Car accident claims – Police Officer found guilty of careless driving after hitting a car at 149mph

Officer Jacob Marshall has clipped a car that pulled out of a busy junction, a sheriff has said that the officer should have slowed down he was driving at 149mph.
The officer was driving a volvo police car and driving at 140mph were he then clipped a private car on the M9.
The car that pulled out of the junction was a Vauxhall Zafira, the Zafira pulled out so that the traffic could join the motorway from the M876 coming off the slip road.

The Sheriff William Gallacher has said that officer Jacob Marshall didn’t drive like a considerate and careful driver, the sheriff did not understand why Marshall didn’t slow down as he was coming up to a busy junction. He couldn’t believe that he carried on at the same speed when he could see the traffic coming over the bridge, the junction coming up and the driver in the inside lane ahead of him. He should of slowed down while seeing all this.

On 29 August 2010 the day of the incident, officer Marshall answered a call about a spillage of diesel on the M80. Marshall aged 31 had originally been charged with dangerous driving but after going through a trial for 2 days he was charged with a lesser offence.
The Vauxhall Zafira was owned and driven by Mr Fraser Lenny aged 49 he was a  taxi driver but was off duty at the time of the incident, he was also travelling with a passenger who was 80 years old. Mr Lenny said he didn’t see the police car behind him until a few seconds before the incident. You get car accident claims from accidents like this.

The police officer was driving up to 149mph on the motorway at one point, a video of him was shown in Falkirk Sheriff Court. The officer also swerved on the gravel trap so he could try and not hit the Zafira but instead he clipped the wing mirror of the car while driving at 121mph.

Mr Lenny had said he looked in his car mirror before he pulled out and then again while he pulled out. Alls he did see was blue flashing lights and then a big bang and before he new it his mirror was off. This all happened so quick at the last minute. He said he was shaking like a leaf. A no win no fee solicitor could take on this case for a car accident claim.

Officer Marshall did not think Mr Lenny was going to pull out into the outside lane and this is the reason why he didn’t slow down he told the court as he thought the road was clear.  Road traffic accidents involving the police  are not uncommon in the UK.