HGV driver who collided with stationary police car on A13 fined and given penalty points
An HGV driver who admitted careless driving after he collided with a stationary police car on the A13, has been given penalty points and fined. David Boca, of Torworth Road, Borehamwood, admitted careless driving when he attended Colchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday December 13 where he was sentenced to nine penalty points. The 62-year-old was also fined GBP733 and costs.
On the afternoon of Sunday June 11, three Roads Policing officers were tasked with attending a BMW, broken down on the London bound carriageway of A13 between the Stanford-Le-Hope[2] interchange and the Orsett Cock roundabout. Upon their arrival, they placed their vehicle in a "fend off" position in lane 1, with emergency lights activated, at a distance of approximately 35 metres from the breakdown. The car could not easily be moved, so officers moved everyone behind the barrier at the side of the road to await recovery.
Within minutes, a loud bang was heard, and officers turned round to find their marked, Vauxhall Astra had been struck by a heavy goods vehicle. The impact had pushed the police car across the carriageway coming to rest at the central reservation barrier, now facing the oncoming traffic. Because of the serious damage, the police car had to be recovered and the road closed completely.
Investigating officers concluded that the HGV had decelerated from almost 29mph to 0mph in just three seconds. Essex Police's head of roads policing, Adam Pipe, said: "Thankfully, no one was injured that day. It doesn't bear thinking about if someone had been struck by the lorry instead of the car."
The liveried police car was scrapped.
References
- ^ see all (www.yellowad.co.uk)
- ^ Stanford-Le-Hope (www.yellowad.co.uk)