Life ban for illegal drug drivers, says crash survivor
Leeds, England – A bus driver who narrowly escaped serious injury in a head-on collision with a convicted supplier of Class-C drugs said today that people caught driving on illegal drugs should get a mandatory life ban from driving.
Raymond Smith, 52, of Sheffield was returning his empty bus to the depot in June 2008 just before midnight at the close of his shift when he noticed a speeding, oncoming car lose control and spin onto his side of the road before colliding with the front of his single deck bus.
“If I hadn’t seen the car coming, I’d have lost both my legs. But I guess instinct took over, I had a split second to pull the handbrake and slid my legs to the side, out of the way,” said Mr Smith. “Honestly, at the time, I thought ‘This is it’. I thought I was going to die right there.”
Even though he had moved away from the point of impact, Mr Smith’s right leg was still trapped under the dashboard, which he had to kick free to get out of the cab. Fire services, ambulance and police attended the scene. Evidence found lead to charges later being successfully brought for possession and intent to supply Class C drugs.
“It’s a chance in million that these things happen, but even then, it happens too often. Drink drivers get the book thrown at them, and rightly so. But I think drivers who get high on illegal drugs and get behind the wheel should be banned for life,” said Mr Smith. “Period.”
Mr Smith contact his representative at Unite the Union, who put him in touch with Jason London at Morrish Solicitors.
“Because the other vehicle had no third party insurance, we lodged his injury compensation claim with the Motor Insurer’s Bureau’s Uninsured Drivers Scheme,” explains London, referring to the independent body, authorised by the Department of Transport, to compensate victims of negligent motorists.
“The MIB has settled compensation with Mr Smith for injuries caused through the uninsured driver’s negligence.”
“Ironically, I understand one of the passengers in the other vehicle suffered brain damage in the accident, and in theory could also be able to make an application for compensation against that driver through the MIB,” said London today.
Ends.
For further information, please contact Vanessa Charters at Morrish Solicitors on 0113 297 9844.
