Safe Speed Forums

Tow men have been charged with manslaughter following the death of teenager James Berry who died after being struck by the loose wheel of a lorry on Isle Of Man last December.

13 year old James was one of our budding talents and was tipped to be be a gold medal winner at all levels in the sport.

One hopes we see justice for this boy and his family who are not mourning the loss of a great talent.. but their beloved son.
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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

The two mechanics accused of James Berry's manslaughter were found not guilty on 21/02/08 by a jury of 12. This was unanimous verdict as majority decisions are not allowed under Manx law.
It is a great relief to their families to finally have this case resolved after 18 months of stress and worry. Whilst we feel for the family and friends of James, we feel that this case has only prolonged the agony for them, and has greatly damaged the lives of the 2 accused.

Hallo


I have always said that all involved in these tragedies feel trauma und each party - whether liable .. innocent victim or genuine accident - will feel forever.. anger. guilt... shame .. panic.. fear .. und a constant nag of.. "what if?/if only?/why?". I hope all involved seek professional help as und when they need it.


Oh how I know they do all feel such trauma
...
.. well .. my cousin did die when a lorry with defective everything went out of control. Ploughed through central reserve. Head-on hit at 20 mph. Haulier (found guilty) und driver (guilty of not checking vehicle but found not guilty of manslaughter) accused of manslaughter even all those some 19 years or so ago. Driver tried to commit suicide later. Likewise the widow of the man who suffered fatal illness at the wheel of car und unfortunately collided with my car. She felt guilty that she had not stopped him going to work that day.. . She now honorary grandmother to our children.

One hopes though that the case provided answers for each side und allow all involved to grieve..to use the trendy pee-cee term "manage their grief" (which I think I know what it mean.. but it still baffle me) - but never forget the deceased talent ..


But the young mechanics will never forget this incident und perhaps should try at some time in the future to reconcile with the child's family. It may help heal both sides .. at the right time in the future

But condolences to all concerned und to the family of young James in particular - should they happen on this site - a very special condolence und candle will be lit in your son's memory in our church.

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Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
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Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

I have struggled to find much good information on this.
My initial view was that if the wheel came off so soon after being worked on, then somebody must have failed to do the nuts up tight enough.
Leyland DAF use a torque wrench which is checked once a month for accuracy - as well as the device used to check being checked frequently too!However I realised eventually that this was an old case, and since then, locking devices have become more commonly available, as this seems to have been a more common problem than I had realised.

I see this quote from one of the men cleared seems to sum up the difficulty:

Maybe some of our HGV posters have an informed view on this?
In the meantime, the family need to be brought up to date on the issue of wheel detachment, and not just assume as I did that somebody was to blame.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

I agree with both Wildy's and Ern's posts.

Sunset and apologies if you thought the opener was "accusing".


The distress suffered by all involved will be a lifetime of regrets and sadness and we can only offer condolences to James' family and the two mechanics along with hopeful wishes for a more reconciled future focussed on loving and fond memories of James.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

I have to say that I dont think bringing the case was wrong - if it had not been brought, the two men would have ALWAYS been under suspicion in some quarters.
The court system moves slowly in these circumstances, and it is THIS which is regrettable as well as the tardy reporting of the Government's own inquiry into the matter of lost wheels.
As it is, these two men are likely to be the most careful mechanics as a result of their experience - I hope that fact is recognised in the trade.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!