Lauren Birkett, 16, was one of three teenagers killed in Mexborough (link now dead), South Yorkshire, as a result of “aggressive driving”. The others were Robert Tepper and Jonathan Scott, both 17.
The survivors in other cars involved provided evidence that was “self serving and supporting of the individuals closest to them”, and “lacking in credibility”, according to the coroner.
In English, that means they were shown to be liars.
Jonathan Scott was the driver of the souped-up Corsa which crashed. The coroner ruled that it was being driven “in a manner that exposed them to risk of serious injury or death and a collision occurred from which they died”
Due to the stupidity inherent in English Law, there was apparently not enough evidence to show that the deaths were due to “dangerous driving”.
Let me just say that again: the car was being driven in a manner exposing the occupants to serious injury or death, but it wasn’t being driven dangerously. English Law, eh? So Scott is deemed to have died “accidentally”.
The story paints a vivid picture of juvenile motoring stupidity. There was an Astra overtaking a Punto, and Scott in his Corsa followed it and lost control. All three cars were being driven in a “competitive and aggressive” way. The Astra and Punto were being driven by two of the surviving individuals (along with their passengers) who the coroner concluded were liars.
Pedestrian witnesses said:
…the cars were driving so close together it looked as if they were ‘tied by a piece of string’.
The coroner rejected evidence (i.e. the lies) that they were all driving within the 30mph speed limit.
A police spokesman said:
Jonathan Scott’s Corsa had a two-litre engine instead of the standard 1.2 litre engine.
It also had bigger brakes fitted which made it more prone to skidding under sudden braking.
It’s difficult to feel any real sympathy, seeing as it is quite possible that if one of the other cars had crashed instead the occupants of the Corsa would perhaps have taken the same line that the occupants of the Astra and Punto have in trying to cover for each other. It was simply another example of young people behaving in precisely the manner that many of them do. No doubt, all of them felt very “cool” while they were acting like idiots.
It is why their insurance is sky-high. And “warnings” about the test getting harder are a joke when you consider that this was deliberate behaviour, and not an accidental event. Insurers should start dealing with these things instead of those which they clearly don’t understand.