0:00:02 > 0:00:05The pedestrian has received possibly fatal injuries and there are persons trapped in the car.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09In Britain, one in 400 people die on the roads.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Those are odds more than 30,000 times greater
0:00:14 > 0:00:16than winning the Lottery jackpot.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21I just saw something. It scared me, so I swerved and I spun round.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26And new drivers are by far the most at risk.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29- He hasn't passed his test, yeah? - Yeah, I know that.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31So he hasn't shown that he's safe to drive with.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33He doesn't know what he's looking for.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Beating the odds is sometimes a matter of Lady Luck.
0:00:39 > 0:00:45Quite how she was able to survive from that, I will never know.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48If she was in a position to,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51she should have done the Lottery that night.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17There were nearly 3,000 accidents on the roads
0:01:17 > 0:01:19in Hertfordshire last year.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24Surprisingly, a quarter of them, like the one PCs Nathan Cattley and
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Chris Payne are just hearing about, involved a vehicle on its own.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Whiskey four, sorry, we've been on a stop.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35Just been advised of a 'likely to' in your ground. Could you give us details, please?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37A 'likely to' is a 'likely to prove fatal',
0:01:37 > 0:01:40the worst possible kind of accident.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43RADIO CHATTER
0:01:43 > 0:01:44HE SWITCHES THE SIREN ON
0:01:44 > 0:01:47The crash is on a country lane over 20 miles away.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Not ideal, when someone needs help fast.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54When it's a serious injury we, as traffic officers, will attend.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57'And, at that point, we were the only
0:01:57 > 0:02:01'Roads Policing Unit available to go.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06'We're talking a 20-minute emergency run in the early afternoon traffic'.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10We're going to be the ones that have to investigate this
0:02:10 > 0:02:13and pick up the pieces after this.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16We can't do that if it's taken us 20-25 minutes to get to the thing.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19By the time we get there, everything's gone.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22The female driver has been extricated
0:02:22 > 0:02:25by paramedics already at the scene and is awaiting an air ambulance.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28Whiskey four arrival.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32'Upon arrival, there was'
0:02:32 > 0:02:35a number of other emergency services already in attendance
0:02:35 > 0:02:40'and the air ambulance had already landed at that point.'
0:02:43 > 0:02:46The car has left the road and is wrapped around a tree.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52The damage that did to her vehicle was unbelievable.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54The tree had peeled back the roof.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56It had peeled it back like a tin opener
0:02:56 > 0:03:02and the largest branch of the tree was exactly where her head would have been.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05The ambulance service were very worried for her.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Now they're here, the experienced Traffic Cops will take command.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11'She was clearly in a lot of pain.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13'She's had her arm trapped under the car'
0:03:13 > 0:03:18as it had gone into the ditch, so there was blood loss, bone damage
0:03:18 > 0:03:22and a head injury. And although it's horrible to hear somebody
0:03:22 > 0:03:27moaning in that pain, it's also a good sign. If they're moaning
0:03:27 > 0:03:29that means they are at least conscious and breathing.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31How long she'd been there, I don't know.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Why the car careered off the road is a complete mystery.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Nobody had actually seen the crash happen.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42There were a couple of people who had stopped, obviously,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45shortly afterwards, but the car was already in the ditch.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49I was just driving past, see the car there
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and I honestly thought it was kids at night.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58Car gone down there, they'd done a runner, that's it.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00I don't know why, instinct,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04I got 500 yards, or maybe more, up the road,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08I just don't know why, turned round, come back, stopped there,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12heard the music and I heard moaning and groaning.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16If nobody had stopped, she would not still be alive.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18She was fairly young.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22She'd only been driving for, I think it was about three weeks.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26How she survived, I still don't know.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30She was displaying signs of a very serious head injury.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It's quite amazing what the body can endure.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I had serious, serious concerns for her.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42The car is a Vauxhall Corsa and it's almost completely unrecognisable.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Traffic Sergeant Karl McDermott has arrived to lead
