Whilst walking along Head street in the town past H&M, an out of control car mounted the pavement and struck Cassie, crushing her between it and the shop wall. The following day, the teenager was to succumb to her injuries and died in Queens Hospital with her family by her bedside.
But what of the driver? Was he drunk? No. Was he a young lad who had passed his test and was showing off like much of the media loves to tell us about? No. Or was he involved in a police chase and lost control in his desperate bid to escape? No. The driver was an 87 year old pensioner. So maybe just a tragic accident you might be thinking. Well maybe. But what makes this story so terrible is that just 3 days prior to this tragic event, Police were called to a collision in which a driver had crashed into a petrol pump on a forecourt endangering many people. The driver in question was the very same driver involved in Cassie’s death.
After the petrol station incident, the driver had failed an eye test and had to be driven home. Police had urged him not to get behind the wheel of his car again, but as the law stands, were powerless to immediately suspend his driving license. Unfortunately, the driver selfishly ignored the police’s advice and continued to drive despite his poor driving ability and eyesight. This was a selfish decision that claimed the life of an innocent victim with a long life full of potential ahead of her.
Now, Cassie’s mother, Jackie McCord has started a petition to push for a change in the law to give police the power to immediately suspend the licences of drivers who’s ability behind the wheel falls below an acceptable standard until a full medical examination can be held to confirm their ability to drive. This campaign is fully supported by Essex Police and like all petitions, needs 100,000 signatures before a debate can be heard in the House of Commons.
