Courtney Meppen Walter

[Impeccable]

How do you know he wasn't edging out with a restricted view ? Something most drivers have to do all the time. We don't know that he just pulled out without looking.

Gobsmacked.

Why are you gobsmacked ? The poor guy that got smashed into is being blamed even though we don't know for a fact that he just pulled out without caution. We do know that CMW was speeding and not for the first time

Apologies. I totally mid-read what you said. I incorrectly thought you were laying possible blame on the victim yourself. My eyes are tired!

 

[bobmcfc]

Gobsmacked.

Why are you gobsmacked ? The poor guy that got smashed into is being blamed even though we don't know for a fact that he just pulled out without caution. We do know that CMW was speeding and not for the first time

Apologies. I totally mid-read what you said. I incorrectly thought you were laying possible blame on the victim yourself. My eyes are tired!

Ah. Sorry I should have posted it better. I'm definitely not on the side of CMW

 

[Matty]

He was travelling at excess speed. I drive faster than the spedd limit, as I'm sure most people do, but there's a diference between 40 in a 30 zone and 60 in a 30 zone, 60 is clearly far more dangerous as the reaction time is so much more reduced. If he'd hit them doing 40, it's possible they might not have died, I'm sure the impact was far greater due to the higher speed, so obviously he deserves to be punished for this.

However you also have to look at the drinving of the Micra. The car was hit as it emerged from a side street, AS IT EMERGED. This means that Meppen-Walter's car, even travelling at 60mph, can't have been too far away from the end of the street when the car decided to pull out. If he'd been doing 30mph the odds are he 'd have either still hit the Micra, or else he'd have had to slam on the brakes, and lean on his horn a great deal. In short, the Micra driver has hardly shown exceptional driving skills here, he's done what I'm sure we've all seen other drivers do, pull out when there's not been time or space to do so, and caused issues in the process.

So, yes Meppen-Walters needs to be punished, he was speeding, to excess, and that excessive speed has caused the crash to be far more serious than it would likely have been. However just because the Micra driver, and his passenger, were killed doesn't mean they were 100% absolved of any blame. What they did might not have been a criminal offence, but if the driver had paid more attention, and made a better decision with regards to pulling out in front of a moving vehicle, then this situation would have been prevented.

How do you know he wasn't edging out with a restricted view ? Something most drivers have to do all the time. We don't know that he just pulled out without looking.

I'm pretty sure if I were to edge out due to a restricted view, and a car hit me, that I'd be the one held responsible for the crash, certainly by the insurers. We all make assumptions, there's an assumption beign made here that, had Meppen-Walter been driving at 30mph the Micra driver wouldn't have died. It's quite likely, but not certain. It's also quite likely, although not certain that the Micra pulled out rather than edged out, as 99 times out of 100 when you emerge from a sdie road, you don't do so by edging out.

 

[Anonymous]

It's absolute madness to be driving at such a speed in that particular area , or any other well populated area come to that , and that fact will have dawned on Meppen-Walters now ...... i used to work nearby , that area is nearly always busy , and even at weekends is a very popular place with the shops and businesses crammed into its streets.

Not only that but it's right on the 'doorstep' of Strangeways prison , and there's never any shortage of patrolling police cars around there .

 

[bobmcfc]

He was travelling at excess speed. I drive faster than the spedd limit, as I'm sure most people do, but there's a diference between 40 in a 30 zone and 60 in a 30 zone, 60 is clearly far more dangerous as the reaction time is so much more reduced. If he'd hit them doing 40, it's possible they might not have died, I'm sure the impact was far greater due to the higher speed, so obviously he deserves to be punished for this.

However you also have to look at the drinving of the Micra. The car was hit as it emerged from a side street, AS IT EMERGED. This means that Meppen-Walter's car, even travelling at 60mph, can't have been too far away from the end of the street when the car decided to pull out. If he'd been doing 30mph the odds are he 'd have either still hit the Micra, or else he'd have had to slam on the brakes, and lean on his horn a great deal. In short, the Micra driver has hardly shown exceptional driving skills here, he's done what I'm sure we've all seen other drivers do, pull out when there's not been time or space to do so, and caused issues in the process.

So, yes Meppen-Walters needs to be punished, he was speeding, to excess, and that excessive speed has caused the crash to be far more serious than it would likely have been. However just because the Micra driver, and his passenger, were killed doesn't mean they were 100% absolved of any blame. What they did might not have been a criminal offence, but if the driver had paid more attention, and made a better decision with regards to pulling out in front of a moving vehicle, then this situation would have been prevented.

How do you know he wasn't edging out with a restricted view ? Something most drivers have to do all the time. We don't know that he just pulled out without looking.

