A police officer accused of causing the death of a pedestrian was driving so fast he gave himself "no chance to take avoiding action", a court has heard.
Pc David Allen was driving at speeds of up to 75mph in a 30mph zone moments before he struck Ian Hambrey, Leeds Crown Court was told.
Mr Hambrey, 49, was hit by Mr Allen's patrol car on Doncaster Road, Denaby Main, near Doncaster, last year.
The 35-year-old officer denies causing death by dangerous driving.
The jury heard Mr Hambrey was returning home from a night out when he was hit by the patrol car, which was responding to an emergency call.
The court heard the force of the impact scattered some of Mr Hambrey's possessions across the carriageway, including his phone and a training shoe.
The police car came to a stop as it hit a lamppost.
The jury was told Mr Allen had activated the car's flashing lights, but no sirens were being sounded.
Nicholas Barker, prosecuting, said: "The defendant was going too fast in the circumstances. He knew this area as a local police officer and he knew it well.
"As a police officer he knew full well, the Crown say, at around 2.30 on a Sunday morning there would be people around who would be the worse for wear for drink.
"He knew he was driving in a 30mph zone and at that speed he was travelling he gave himself no chance to take avoiding action.
"At the speed of 75mph, the Crown can say, he was an accident waiting to happen. As such his driving fell well below the required standard."
Mr Barker said police officers could exceed the speed limits and pass through traffic lights when responding to an emergency, but safety was paramount.
Mr Allen, who gave his address as South Yorkshire Police Operations Complex in Tinsley, Sheffield, at an earlier hearing, also denies an alternative charge of causing death by careless driving.
BBC News 9 December 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment