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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-22019006

sad day though

Tragic. The thought of a loved one going out to work and being killed as a consequence of that employment is dreadful. These guys are the best trained riders in the country so it's always particularly shocking when they become casualties.

Horrible, police riders are trained to an incredibly high standard,tragic that it may be a smidsy.
The maintainance on all emergency service vehicles is OTT, so just horrible

I wonder if this driver will be taken to task for careless driving since it was an officer he killed.. Rather than the other way round in the case of David Bartholomew.

Willopotomas wrote:I wonder if this driver will be taken to task for careless driving since it was an officer he killed.. Rather than the other way round in the case of David Bartholomew.

On the "two wrongs don't make a right" principle, I would hope so - but then the other wrong should be corrected too.

I'm glad it was someone else who said what I've been thinking!

Apart from the fact that police riders and drivers are highly trained and competent and that their vehicles are well maintained, I didn't see anything in that report that is evidential for the assumption of the driver's guilt. Are we not jumping the gun with references to the David Bartholomew case?

A well made point Dusty

yes - I had made an assumption

I have a lot of time for the skills of police motorcyclists - even though some say that the training is not as good as it used to be, i remain impressed with the standard

if my assumption was wrong I am sorry - i have been following up on the story and no precise details have been released

In most cases the loss of life is regrettable and close to home in these circumstances for most of us ... so hope his family cope and so on ...

does bug me though when they wheel out the tired old ....

"This tragic incident highlights the fact that police officers regularly put themselves at risk in performing their duty and in protecting the public....

type stuff

Say something personal about the guy or get someone who knew him to he deserves that

maybe I ma just bitter because noone said

"This tragic incident highlights the fact that motorcyclists regularly put themselves at risk in performing their duty as a husband and father in trying to get to work on the public roads.

Willopotomas wrote:I wonder if this driver will be taken to task for careless driving since it was an officer he killed.. Rather than the other way round in the case of David Bartholomew.

A bit cynical but I suspect thats what will happen. Maybe even death by dangerous driving. Wouldnt like to be in his shoes however innocent

The report said he was seriously injured and in hospital - for that reason it's quite possible that he won't be prosecuted - "not in the public interest"

I wonder BG. His mates on the force are likely to think along the lines of " better he be seen to be killed in the line of duty rather than killed because he cocked up" and to try to find proof of just that. Plod do close ranks against civilians to protect their own. Understandable if undesireable.

Especially of it affects potential pension rights or payout to widow

flatlander wrote:Especially of it affects potential pension rights or payout to widow

Has absolutely no bearing as his wife will get the pension anyway (at least a widows pension) and the group accident scheme will also payout regardless of liability.

But as has already been said, it only happened yesterday and already people are making assumptions when in fact apart from those investigating, nobody has any real idea as to what the cause of the crash is yet, and we are unlikely to know until the inquest which will be several months down the road.

Either way, whether it involves a Police officer or a civilian, a fatal is one of the few occasions where the crash is investigated fully, and if it is found that the Police rider was at fault then it will become public knowledge because all the findings have to be verified by the forensic science lab before it can be disclosed in evidence at either the inquest or any subsequent prosecution.

But at the end of the day, the rider knew the risks, it is something that is explained to all of us who have ever served as full time Police riders on the first day of the advanced course, but we chose (and they choose to ride) because it is what we all love doing as we are motorcyclists first and foremost and we got (get) paid for riding a bike all day.