Oxford: Jury out in trial for driver on A420 milkman death

Lorry driver Barry Archer, 43, has been on trial at Oxford Crown Court this week following a head-on collision which killed milkman Tom Glancy, 64, in July 2022. The case has been heard over five days, beginning Monday, May 19, to establish whether Archer is guilty of causing Mr Glancy's death by dangerous driving. Today, (Friday, May 23), the jury retired to discuss their verdict, following a summary of evidence from Judge Maria Lamb and her directions to the jurors to attempt to reach a unanimous verdict.

The incident occurred on July 16, 2020, on the A420 near Pusey between Faringdon and Kingston Bagpuize. Barry Archer (left) facing trial at Oxford (Image: NQ) Archer was driving a large goods vehicle towards Oxford on the single-carriageway road, when he alleges that he saw a deer on the verge and swerved to avoid it. Missed a copy of the Oxford Mail you wanted?

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This led to a head-on collision between his large goods vehicle and Mr Glancy's milk float, as Mr Glancy travelled in the opposite direction towards Swindon. The milk float was forced backwards along the road and came to a stop some distance from the point of impact, before catching fire. Mr Glancy died on the scene.

Tom Glancy, who died in the crash in July 2022 (Image: Thames Valley Police, Family Handout) Archer called 999 and spoke to an operator who he told: "I swerved out of the way for a deer and all of a sudden I just looked up and there he was in front of me." At another point in the call, he said: "I just know I am going to go to prison, because he is dead." During the trial, the jury heard from several experts, including Thames Valley Police's collisions investigator and three forensic experts who reconstructed the crash.

The only civilian heard from in the case was Mr Jarosz, one of the first drivers to arrive on the scene who tried unsuccessfully to get Mr Glancy out of his vehicle. His statement was read out to the court. The prosecution's case, put forward by Oliver Weech, was that Archer's story about avoiding the deer was not true, and the crash was instead caused by fatigue or distraction.

Representing the defendant, defence counsel David Langwallner said Archer swerving to avoid the deer was a clear explanation for the crash. The trial occurred after Archer pleaded not guilty to the offence of dangerous driving, submitting an alternative guilty plea to the offence of causing death by careless driving, which the prosecution did not accept. Giving evidence during the trial, Judge Lamb summarised that Archer said: "I should have braked and gone straight on, I should have hit the deer."

She instructed the jury, in deciding their verdict, to "bring to the task dispassionate and objective assessment, as I know you will."

The jury retired this morning, Friday, May 23, and will return their verdict at a later stage.

References

1. ^ Oxford: Dangerous driver's actions caused 'devastation' (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
2. ^ https://t.co/n1aacoWEDF (t.co)
3. ^ February 22, 2024 (twitter.com)
4. ^ Oxfordshire catering company in UK's best places to work (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
5. ^ Bicester Fire: Oxfordshire fire crews remember victims (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)
6. ^ NHS urgent responders to be allowed through Oxford LTNs (www.oxfordmail.co.uk)