how can I find out details of fatal road traffic involving friend?

littlerock
littlerock Posts: 1,774 Forumite
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in Motoring
Someone I know quite well was recently involved in a local road traffic accident, as a pedestrian and received injuries from which she has since died when a car mounted the pavement..That is all I know. I don't know how the car came to do this or why. Maybe speeding, maybe a chase. The site is near me and the damage horrendous.

I don't want to start quizzing her family at such a difficult time but do feel I would like to know how such a tragic accident happened. The thing is the police released no information on the day, despite closing the road for several hours and only minimal information the next day although they did say no one had been charged and her family were aware.The accident is not listed on their online record of major road accidents locally although more recent ones are.

Several local people are wondering online whether there is some sort of incident blackout on the incident. why might this be? and are road traffic accidents on the public highway in the public domain? could i ask the police for information in what happened. it was in the early evening and such a busy road there must have been witnesses.
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  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
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    edited 10 January 2018 at 6:05PM
    Deleted as it turned out the one I was referring to wasn't the one the OP meant.
  • robpw2
    robpw2 Posts: 14,044 Forumite
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    littlerock wrote: »
    Someone I know quite well was recently involved in a local road traffic accident, as a pedestrian and received injuries from which she has since died when a car mounted the pavement..That is all I know. I don't know how the car came to do this or why. Maybe speeding, maybe a chase. The site is near me and the damage horrendous.

    I don't want to start quizzing her family at such a difficult time but do feel I would like to know how such a tragic accident happened. The thing is the police released no information on the day, despite closing the road for several hours and only minimal information the next day although they did say no one had been charged and her family were aware.The accident is not listed on their online record of major road accidents locally although more recent ones are.

    Several local people are wondering online whether there is some sort of incident blackout on the incident. why might this be? and are road traffic accidents on the public highway in the public domain? could i ask the police for information in what happened. it was in the early evening and such a busy road there must have been witnesses.

    I understand your interest but wait and see and stuff will get relaeased when they are ready


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  • elsien
    elsien Posts: 32,720 Forumite
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    edited 9 January 2018 at 7:44PM
    Why do you want to know, other than morbid curiosity?

    Maybe the police are still investigating, maybe people are respecting the person's/families privacy until any inquest, trial or whatever.

    The police don't automatically release potentially speculative information straight away as that does more harm than good. And they have better things to do than answer general queries until they've actually got something to say. Let it go. Let her family grieve in peace. The information will be in the public domain in due course.
    All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

    Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.
  • daveyjp
    daveyjp Posts: 12,519 Forumite
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    As there has been a death there will have to be a full investigation and inquest.

    It will probably take many months before the full details are revealed.
  • Warwick_Hunt
    Warwick_Hunt Posts: 1,179 Forumite
    daveyjp wrote: »
    As there has been a death there will have to be a full investigation and inquest.

    It will probably take many months before the full details are revealed.

    And that could entail the police doing the bare minimum and the coroner simply reading the report. On the other hand if there is a crown court trial there won’t be an inquest.
  • daveyjp
    daveyjp Posts: 12,519 Forumite
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    A trial does not mean no inquest, they are separate processes with different reasons for being held.
  • Warwick_Hunt
    Warwick_Hunt Posts: 1,179 Forumite
    daveyjp wrote: »
    A trial does not mean no inquest

    A conviction will.
  • angrycrow
    angrycrow Posts: 1,078 Forumite
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    If there is to be a criminal trial the norm for the case to come to trial is over 12 months. Very little will be released to the public prior to the trial so that the jury do not form an opinion of the case pre trial. I have seen cases take more than 2 years to come to trial if they are complex or the defendent messes about and abuses the court process.
  • Warwick_Hunt
    Warwick_Hunt Posts: 1,179 Forumite
    angrycrow wrote: »
    If there is to be a criminal trial the norm for the case to come to trial is over 12 months. Very little will be released to the public prior to the trial so that the jury do not form an opinion of the case pre trial. I have seen cases take more than 2 years to come to trial if they are complex or the defendent messes about and abuses the court process.

    And your source for that is?
  • angrycrow
    angrycrow Posts: 1,078 Forumite
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    Warwick_Hunt wrote: »
    And your source for that is?
    Dealing with them as part of my job would be the source. They are never pleasant afairs to deal with.
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