Car Crackers

Man's love of his motor car is almost overwhelming for some ..... 

Man Potty About Cars

.... and when this is challenged in some way, they lose whatever common sense they had in the first place .... the following are just illustrations of the bad choices cars some drive people to ...

Tragic Driving

When is it wrong to drive? .... If you are blind, no question that you should stop driving .... but what about other conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis? Its a question that faced Tyson Haynes, a 53 year old, from Brockley, southeast London, who opted to continue driving with this medical condition. 

The results were predictably tragic, when on the evening of the 13th of January 2019, he was was “persistently speeding” in the area for around ten minutes before the accident, and had been travelling at 67mph on the 30mph road just seconds before he crashed, hitting 23 year old Nicole Newman, as she pushed her eight-month-old baby Luciano Bianco-Newman in a pram ... her partner had just crossed the road and saw the car hit them. Both mother and baby died, the mother at the scene and the child 7 days later .... Haynes own child was in the car but was unhurt.

Haynes pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving during a brief hearing at the Old Bailey on the 13th October 2021, but denied the alternative more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving (this plea was accepted after discussion with the victims families - it was in the "public interest" in light of the defendant's medical condition). Sentencing was deferred until Mr Haynes could be brought to court (Covid restrictions were still in force) ... 

But eventually he reappeared in court and Judge Richard Marks QC, the Common Serjeant of London jailed Haynes for 33 months, and said: “The word ‘tragic’ is much overused but if ever a case could properly be so described, this is such a case. I’m aware no sentence that I can impose in this case can bring Nicole and the little boy back, and nor will any sentence seem remotely adequate to the family. The family are unsurprisingly utterly devastated". Haynes was by then wheelchair bound and predicted to have only 4 years to live.

Wasted Justice

Another fool wanting a longer sentence is Luke Cunningham, who had a 28 month driving ban in place after already injuring two other people, while speeding in his dads car (note, no prison time). 

He was stopped by the police, driving a car while the driving ban was still in force and then pretended to be his own brother. When caught out, he got charged with driving while disqualified, perverting the course of justice, and driving while uninsured. The sentence? Why a pitiful 4 months in jail, and another 26 month driving ban. He was probably back on the street by the time the ink was dry on the judgement paper .... and maybe back in a car ... he's another accident just waiting to happen.

Pumping Iron

Can't leave Florida Man out of this can I? ...... Hunter Bleich was arrested in Florida after he was reported by the attendants at a petrol station, for kicking and punching the gas pump. 

Hunter Bleich - A Florida Man

He told the police deputies that he was angry over a row with his girlfriend, and just decided to vent his rage on the defenceless pumps. He faced a disorderly conduct charge .... but a temper like that is not one you would like to see used in a car, or indeed on his girlfriend.

The Work Of A Moment

Alan Porter of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England had a clean driving licence. He had kept it like this for 40 years when in a moment of panic he sped through some red lights.

As is always the way with these things, this one indiscretion was caught on CCTV film and he duly received a £100 fine and some penalty points in the post. However he appealed on the grounds that he had been in a funeral procession following the hearse, when he had got caught the wrong side of the lights and feared losing the hearse. The police have refused to rescind the fine leaving Mr Porter very aggrieved 'Drivers stopped to let us through. It is outrageous that locals paid respects but not the police'.

In A Hurry To Meet God

Mind You some of those hearses can really travel ..... one in Ireland was filmed overtaking a number of vehicles along a country road  as it weaved in to the oncoming lane to get past the slow moving minibus near Spanish Point in County Clare, Northern Ireland ....

Speeding Hearse In Ireland

As some wag said .... 'Someone is dying to get there and someone else died to get there!'