2014 Glasgow bin lorry crash

2014 fatal incident in Scotland March 2024 January 2019 March 2025 Glasgow bin lorry crash Bin-lorry-crash-George-Square-235144.jpg 250px View down Queen Street towards George Square shortly after the accident 22 December 2014 14:30 GMT Queen Street, Glasgow, Scotland 55 51 36 N 04 15 06 W type:event inline,title 6 15 On 22 December 2014 a bin lorry collided with pedestrians in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland, killing six and injuring fifteen others.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33688361 Glasgow bin lorry crash: Speed limited reaction time 28 July 2015 BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-30573149 Glasgow bin lorry crash BBC News 23 December 2014http://news.sky.com/story/1396275/bin-lorry-crashes-into-shoppers-six-dead Bin Lorry Crashes Into Shoppers: Six Dead Sky News 23 December 2014https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-30583678 Bin lorry deaths: Glasgow crash killed five females and male BBC News 23 December 2014 23 December 2014https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-30593158 Glasgow bin lorry crash: Archbishop cried with bereaved family BBC News 25 December 2014 24 December 2014 The driver of the council-owned vehicle, Harry Clarke, said he had passed out at the wheel. A similar blackout had happened to him in the driving seat of a bus. He had not disclosed that incident on his heavy goods vehicle licence renewal application, despite such self-reporting being mandatory. Clarke was officially told he would not face further prosecution, causing protests from victims' families at the way the case had been handled. In October 2015 it was reported that Clarke had been arrested on suspicion of driving without a licence in September 2015.No vehicle fault in Glasgow bin lorry crash inquiry told https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33609329 22 July 2015 BBC News 22 July 2015 Four years previously, two pedestrians were killed in the city when a driver experienced a 'blackout' while driving and drove into them on the pavement. Incident The accident occurred in Queen Street at around 14:30 GMT. The 26-tonne vehicle was being driven by 58-year-old Harry Clarke, with two crew members seated in the rear compartment, separated from the front by a railing. While travelling north, Clarke blacked out just after the traffic lights at the Gallery of Modern Art. After mounting the pavement the lorry travelled for 19 seconds, striking pedestrians, initially accelerating to 25 mph km/h on before dropping to 19 mph km/h on and 10 mph km/h on as it struck walls and other street furniture. It came to rest part-way into an alley between the entrance to Glasgow Queen Street railway station and a hotel.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33968040 Glasgow bin lorry crash inquiry: What have we learned? 28 August 2015 BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33674941 Glasgow bin lorry killed six people in 19 seconds 27 July 2015 BBC News The pedestrian collisions resulted in six deaths and 15 injuries. The six dead were a family of three from Dumbarton (18-year-old Erin McQuade and her grandparents, Jack and Lorraine Sweeney); two Glaswegian women, 29-year-old Stephenie Tait and 51-year-old Jacqueline Morton; and 52-year-old Gillian Ewing, originally from Edinburgh. Rail services at the station continued and were accessed through alternative entrances in Dundas and North Hanover Streets.Glasgow evening Times, 22, December 2014 From shock to respect: Glasgow mourns victims of bin lorry crash Investigation At a meeting between representatives of Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), the Health and Safety Executive and others the day after the accident, it was concluded that the incident was to be treated as a road traffic accident and thus should be investigated by the police as the proper regulator (as opposed to the HSE for any offences under Health and Safety law).https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33974460 Glasgow bin lorry crash: Inspector denies 'hasty' decision 18 August 2015 BBC News Having been admitted to the Western Infirmary after the crash, Clarke was discharged on 7 January 2015. He was eventually diagnosed as having suffered neurocardiogenic syncope, a fainting episode caused by drop in blood pressure. He waived the anonymity he was given immediately after the incident and released a statement in a newspaper on 5 February to the effect that he had been unconscious and had no memory of the crash.Glasgow bin lorry deaths: Driver 'has no memory of crash' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-31146892 9 