Sally Jacobs says inquiry into death of Derek, 83, killed after breakdown in live lane, has been stymied by National Highways intervention
The widow of a man killed on a smart motorway is to boycott his long-awaited inquest because it will be a “whitewash” as National Highways “will not be held to account”, the Telegraph can reveal.
Derek Jacobs, 83, was killed in 2019 on the M1 near Sheffield when his van suffered a burst tyre and he had to stop on the inside live lane where the hard shoulder had been scrapped.
A Ford Ka hit the part-time engineer’s van propelling it into him and crushing him against a barrier.
Charles Scripps, a 78-year-old passenger in the Ford was also killed when it was hit by a coach. The driver of the Ford survived.
After waiting four years for her husband’s inquest, Sally Jacobs, 85, claims it is “disgraceful and disappointing” that the coroner has decided not to extend the scope of the hearing to consider the state’s responsibility to preserve a citizen’s right to life.
pdf of full article here
link to telegraph article here
Truly Awful if the government department has laid influence over the coroner.
The Coroner should be allowed to weigh up all the facts and deliver an honest outcome.
TBH.I would rather go to the inquest to ensure the argument is heard rather than boycott and give them the easy win with no challenge.