Post by Dave on Nov 14, 2012 19:12:20 GMT
I heard a story in the week that made me feel rather unconfortable, in fact it send a small chill down my back as I realized it could have been me, you, or the bloke living next door to me, sitting in the dock facing seven counts of manslaughter.
We live in a world now where someone always has to be found to lay the blame on, heads need to roll and only when that is done, are people happy. Hardly a day goes by when you hear on the news some top government official, or some head of a major corporation, has stepped, down, or been pushed, due to some thing being uncovered etc.
They actually might not always be guilty as charged, lets be honest even the best boss in the world will not always know what his staff is up too all of the time. But the buck has to stop somewhere and more often than not, it’s that man or woman at the very stop where it does stop.
But hey do they really mind that much; they all seem to get some mega pay-off and a pension we can only dream about and how long is it before they are in another top well paid job?
For any major accident or catastrophe to happen, a number of elements must all happen at the same time, if one is missing then it might just be one of those lucky escapes, or as we say, a very close thing. I think it is important to remember that it’s never one single element that is to blame, just the wrong combination of many.
I drive up the M5 twice a week and the reminders are there hanging on an over bridge of what has been described as the as the worst British motorway accident in memory. Seven people lost their lives and 51 were injured on the 4th of November 2011 when 34 vehicles crashed into each other. Witnesses described the visibility on the motorway as very poor where the crash happened, it was a foggy night I believe. But it was far worse at the place the accident took place and that was due to a fireworks display at Taunton Rugby Club in a field close to the M5 motorway. This may well have been that extra element, on another night there might not have been any fog, or the wind blew the smoke in a different direction.
I think it is very important to spare a minute to think of those who did lose their life that night and the impact it has had on all those who did lose a love one. My heart as I’m sure yours does goes out to each and every one of them and they most certainly need to know all the reasons that fatal crash happened.
The Avon and Somerset police said that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute for driver error and therefore no action will be taken against any motorists” and “The CPS also considered the culpability of Taunton Rugby Club and reached the conclusion that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.”
Instead the organizer of the fireworks display has been charged with seven counts of manslaughter, after the he CPS decided there was sufficient evidence to charge him. He did appear in Bristol Court on Monday and did not enter a plea and was released on bail until his next court appearance next month.
I do not know if this was a firework display put on by the rugby club, or if it was one just put on by Geoffrey Counsell in their ground with their permission. One would think that due to the health and safety rules these days, such an event would have needed permission and that also such things as insurance was put in place. If that is the case, did not anyone stop to think how close to the M5 this display was? Another question was this a one off event, or has it happened for a number of years at the rugby club?
Lots of very bad road accidents happen in thick fog, I myself have driven the M5 in the day time and came across patches where I struggled to see for a short while, as some farmer was burning something in a field right beside the M5.
My personal view is that no bonfires, firework displays should ever be allowed to take place close to any major road or motorway. But in this case I struggle to see how the blame can all be laid on one man and I do not think any justice would be served, by sending him to prison for a very long time.
We live in a world now where someone always has to be found to lay the blame on, heads need to roll and only when that is done, are people happy. Hardly a day goes by when you hear on the news some top government official, or some head of a major corporation, has stepped, down, or been pushed, due to some thing being uncovered etc.
They actually might not always be guilty as charged, lets be honest even the best boss in the world will not always know what his staff is up too all of the time. But the buck has to stop somewhere and more often than not, it’s that man or woman at the very stop where it does stop.
But hey do they really mind that much; they all seem to get some mega pay-off and a pension we can only dream about and how long is it before they are in another top well paid job?
For any major accident or catastrophe to happen, a number of elements must all happen at the same time, if one is missing then it might just be one of those lucky escapes, or as we say, a very close thing. I think it is important to remember that it’s never one single element that is to blame, just the wrong combination of many.
I drive up the M5 twice a week and the reminders are there hanging on an over bridge of what has been described as the as the worst British motorway accident in memory. Seven people lost their lives and 51 were injured on the 4th of November 2011 when 34 vehicles crashed into each other. Witnesses described the visibility on the motorway as very poor where the crash happened, it was a foggy night I believe. But it was far worse at the place the accident took place and that was due to a fireworks display at Taunton Rugby Club in a field close to the M5 motorway. This may well have been that extra element, on another night there might not have been any fog, or the wind blew the smoke in a different direction.
I think it is very important to spare a minute to think of those who did lose their life that night and the impact it has had on all those who did lose a love one. My heart as I’m sure yours does goes out to each and every one of them and they most certainly need to know all the reasons that fatal crash happened.
The Avon and Somerset police said that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute for driver error and therefore no action will be taken against any motorists” and “The CPS also considered the culpability of Taunton Rugby Club and reached the conclusion that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.”
Instead the organizer of the fireworks display has been charged with seven counts of manslaughter, after the he CPS decided there was sufficient evidence to charge him. He did appear in Bristol Court on Monday and did not enter a plea and was released on bail until his next court appearance next month.
I do not know if this was a firework display put on by the rugby club, or if it was one just put on by Geoffrey Counsell in their ground with their permission. One would think that due to the health and safety rules these days, such an event would have needed permission and that also such things as insurance was put in place. If that is the case, did not anyone stop to think how close to the M5 this display was? Another question was this a one off event, or has it happened for a number of years at the rugby club?
Lots of very bad road accidents happen in thick fog, I myself have driven the M5 in the day time and came across patches where I struggled to see for a short while, as some farmer was burning something in a field right beside the M5.
My personal view is that no bonfires, firework displays should ever be allowed to take place close to any major road or motorway. But in this case I struggle to see how the blame can all be laid on one man and I do not think any justice would be served, by sending him to prison for a very long time.
We need to acknowledge that Barton Downs is in a strong bargaining position. A couple of months without him posting and most of us would be willing to crawl to Sheffield begging him to return.