I'm pretty sure if I were to edge out due to a restricted view, and a car hit me, that I'd be the one held responsible for the crash, certainly by the insurers. We all make assumptions, there's an assumption beign made here that, had Meppen-Walter been driving at 30mph the Micra driver wouldn't have died. It's quite likely, but not certain. It's also quite likely, although not certain that the Micra pulled out rather than edged out, as 99 times out of 100 when you emerge from a sdie road, you don't do so by edging out.

We do know that the court has made CMW accountable for his actions. His speeding and the fact that this wasn't his first offence. Did CMW receive any injuries at all ?

 

[Leyther]

And I personally hope you can sleep at night...You keep printing the notes mate courtesy of the legal aid system and trying to justify a young,immature prick driving at double the speed limit in a 30mph zone.

"There to be seen??"...That maybe the case however there is no way you can judge speed from a distance with the naked eye..Otherwise the old bill would never have the need the calibrated speed guns. They would just say "Well,I think you were doing 50 in a 30 so heres 3 pts"!!

You should be able to judge if someone is approaching at a speed that would mean you pulling out is safe, if you don't think it is you don't pull out.

Wasn't this in the city centre where it is congested with vehicles and people all the time ? If you are edging out of a side street with a restricted view you an only hope that any oncoming traffic will observe the speed limit and see you in time to stop.

Thought it was very late at night, in a business area, so prob few cars and no people?

 

[bobmcfc]

You should be able to judge if someone is approaching at a speed that would mean you pulling out is safe, if you don't think it is you don't pull out.

Wasn't this in the city centre where it is congested with vehicles and people all the time ? If you are edging out of a side street with a restricted view you an only hope that any oncoming traffic will observe the speed limit and see you in time to stop.

Thought it was very late at night, in a business area, so prob few cars and no people?

The court was told Mr Singh, 32, and Mrs Kaur, 37, had been sitting in the front of a Nissan Micra when it was struck by Meppen-Walter's Mercedes C220 saloon, owned by his grandfather, at 22:15 BST on 1 September.

They had been emerging from a side street when the crash happened, at the junction of Great Ducie Street and Sherborne Street.

At the time of the impact, Meppen-Walter was driving at 55.89mph and was accelerating, the court heard.

Continue reading the main story
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Start Quote

My life is destroyed after the collision. It feels like the whole world finished and the children's life destroyed”

Kushwant Kaur
Victim's widow
Police said Mrs Kaur's 16 and 17-year-old sons, who were in the back of the Micra and injured in the collision, were "making a good recovery". The pair are now orphans as their father was killed in Afghanistan.

Moments before the crash, the defendant had been "jockeying" and "playing games" with a friend in a Volkswagen Golf along a nearby dual carriageway, the jury was told.

Meppen-Walter jumped out of his car and tried to help the injured, waving his arms and saying: "What have I done?"

You Are right about the time . And Mcfc will not be renewing his contract when it expires in the summer. I also assume his pay has stopped too

 

[Leyther]

How do you know he wasn't edging out with a restricted view ? Something most drivers have to do all the time. We don't know that he just pulled out without looking.

I'm pretty sure if I were to edge out due to a restricted view, and a car hit me, that I'd be the one held responsible for the crash, certainly by the insurers. We all make assumptions, there's an assumption beign made here that, had Meppen-Walter been driving at 30mph the Micra driver wouldn't have died. It's quite likely, but not certain. It's also quite likely, although not certain that the Micra pulled out rather than edged out, as 99 times out of 100 when you emerge from a sdie road, you don't do so by edging out.

We do know that the court has made CMW accountable for his actions. His speeding and the fact that this wasn't his first offence. Did CMW receive any injuries at all ?

The court didn't find anything, he pleaded guilty, why I don't know as has been said in law the other guy would normally (always) be considered to be at fault.

 

[Anonymous]

Happened just after 10 o' clock on a Saturday night apparently ....

that area tends to stay quite busy because there are a number of businesses around there there that stay open quite late ...... and , even though it was late , you would probably have had a fair bit of traffic still ferrying people into town for a Saturday night out too no doubt.

 

[bobmcfc]

I'm pretty sure if I were to edge out due to a restricted view, and a car hit me, that I'd be the one held responsible for the crash, certainly by the insurers. We all make assumptions, there's an assumption beign made here that, had Meppen-Walter been driving at 30mph the Micra driver wouldn't have died. It's quite likely, but not certain. It's also quite likely, although not certain that the Micra pulled out rather than edged out, as 99 times out of 100 when you emerge from a sdie road, you don't do so by edging out.

We do know that the court has made CMW accountable for his actions. His speeding and the fact that this wasn't his first offence. Did CMW receive any injuries at all ?

The court didn't find anything, he pleaded guilty, why I don't know as has been said in law the other guy would normally (always) be considered to be at fault.

The judge obviously did because he gave him 16 months. This is because in his opinion CMW's driving fell not far short of dangerous driving.

Nature of offence: Careless or inconsiderate driving falling not far short of dangerous driving
Starting Point: 15 months custody
Sentencing range: 36 weeks - 3 years custody