Family Will Take Civil Action Against Police
- 15 February 2008;www.kentonline.co.uk
THE Family of Rachael Cheesewright wants to take legal action against Kent Police over her death from a crash with police car.
And police watchdogs have not ruled out disciplinary action against police officers in the case.
An inquest jury last Friday returned an accidental death verdict on the 29-year-old mum, who was killed in a collision with a police car answering a 999 call on the A28 at Bethersden. The police car had been travelling at up to 100mph just before the impact, the inquest heard.
Campaign
Sarah Harman, solicitor for the family, said after the hearing: “there will be a civil claim on behalf of Rachael’s daughter against Kent Police.”
She also said that the family would campaign for better road safety and tighter controls on police cars on emergency calls
The family also argues that the investigation into the crash has not been truly independent as it was carried out by Kent Police.
In a statement on behalf of the family Ms Harman said: “the family believe that Rachael would still be alive.”
Ms Harman spoke after the verdict at Dover Coroner’s Court in the presence of Miss Cheeswright’s parents, Tony and Marsha Cheesewright, and her fiancé Lewis Whitehead.
She said in the statement: “The family will never come to terms with the waste of a young life. For supposedly Independent Police Complaints Commission to immediately delegate the investigation of a Kent Police driver to Kent Police themselves is totally unacceptable to the family and should be of concern to us all.”
She said that nothing could bring Rachael back but the family were committed to campaigning for better road safety and tighter controls on police cars responding to emergencies.
Eyewitness
“They will also campaign for the truly independence investigation of police involved in fatal accidents.”
Crash witness Isabel Haywood, of Stone Green, Stone-in-Oxney, said “I am very disappointed with the verdict.”
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has stated that it still has to consider whether any police officer should face disciplinary action.
But stressed this was a standard practice in such a case.
Commissioner Nicola Williams said: “The death of someone so young is always a tragedy.
“I will now consider whether any police officer should face disciplinary action in relation to the collision.”
Miss Cheesewright, who lived in Guernsey Way, Kennington, died as she travelled home from a shift as barmaid at the Bonny Cravat in Woodchurch.
The police car, answering an emergency call, crashed into her on the A28 at Bethersden just after 11pm on Saturday, October 22, 2005, as she was turning right from Brissenden Green Lane. Her car was torn in two and she died at the scene.
Tragic
After a four day inquest, the jury conclude unanimously that her death was an accident.
This conclusion was chosen instead of her second option suggested by coroner Roger Hatch, an open verdict.
A total of 12 witnesses appeared at the inquest to give evidence, including crash investigation experts and the police driver, Pc William Purse.
A spokesman for Kent Police commented after the hearing: “The thoughts of Kent Police are with the family of Rachael Cheesewright. We take on board the verdict and await the final considerations of the IPCC that managed the investigation following the collision.”
Kent Police said it could not comment any further before the matter is included.