses and riders involved are doing relatively well. They have been incredibly lucky.
 
minesadouble said:
Oh yes, I'm thrilled to bits about it!! What an utterly ridiculous comment!
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It was not meant as a ridiculous comment. There are defence lawyers out there making a good living out of getting folk off offences that they must be well aware that they are most likely guilty of.

I'm not legally trained, but I have done jury service. It was drummed into us that we must only take on board the evidence that is presented in court. This was quite hard as some of the legal presentations were, quite frankly, very weak, but we did as were told and gave a not guilty verdict which was at odds with our private suspicions.
 
Some latest reports are that he had a stroke at the wheel and the person who got out of the car was the passenger .....
 
Tiddlypom said:
It was not meant as a ridiculous comment. There are defence lawyers out there making a good living out of getting folk off offences that they must be well aware that they are most likely guilty of.

I'm not legally trained, but I have done jury service. It was drummed into us that we must only take on board the evidence that is presented in court. This was quite hard as some of the legal presentations were, quite frankly, very weak, but we did as were told and gave a not guilty verdict which was at odds with our private suspicions.
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I know this is the case ,however subconsciously it is difficult to achieve and in my mind so much better to not give a get out clause right from the start.
By the way thats why we have defence lawyers they are not paid to morally judge a case but to defend anybodies rights who are facing prosecution.
 
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Achinghips said:
Some latest reports are that he had a stroke at the wheel and the person who got out of the car was the passenger .....
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If that is the case ,it would explain the vehicle positioning! Doesnt it just show how quick we are to judge without having all the facts to hand. It may turn out that indeed the passenger may be the hero if they helped control the car in an emergency! I cant say that because we dont know yet!!!!
 
Achinghips said:
Some latest reports are that he had a stroke at the wheel and the person who got out of the car was the passenger .....
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Whether this is true or hearsay it brings home the point that people should never make rash judgements until they have all the facts to hand.
 
TBH I didn't see any of the sort of judgements about the driver suggested above on the original post, only people in shock at what they were watching.

If he had a stroke you would have thought that there would have been a report that the driver had also gone to hospital?The car also stopped very quickly after the impact? Quicker than I would have thought a handbrake would manage. On the cambridge news video the right hand side of the picture is missing as when the truck drove off to park the driver opened the door and was hanging out and looking behind them before parking up.

But then that is why we have investigations before charging people with anything so we will have to wait and see.
 
Oh come on Ester you dont need to get many posts in before all sorts of judgements were made about the driver!! I dont think its healthy to make those sort of judgements without knowing all the facts!
Anyhow how are you enjoying Cambridgeshire ? Close by now.
 
I'm not saying there weren't comments but when I posted this there were about 70+ comments on the original video and I didn't see any suggesting use of a mobile phone etc, just that the vehicle was travelling to fast and seemed to aquaplane. Obviously no way of proving that now but just saying I didn't see any because I didn't

Soggy, flat and horseless!
 
popsdosh said:
So do you base your judgements on what you dont see or what you do see ? Maybe its why the EC are taking a measured approach!
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It was merely an observation..and yes, it was based on what I saw. If the driver was incapacitated, I would have expected the passenger to move the car to the other side of the road. If the driver was in distress I would have expected the passenger to stay with him in the car, instead of immediately crossing the road. I would also have expected the driver to be hospitalised.
If the driver were prone to regular TIAs then he should not have been driving.
Of course the scenario may have been otherwise...this is just my interpretation of what I saw!
 
cobgoblin said:
It was merely an observation..and yes, it was based on what I saw. If the driver was incapacitated, I would have expected the passenger to move the car to the other side of the road. If the driver was in distress I would have expected the passenger to stay with him in the car, instead of immediately crossing the road. I would also have expected the driver to be hospitalised.
If the driver were prone to regular TIAs then he should not have been driving.
Of course the scenario may have been otherwise...this is just my interpretation of what I saw!
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Him? or Her maybe . It is quite possible to move a vehicle to the side of the road from the passenger seat not easy but possible and may account for the delay in doing so.
 
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ester said:
Soggy, flat and horseless!
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Recent events aside, you said you live close to the WEC, which seems like a very decent place.

Worth enquiring re lessons? I had a couple of 30 min private refresher sessions from a BHSI last summer at my local EC on a school horse, and really enjoyed it. Though understandably WEC will be two horses down for a bit at least...
 
Haven't read the whole thread since I last looked but the footage is on the dailymail website for all the world to see .
 
It has been the subject of much discussion recently TP as to what I do horse wise, actually a bit complicated by the fact that there seems to be a fair few options about. I have been spoiled by having a FBHS recently so either the horses or the instructor, preferably both might need to be a bit special for me to warrant the ££. Frank is still being ridden but in somerset and the drive seems to take much longer than it ought, though off to check out guinea pig boarding later so that might help that!

