Crash investigator criticises road layout where toddler killed

Wednesday 14 June 2017

A forensic collision investigator has criticised the layout of the road where three-year-old Clinton Pringle was killed, saying it was unclear to road users and pedestrians.

Rebekah Le Gal is pleading not guilty in Jersey's Royal Court to causing death by dangerous driving.

This morning the Court heard from DC Robert Manners, a forensic collision investigator who signed a report on the accident that led to Clinton's death.

In this report, DC Manners stated that the design of the vehicle Mrs Le Gal was driving, a VW Transporter, was not a contributory factor in the accident as nothing was causing obstruction to the field of view. He added that Mrs Le Gal's sitting position was appropriate and that there was no glare.

DC Manners estimated Mrs. Le Gal's approximate speed as she was driving down Tunnel Street with the help of footage from CCTV cameras. He was able to estimate that when Clinton's cousin crossed the road ahead of him, Mrs Le Gal was approximatively 149 meters away. When Clinton crossed, she would have been 59 meters away. DC Manners stated: "Had she seen him she could have modified her driving by slowing down significantly and exaggerating her glances while negotiating the turn but those precautions were not applied." 

He also stated that Mrs Le Gal's use of her mobile phone "falls within the range when both children crossed the road" and that "her attention was diverted when she approached the bend and the children crossed the road." He said: "If she had been attentive to the hazards around her, she did not modify her driving sufficiently enough in response to the hazards."

DC Manners also wrote that the nature of the area where the accident happened was "unclear to road users" and that it was "not adequate enough to significantly mitigate the risk to pedestrians."

DC Manners concluded his report stating that Mrs Le Gal's attention wasn't diverted by anything outside of the vehicle. He added: "A careful and competent driver who chose not to abide by a 'no entry - except for access' sign would proceed with caution and heightened awareness. The fact that she failed to see the pedestrians cross, the pedestrian on the side of the road and the pedestrians standing on the other side shows a significantly greater lack of attention than a momentary lapse of concentration." 

Mrs Le Gal's advocate, Matthew Jowitt, then asked DC Manners if he had been biased, as he had interviewed Mrs Le Gal before writing his report. He said: "You made up your mind before and were looking for material that would support your beliefs." 

He also mentioned lighting conditions could have been a factor because of the shade from the Britannia Place. He said: "The contrast between the bright sunshine and the area of shade might have caused challenge to the eye." DC Manners agreed but said that there was plenty of contrast as the children were fair-skinned and had light coloured hair and were moving. 

Advocate Jowitt also suggested that Mrs Le Gal's attention might have been diverted by something in Millenium Park. "She remembers glancing to the side, for a short moment her attention was at least part focused on something other than the road. I am going to suggest that there is a possibility she glanced to the right at the moment Clinton crossed the road." 

The Advocate also noted failings in the road design quoting an expert report that said the 'Give way' sign was not obvious to drivers and could easily be missed.

DC Manners's cross examination will continue this afternoon before the prosecution calls its final witness, Dr Alex Stedman. Rebekah Le Gal should then be called to give evidence in her own defence.