Braintree ambulance driver cleared over 999 crash death

Braintree ambulance driver cleared over 999 crash death

An ambulance driver has been cleared of causing the death of a 77-year-old man through careless driving.

Faye Parson was on an emergency call in Danbury, Essex when her ambulance struck dentist Dr Michael Daly on a pelican crossing.

Dr Daly died following the accident, in February 2016. Ms Parson, 41, of Braintree, denied the charge saying he had stepped out from behind a van.

And, a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court found her not guilty.

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A data processor fitted to the ambulance showed it was travelling at 29mph (47km/h) in a 30mph (48km/h) limit immediately before the collision, on 4 February 2016.

Its blue lights were on and its siren was armed for use, but the device was not capable of recording whether the siren was used, the court was told.

Ms Parson put her blue lights on before the collision with Dr Daly, the jurors, who took 41 minutes to reach their verdict, heard.

She had pulled into the wrong lane to overtake a queue of traffic as she approached the pedestrian crossing on the A414 Main Road in the village of Danbury in Essex, Peter Clement, prosecuting, said.

The court was told how Dr Daly suffered severe brain injuries and was taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting, London by air ambulance.

His life support machine was switched off four months later, after he contracted the MRSA superbug and suffered a cardiac arrest.

Original Article