Teh One Who Knocks
08-17-2012, 10:51 AM
By Rick Dewsbury - The Daily Mail
These are just some of the ghoulish drivers who were caught on camera slowing down to take pictures of a lorry crash in which a young woman was fighting for her life.
Police officers attending the 'horrific' accident on the M1 in Northamptonshire were shocked to see drivers crawling along the to get a better look at the scene and take pictures.
The quick-thinking officers set up their own camera and recorded all the motorists on the opposite carriageway who used their phones while driving - itself an offence.
As the police caught the careless drivers, the 21-year-old female trucker lay trapped inside her wagon for four-and-a-half hours battling to stay alive.
http://i.imgur.com/GfjwG.jpg
A staggering 80 people were seen using their camera phones to get a picture of the smash.
Police have now released some of the images and sent letters to the owners of the cars warning them that they were committing an offence and highlighting the dangers of their behaviour.
It is believed to be the first time in the country a force has carried out such an operation.
Sergeant Nick Gray, from the Collision Investigation Unit said: 'After completing our investigations at the scene of the collision, we were astonished to see so many motorists using their mobile phones to capture an image of what was a horrific collision.
'Because of how badly the driver was trapped, we had a period of four hours before we could continue with our work and after witnessing the number of people using mobile phones decided to use a camera to film motorists travelling on the opposite carriageway.
http://i.imgur.com/cmc0L.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/j38r0.jpg
'During those four hours we filmed 80 motorists using their phones to capture images of the collision.'
The lorry crashed between junctions 15 and 16 on the southbound stretch of the busy motorway at 6.20am.
It was reported at the time that the crash happened when a blue Suzuki Ingnis was stationary on the hard shoulder.
The was closed for 11 hours as emergency services battled to save the woman's life. It eventually reopened at 5.20pm.
Sgt Gray said that in a number of cases the motorists who were caught taking pictures were using a company vehicle. The employers received the letters from the police.
http://i.imgur.com/ru2g7.png
He added: 'The employers have contacted us requesting more information so they can take internal disciplinary action'.
He said the Force had taken the decision not to prosecute the motorists in a bid to educate them about the consequences of using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.
He added: 'Using your mobile phone while driving can and does lead to serious injury, and sometimes fatal, road traffic collisions.
'The drivers photographed showed a total disregard for the law and the devastation which would be caused to their own or another family in a fatal road traffic collision.
Many of the drivers photographed would class themselves as ''professional drivers''.
'I am astounded that people not only use their mobile phones to talk on while driving, but would also use them to take pictures, especially at the scene of such a serious road traffic collision.
'It is every motorists responsibility to make sure they follow the law and no phone call, picture or text message is important than risking your own, or other road users lives.'
These are just some of the ghoulish drivers who were caught on camera slowing down to take pictures of a lorry crash in which a young woman was fighting for her life.
Police officers attending the 'horrific' accident on the M1 in Northamptonshire were shocked to see drivers crawling along the to get a better look at the scene and take pictures.
The quick-thinking officers set up their own camera and recorded all the motorists on the opposite carriageway who used their phones while driving - itself an offence.
As the police caught the careless drivers, the 21-year-old female trucker lay trapped inside her wagon for four-and-a-half hours battling to stay alive.
http://i.imgur.com/GfjwG.jpg
A staggering 80 people were seen using their camera phones to get a picture of the smash.
Police have now released some of the images and sent letters to the owners of the cars warning them that they were committing an offence and highlighting the dangers of their behaviour.
It is believed to be the first time in the country a force has carried out such an operation.
Sergeant Nick Gray, from the Collision Investigation Unit said: 'After completing our investigations at the scene of the collision, we were astonished to see so many motorists using their mobile phones to capture an image of what was a horrific collision.
'Because of how badly the driver was trapped, we had a period of four hours before we could continue with our work and after witnessing the number of people using mobile phones decided to use a camera to film motorists travelling on the opposite carriageway.
http://i.imgur.com/cmc0L.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/j38r0.jpg
'During those four hours we filmed 80 motorists using their phones to capture images of the collision.'
The lorry crashed between junctions 15 and 16 on the southbound stretch of the busy motorway at 6.20am.
It was reported at the time that the crash happened when a blue Suzuki Ingnis was stationary on the hard shoulder.
The was closed for 11 hours as emergency services battled to save the woman's life. It eventually reopened at 5.20pm.
Sgt Gray said that in a number of cases the motorists who were caught taking pictures were using a company vehicle. The employers received the letters from the police.
http://i.imgur.com/ru2g7.png
He added: 'The employers have contacted us requesting more information so they can take internal disciplinary action'.
He said the Force had taken the decision not to prosecute the motorists in a bid to educate them about the consequences of using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.
He added: 'Using your mobile phone while driving can and does lead to serious injury, and sometimes fatal, road traffic collisions.
'The drivers photographed showed a total disregard for the law and the devastation which would be caused to their own or another family in a fatal road traffic collision.
Many of the drivers photographed would class themselves as ''professional drivers''.
'I am astounded that people not only use their mobile phones to talk on while driving, but would also use them to take pictures, especially at the scene of such a serious road traffic collision.
'It is every motorists responsibility to make sure they follow the law and no phone call, picture or text message is important than risking your own, or other road users lives.'