Safe Speed Forums

You can't really prosecute a corpse, so I'm assuming you mean that both drivers survive?

It won't stop the texts being sent by accident, but if you store a "safe" number (e.g. your own mobile number) as the first entry in your contacts, at least it'll stop such errant texts/calls being routed to unwilling recipients.

there's no defence angle given there to suggest she wasn't texting.. in fact there's no defence side given at all (balanced journalism anyone?).

whilst running a red on any form of transport is clearly illegal, surely its just the kind of hazard an alert drive is on the lookout for? be it car, cycle or pedestrian.

Controversial case, texting driver kills red light cyclist.

I read the story, where does it suggest the cyclist had jumped a red light?


Edit, I see in the continued story that he had stopped, but then carried on through the red light, but I wonder how you got to this conclusion from the first story?

Mr Jenkins alleged that shortly before the crash, her estranged husband had sent her a text. It read: "I hope ur up, have no bread if you want a sandwich, just let me know."

DC Stephen Case described how he had determined their order and timing after examining her Samsung mobile phone.

The officer - who is based with the communications intelligence unit at Netley - was handed a summary of the network times of phone calls and messages on her phone.

The sequence began at 7.08.08 with a text message from Chris Coultas to his estranged wife. Forty-seven seconds later she sent a text back.

The court heard Coultas then dialled her current boyfriend but no message was recorded, either because she terminated it or there was no connection, and then immediately phoned the emergency services.

I read the story, where does it suggest the cyclist had jumped a red light?


Edit, I see in the continued story that he had stopped, but then carried on through the red light, but I wonder how you got to this conclusion from the first story?

Jurors heard that Jordan, who lived in Woolston Road, Netley, had momentarily stopped at the traffic lights but then went through them when they were red.

Hang on, if she was writing a text message at the time of the accident it wouldn't have been sent. Sending it requires pressing the send button. Then it takes at least 5 seconds for the phone to open a channel to the cell site and send the message.
This is strange.

Daily Echo News
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Death crash driver denies sending text
By John Hoskins

Kiera Coultas
A HOTEL manageress who knocked down a teenage cyclist in a fatal accident at a major Southampton road junction has denied she was texting her estranged husband at the time.

Kiera Coultas rejected the prosecution's case that she had been responsible for the accident because she was speeding and not paying attention to the road.

It is alleged that Coultas was replying to a text message from her estranged husband when the accident happened shortly after 7am on February 7 last year at the junction of Mountbatten Way and West Quay Road.

It is accepted by both the prosecution and defence that the victim - who had not been wearing a crash helmet - had gone through red lights in Mountbatten Way.

He was about two thirds over the junction when he was struck by Coultas's BMW. She has admitted she was doing 45mph in a 30mph limit when she drove out of West Quay Road.

Jordan Wickington, 19, who lived in Woolston Road, Netley, died hours later in hospital from head injuries.

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Coultas admitted at Southampton Crown Court that she had received three fixed penalty tickets for speeding - two of them were committed in West Quay Road.

She told jurors she had spent the night with her boyfriend at his Ocean Village house and was going back home to pick up her daughter so her husband could go to work.

"I was under no pressure of time to get there,'' she told the court.

At the junction, the lights in West Quay Road were green and as she looked to her right, she saw stationary cars in Mountbatten Way.

The next thing I remember was something in front of me. It was a bike and rider on the windscreen.
Kiera Coultas

Wiping away tears, she told the court: "The next thing I remember was something in front of me. It was a bike and rider on the windscreen.'' Asked by defence lawyer Ian Hope whether she had time to take evasive action, she replied: "No.'' He asked her: "Did you text your husband while you were driving that car that morning?'' She answered: "No.'' Mr Hope asked: "Could you possibly have texted him before you got into the car that morning?'' Coultas replied: "Quite possibly.'' The court has been told her phone was seized by the police after the accident and she told jurors the first she knew of her husband's text was in June when she was re-interviewed.

In cross-examination, prosecutor David Jenkins questioned why she had not seen the cyclist.

Coultas said: "I think there are quite a lot of reasons. The time of day, the clothing he was wearing.'' Mr Jenkins concluded by asking Coultas: "I suggest you were making a text message and as a result you were not paying attention to the road.'' She replied: "I don't agree.'' The barrister then suggested: "This accident was caused by a combination of errors - one, your excessive speed; two, you were not paying attention to the road.'' Again she replied: "I don't agree.'' Coultas, of Frost Lane, Hythe, denies causing death by dangerous driving.

The court has been told her phone was seized by the police after the accident.

choose your arguments more carefully wee

The barrister then suggested: "This accident was caused by a combination of errors - one, your excessive speed; two, you were not paying attention to the road.''

Coultas said: "I think there are quite a lot of reasons. The time of day, the clothing he was wearing.'' Mr Jenkins concluded by asking Coultas: "I suggest you were making a text message and as a result you were not paying attention to the road.'' She replied: "I don't agree.'' The barrister then suggested: "This accident was caused by a combination of errors - one, your excessive speed; two, you were not paying attention to the road.'' Again she replied: "I don't agree.'' Coultas, of Frost Lane, Hythe, denies causing death by dangerous driving.

Mr Jenkins seems a very partial prosecutor, doesn't he?

Apparently in his rather bizarre world it is perfectly acceptable for cyclists to drive through red lights in the teeth of oncoming traffic!

How could speed possibly have played any part in causing this accident?

If somebody gets hit at 10mph though the results are likely to very very different.

Also, the faster you go the further you travel whilst not looking, if you're not looking.

If I'm going 30 and look down for five seconds I'll have travelled so far, if I'm going 45 I will have travelled much further, increasing the statistical chances of coming across something in my path.

Both are silly things to do mind you.

How could speed possibly have played any part in causing this accident?