February 2015 BBC News 5 February 2015 After the police investigation, which did not involve Clarke giving a police statement,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33182887 Glasgow bin lorry crash driver to answer FAI questions 18 June 2015 BBC News on 25 February 2015 the Crown Office concluded that no criminal charges would be brought against either Clarke or the council. It had been determined that as he was unconscious Clarke did not "have the necessary criminal state of mind required for a criminal prosecution" and also that no breaches of Health and Safety law had occurred. It was, however, decided that a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) would be held to determine the cause of the crash and establish what lessons could be learned.Glasgow bin lorry crash: No criminal charges over tragedy https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-31628698 25 February 2015 BBC News 25 February 2015 The inquiry would examine three main aspects – Clarke's health and training, the safety of the vehicle and the safety of the route.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-32286821 Bin lorry crash inquiry details set out 13 April 2015 BBC News On 25 June 2015 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) withdrew Clarke's car-driving licence for medical reasons and banned him from driving heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) for ten years.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-34438129 Bin lorry crash driver Harry Clarke arrested over road ban 4 October 2015 BBC News The inquiry began at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 22 July 2015 before Sheriff John Beckett QC. Evidence to the inquiry found there were no mechanical faults with the vehicle and that the other two crew members would have been unable to apply the handbrake because they were wearing their seatbelts. No other safety devices were fitted to the vehicle that would have allowed a crew member not in the driver's seat to stop the vehicle.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33650771 Expert could reach brake on crashed Glasgow bin lorry BBC News 25 July 2015 25 July 2015 The inquiry also revealed that Clarke's medical history contained episodes of dizziness and fainting dating from the 1970s and that he had previously suffered a blackout while at the wheel of a First Glasgow bus, which was in service but stationary at a bus stop.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33732335 Glasgow bin lorry crash driver had 'dizziness for decades' 31 July 2015 BBC News It was stated that Clarke had been passed fit to return to work as a bus driver owing to failures by both the bus company's doctor and Clarke's general practitioner (GP) to spot that Clarke had changed his account of events, telling the GP that the episode had occurred in the canteen, which the GP then attributed to the hot conditions and deemed to be unlikely to be repeated.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33861475 Glasgow bin lorry crash: 'Lack of diligence' from medics 11 August 2015 BBC News 11 August 2015 The inquiry further found that Clarke had subsequently lied about this medical history, both when he applied for a large goods vehicle (LGV) licence from the DVLA in Swansea and in his job application to Glasgow City Council. As a result, Clarke was suspended by the council on 6 August 2015."Glasgow bin lorry crash driver suspended by city council". The Guardian. 6 August 2015. "Glasgow bin lorry crash: Driver 'not fit to drive'", 7 August 2015 In giving evidence the DVLA admitted its self-declaration system had a weakness, since it allowed applicants to be assessed by either an employer-appointed occupational-health doctor or their own GP, and occupational-health doctors would not usually have access to the applicant's medical records.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33906865 Glasgow bin lorry crash: No DVLA prosecution of driver 13 August 2015 BBC News In August 2015 the head of the inquiry reiterated that the February 2015 decision not to file criminal charges still stood, clarifying that "this covered all aspects of Mr Clarke's driving and any false information he had given to doctors, the DVLA and Glasgow City Council about his medical history."https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33883903 Glasgow bin lorry crash: Driver may be tried in England 12 August 2015 BBC News This was followed by confirmation that a possible prosecution in the jurisdiction of England and Wales by the DVLA for the non-disclosure to them would not be pursued either. During the fifth week of the inquiry, with Clarke still to give evidence, the