Plan A is get fitter so I can cycle to work (am hoping 9 flat miles equivalent to 6 wiltshire ones) lose some weight and then make some enquiries.

It is very strange going from one on DIY on the doorstep to nothing at all!
 
popsdosh said:
Him? or Her maybe . It is quite possible to move a vehicle to the side of the road from the passenger seat not easy but possible and may account for the delay in doing so.
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If that was the passenger...then yes, the driver could have been female. However, if the driving seat were occupied by an incapacitated person, I suspect most people would have left the car where it was, turned the hazards on and dealt with the problems in hand...rather than sitting on the driver in order to reach the pedals, or heaving an ailing person about in the car......unless of course, you were the passenger Popsdosh?
 
Ester, plan A is a good start! I hope you find ways to keep up the horsey fix, whether with Frank or other neds, and good luck with the GP boarding.

I wouldn't know what to do with either end of my day without neds to see too, either, let alone the bit in the middle.

CalamityJ, many thanks for the extra update on those involved in the accident.
 
cobgoblin said:
If that was the passenger...then yes, the driver could have been female. However, if the driving seat were occupied by an incapacitated person, I suspect most people would have left the car where it was, turned the hazards on and dealt with the problems in hand...rather than sitting on the driver in order to reach the pedals, or heaving an ailing person about in the car......unless of course, you were the passenger Popsdosh?
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He's the defence lawyer.
 
cobgoblin said:
If that was the passenger...then yes, the driver could have been female. However, if the driving seat were occupied by an incapacitated person, I suspect most people would have left the car where it was, turned the hazards on and dealt with the problems in hand...rather than sitting on the driver in order to reach the pedals, or heaving an ailing person about in the car......unless of course, you were the passenger Popsdosh?
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You may make light of it however from the footage how have you made so many assumptions. If indeed the man walking towards the accident was in the vehicle I would suggest that they were more likely the passenger just because of the place they are walking from . However rather than assume could the person actually not have been in the vehicle in the first place but somebody who saw it as I wouldnt like to assume on the camera evidence that they were in the car perhaps you know different. We can all think up theories but that is all they are .
As for FWs comment that shows a lack of maturity as its rather childish . If we all used your values we would go around hanging people and then pardoning them when we are wrong.
 
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popsdosh said:
You may make light of it however from the footage how have you made so many assumptions. If indeed the man walking towards the accident was in the vehicle I would suggest that they were more likely the passenger just because of the place they are walking from . However rather than assume could the person actually not have been in the vehicle in the first place but somebody who saw it as I wouldnt like to assume on the camera evidence that they were in the car perhaps you know different. We can all think up theories but that is all they are .
As for FWs comment that shows a lack of maturity as its rather childish . If we all used your values we would go around hanging people and then pardoning them when we are wrong.
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I wasn't making light of anything...in fact if you actually read my comments you would see that I haven't apportioned any blame to any parties at all. Someone else said that the person walking back was the passenger and another that the driver had had a stroke. This is not something that I have seen reported anywhere else.
I have already said that there may be another scenario altogether....I'm afraid you are looking castigate me for no reason.
 
cobgoblin said:
I wasn't making light of anything...in fact if you actually read my comments you would see that I haven't apportioned any blame to any parties at all. Someone else said that the person walking back was the passenger and another that the driver had had a stroke. This is not something that I have seen reported anywhere else.
I have already said that there may be another scenario altogether....I'm afraid you are looking castigate me for no reason.
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Well im sorry then but you were chucking a lot of theories around. The footage proves nothing apart from the vehicle making contact with the horse. If indeed the driver is proved to be at fault ,I hope they never drive again. However thats for the police to sort out . Not a lynch mob on here .
 
PeterNatt said:
The owners of the horses have the right to take a private prosecution against the driver of the vehicle whether the police decide to prosecute or not.
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Of course they do ,but the only facts we know are whats on the video and that leaves many unanswered questions. I am sure if the driver is at fault the police will do what they need to.
 
popsdosh did you see the original video? I am sure you could see more about the driver parking up and leaving the vehicle on that one which has been cut out of the one on the paper pages, presumably because of possible identification issues?
 
popsdosh said:
Well im sorry then but you were chucking a lot of theories around. The footage proves nothing apart from the vehicle making contact with the horse. If indeed the driver is proved to be at fault ,I hope they never drive again. However thats for the police to sort out . Not a lynch mob on here .
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Theories. Yes!
Theories can be interesting intellectual exercises if the right people join in... But they are theories until proven. Nowt to do with lynch mobs.
 
ester said:
popsdosh did you see the original video? I am sure you could see more about the driver parking up and leaving the vehicle on that one which has been cut out of the one on the paper pages, presumably because of possible identification issues?
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I thought the original video showed the driver leaving the vehicle too... but I can't find the longer version now. I also thought he half opened his door when he first came to a stop near the riders, but then shut it again and moved to the other side of the road.
 
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