Driver killed woman, 20, in A1 petrol station forecourt crash
A driver had been on a FaceTime call just moments before she killed a young woman who was stood on a petrol station forecourt. Fiona Phippen was driving north on the A1 between Grantham[1] and Newark in a Nissan Qashqai shortly before 12.50pm when she completed a FaceTime video call on her phone, which had been in a cradle. The 45-year-old then entered the slip road to Foston Petrol Station and entered at speed, driving through the forecourt towards the shop front where she collided with a parked Mercedes CLA on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
The car belonged to a family who were also heading north and had stopped to use the facilities and shop. The Mercedes was parked directly in front of the shop front and Urwah Tanveer, 20, was stood at the driver's door whilst Samina Idris, 84, sat in the rear whilst the other occupants were elsewhere on the site. Urwah, who had her back to the approaching Nissan, was struck during the collision and sustained multiple injuries, and Samina also sustained serious injuries.
The 20-year-old died later the next day in hospital from her injuries. An investigation was carried out by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit and Phippen was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Technical examinations found no issues with Phippen's vehicle that were contributory to the collision, and it was established that Phippen had finished a FaceTime video call only 32 seconds before she left the A1 onto the slip road.
Phippen, of Church Close, Great Wilbraham, Cambridge, said that she regularly drove with the cruise control engaged, and claimed in the moments following the collision that it had failed to turn off. The Nissan's cruise control and braking systems were fully examined after the collision and found to be operating correctly. The cruise control could be disengaged by a variety of options, all of which were found to be operating correctly, and the brakes were also in full working order.
During her police interview, Phippen said that she believed she had braked but her cruise control hadn't disconnected and that she couldn't slow down. She also said that she thought she had turned into the slip road due to a vehicle ahead of her slowing down. The investigation concluded that Phippen was confronted with a set of circumstances as a result of failing to pay proper attention to the road ahead, resulting in a cognitive overload and failing to respond correctly to the scenario that she had caused.
The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to both charges and appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, June 15, for sentencing. Phippen has been sentenced to four years and three months imprisonment, and has also been banned from driving for seven years and one and a half months. She must also take an extended re-test before being allowed to drive again.
Detective Sergeant Emma Ward, from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "This collision was due to the inattention of Phippen to the road ahead and what was happening around her. "When circumstances changed, she did not have the situational awareness to react correctly or appropriately. "The importance of concentration, particularly on fast roads, cannot be overstated.
"Phippen's lack of attention has tragically cost Urwah Tanveer her life and seriously injured Ms Idris. "This was all wholly avoidable, and family and friends are left to cope with the devastating impact that this collision has had on them." Sergeant Ward added: "Time and time again we see people thinking that they can undertake multiple tasks whilst driving.
"The reality is that driving is a complex task that requires your full attention.
"This has been clearly shown in this case, and if concentration had been properly applied, then this family would not be grieving the loss of their daughter Urwah and Ms Idris would not be living with the painful injuries she sustained that day in addition to the loss of her granddaughter."