family of one of the dead applied for an adjournment of up to three months in order to pursue a private prosecution against Clarke for dangerous driving, on the basis that the evidence so far showed unfitness to drive owing to a medical condition. The move was opposed by the family of one of the other victims but supported by those of the remaining four. After further discussions with the other families they decided to drop the motion while still intending to pursue the private prosecution. A subsequent motion by Clarke's lawyer to have the inquiry halted was dismissed as being against the public interest. Owing to the prospect of the private prosecution, when the inquiry resumed Clarke was warned by the Sheriff that he did not have to answer incriminating questions. On giving evidence Clarke declined to answer all questions save some that dealt with his recollections of the crash, leading to some of the families walking out of the inquiry.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33959101 Glasgow bin lorry crash: Families intend to prosecute driver 18 August 2015 BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33989738 Glasgow bin lorry crash: Inquiry delay bid dropped 19 August 2015 BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-34000965 Glasgow bin lorry crash: Driver Harry Clarke refuses to answer questions 20 August 2015 BBC News The inquiry was adjourned on 28 August, with the Sheriff anticipating reporting his findings by January 2016, although this could be delayed if it were deemed it would be prejudicial to the planned private prosecution. Upon closure the Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland, reiterated the defence of the decision not to prosecute Clarke for the reasons previously given, explaining that the decision had been based on the fact the Crown would have had to prove Clarke would have known he was unfit to drive, something they doubted could be done based on a number of factors – his four-year history of episode-free driving after the 2010 incident, the fact that First Glasgow's occupational-health doctor had cleared him to drive after the 2010 incident and told him he need not notify the DVLA and the fact that First had given the council an acceptable reference. Citing DVLA procedures, he also pointed out that even if the DVLA had been notified of the 2010 incident "the worst that could have happened" was a maximum 12-month suspension and a return of his licence if there were no further concerns, and that the DVLA had returned Clarke's licence even after the 2014 crash. Based on this lack of evidence, he cast doubt on the prospect of a court granting authority for a private prosecution.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-34085444 Law chief says no bin lorry prosecution was 'right decision' 28 August 2015 BBC News The inquiry determined that no reference from First to the council could be found despite a detailed search. On 4 October 2015 Clarke was arrested for allegedly driving a car on 20 September, in contravention of the withdrawal his car licence in June. He resigned from his post on 30 October, shortly before he was due to attend a disciplinary hearing to consider reports that he had failed to disclose issues in relation to his health.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-34677791 Glasgow bin lorry crash: Driver resigns from council job 30 October 2015 BBC News On 9 December 2016, the bereaved families were told that private prosecution for Clarke has been ruled out.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-38255436 Glasgow bin lorry crash prosecution ruled out 9 December 2016 BBC News Vehicle In January 2018, an investigation by SWD Media found that Glasgow City Council was still in possession of the green DAF CF 75-310 bin lorry. The vehicle was purchased in April 2016 for an undisclosed fee – the lorry's lease had been due to end on 22 March 2018.2018-01-19 Glasgow City Council buy leased bin lorry driven by Harry Clarke SWD Media en-GB SWD Media https://swd.media/articles/glasgow-city-council-buy-leased-bin-lorry-driven-harry-clarke-1-12214/ 2018-01-19 The vehicle had been stored in a secret location since the Fatal Accident Enquiry concluded in December 2015INQUIRY INTO THE FATAL ACCIDENTS AND SUDDEN DEATHS INQUIRY (SCOTLAND) ACT 1976 INTO THE DEATHS OF JOHN KERR SWEENEY, LORRAINE SWEENEY, ERIN PAULA MCQUADE, STEPHENIE CATHERINE TAIT, GILLIAN MARGARET EWING AND JACQUELINE MORTON https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/search-judgments/judgment?id=e916fba6-8980-69d2-b500-ff0000d74aa7 2021-05-21 www.scotcourts.gov.uk and although repairable, council chiefs had always hoped to buy the vehicle