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Driver's Blackouts Led to Fatal Police Car Crash
17 Jul
Summary
- Driver had a history of blackouts and was told not to drive.
- He failed to disclose his medical condition to authorities.
- The crash resulted in the death of an educational psychologist.
Samuel Skinner KC, prosecuting, detailed a tragic incident where an educational psychologist was killed on Egginton Road. The victim and a colleague had just left a nearby school when they were struck by an unmarked police car. The driver, identified as Cooper, was using the vehicle without authorization and was not wearing a seatbelt.
Car data indicated Cooper's foot was on the accelerator as the vehicle swung sideways. The collision resulted in Bane's companion being thrown into the air and Bane himself being crushed between two parked cars, suffering fatal pelvic injuries. Cooper, reportedly confused after the crash, claimed to be a painter and decorator and unaware of the Prime Minister.
Further investigation revealed Cooper had been advised by a neurologist in 2009 to cease driving and inform the DVLA about his episodes of random collapsing. Despite this, he never reported his blackouts to the DVLA, his employer, or his car insurer, leading to his conviction and sentencing.
Nottingham Crown Court sentenced Cooper to three years and seven months in prison for his actions. The court heard that Cooper's unexplained medical history of blackouts, which occurred without warning, meant he should not have been behind the wheel of the police car that fateful day.