outright and scrap it out of respect to the victims’ families. A council spokesman confirmed: "Our position remains the same – we feel it is inappropriate to put the vehicle back on the road". Reactions Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave a statement following the accident saying that her "thoughts are with everyone involved in this tragic incident, and especially with the friends and families of the six people who lost their lives in what is another sad day for Glasgow and Scotland".https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/scotland/438852/first-minister-nicola-sturgeon-extends-sympathy-victims-glasgow-bin-lorry-crash/ First Minister Nicola Sturgeon extends sympathy to victims of Glasgow bin lorry crash The Press and Journal Shona Gossip 25 December 2014 22 December 2014 The Scottish Labour leader, Jim Murphy, the Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, the Opposition leader, Ed Miliband, Queen Elizabeth IIhttps://uk.news.yahoo.com/glasgow-mourns-victims-bin-truck-tragedy-002857741.html Glasgow mourns victims of bin truck tragedy Yahoo! News 25 December 2014 24 December 2014 AFP and leading Scottish religious figures all publicly expressed their condolences. Many compared it to the helicopter crash in the city the previous December. Bereaved families In a BBC television documentary broadcast, relatives of the victims and survivors of the incident maintained that they had been told by a Crown Office official in one to one meetings that Clarke's prior blackout happened in a canteen, instead the driving seat of a bus, and that his obesity and lack of intelligence were major factors in not charging him.BBC News Scotland 3 November 2015 Glasgow bin lorry crash families speak out in BBC documentaryInterviews in "Lies, Laws and the Bin Lorry Tragedy" broadcast on BBC 1 Scotland, 11 November 2015. Memorials On the day following the crash all flags on Scottish Government buildings were flown at half-mast; the Christmas lights on George Square were switched off and the attractions closed as a mark of respect. A special service was held in St George's–Tron Church the same day. Further special services were held at Glasgow's St Andrew's Cathedral and Glasgow Cathedral on 24 December. An appeal fund for the victims was set up with initial contributions from the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and the office of the Lord Provost of Glasgow.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/11311969/Glasgow-bin-lorry-crash-victims-fund-launches-with-60000-boost.html Glasgow bin lorry crash victims' fund launches with £60,000 boost The Daily Telegraph London 24 December 2014 25 December 2014 Walton Gregory Previous similar incident In the aftermath of the incident, media attention drew parallels with a similar previous fatalities to pedestrians in Glasgow city centre, in which two girls were killed on a 2010 Christmas shopping trip by a Range Rover that hit them on the pavement in North Hanover Street. The mothers said they were still waiting for the Crown Office to do their job.Herald Scotland, 13 February 2014, Driver 'had no blackout history' Retrieved 8 February 2015Daily Record and Sunday Mail, Julie-Anne Barnes, 11 January 2015, Mums of tragic girls killed by unconscious driver in Glasgow tragedy tell of anger at delays into crash probe Retrieved 8 February 2015 Charges against the driver of the Range Rover, a 53-year-old man, were dropped.BBC News GLASGOW & WEST SCOTLAND, 5 November 2013 Mhairi Convy and Laura Stewart road deaths case droppedHerald Scotland, 13 February 2014, Driver 'had no blackout history' Retrieved 8 February 2015 He testified at an official inquiry that prior to the incident in which the girls were killed he had suffered blackouts, and the deaths were as a result of him suffering a loss of consciousness owing to an undiagnosed medical condition, which he had failed to disclose when submitting his driving licence application. The case received a great deal of newspaper and television publicity when the inquiry ended in November 2014 and the bereaved families called for him to face charges. STV, 19 November 2014, Families of two friends killed in crash call for driver to be prosecutedSTV, (news video and transcript) Fatal crash driver 'should have had licence suspended at the time'BBC News GLASGOW & WEST SCOTLAND, 19 November 2014, Parents want blackout death driver William Payne prosecuted References Glasgow bin lorry crash Glasgow bin lorry crash Glasgow Category:2010s road incidents in the United Kingdom Category:2010s in Glasgow Category:December 2014 in the United Kingdom Category:Disasters in Glasgow Category:Road incidents in Scotland