0:04:46 > 0:04:50the investigation into what happened to it.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54I have to be honest and say that I didn't expect her to survive
0:04:54 > 0:04:57and that's why we treated
0:04:57 > 0:05:00that scene as if it were a fatal collision.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02We're treating it as a 'likely to prove'.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Documents in the car have identified the girl
0:05:05 > 0:05:09as an 18-year-old teenager, Kelsey South.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10Kelsey Siobhan South.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Unfortunately, as hard as it may sound,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22you are desensitised to a lot of things that you see
0:05:22 > 0:05:27and that's purely because if you're not, you'll go mad.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30The injured girl is going to be airlifted to a specialist
0:05:30 > 0:05:33trauma centre at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40When the first paramedics arrived on the scene from Chesholm and found
0:05:40 > 0:05:44the woman severely trapped against a tree stump, they managed to actually
0:05:44 > 0:05:47crawl in the boot of the car to treat and stabilise her,
0:05:47 > 0:05:48while waiting for the fire service
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and the air ambulance team to get to the scene.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54She was trapped by nature edges and she was also trapped by
0:05:54 > 0:05:59steering wheel and the compaction of the vehicle on that area,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and lots of sharps, as well, which we need to contend with.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04If she pulls through, a lot of it will be down to
0:06:04 > 0:06:08the team effort of all the emergency services.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Well, you can imagine,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14if she was sitting driving, her head would have been about...here.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21With no witnesses to the crash, PC Bob Wagstaff, a specialist accident
0:06:21 > 0:06:25investigator has been called in to help determine the cause.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Weather today is playing havoc.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32We've obviously got light, light conditions, dry conditions.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Subsequently, we've got heavy showers, so at the moment,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39we've got information that, at the time of the crash, the road surface was wet.
0:06:39 > 0:06:45Vehicle's come through an undulated road system, it's on a bend,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48it looks like the driver's gone up onto the grass verge.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50In order to come off the verge,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52she's put some right-hand steering on
0:06:52 > 0:06:56and consequently, she's then come off back onto the tarmac,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58or back onto the road surface, and consequently,
0:06:58 > 0:07:03she's got steering again and gone across the road onto the off side.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07From the evidence, Bob will be able to say what took place,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10but not why it happened.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13The possibility is that something distracted the driver.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19'Well, there was a phone call.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:23Now, whether that happened immediately at the time
0:07:23 > 0:07:29of the crash, whether she was on the phone, or whether it just rang
0:07:29 > 0:07:34and she looked down at it... All it takes is that momentary lapse
0:07:34 > 0:07:40to lose sight of the road and you've lost control of the car.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Mercifully, the news from the hospital is that Kelsey
0:07:44 > 0:07:46is going to survive.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49She should have done the Lottery that night,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52because someone was looking down on her that day.
0:07:55 > 0:07:5840 miles away, near Bedford, traffic cops Chris Naughton
0:07:58 > 0:08:00and Tanveer Hussain,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03are dreaming it could be them who'll win the Lottery.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- Did you win the Lottery?- No, mate.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- If I won the Lottery, d'you think I'll still be at work?- I don't know.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12If I won the Lottery, that would be it.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- You and I would be millionaires and we would be...- Gone.- ..Gone.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19And I'd be driving the best cars.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Today, they hope to have luck on their side. And to increase
0:08:23 > 0:08:27the odds of hitting the jackpot, they're in an unmarked police car.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It's a good tool.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31It's not about sneaking up on drivers all the time,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33it's just about being in an area.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38There are certain jobs that we could go to and arrive there discreetly.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Someone driving without much discretion
0:08:40 > 0:08:42has caught Tan's attention.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45One minute. Go left, go left, go left, go left, go left.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50I'm not getting any vibes on that. Very sure it's gone left over there.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53It's a little red, old Polo. It's gone left into that bit there.
0:08:53 > 0:08:54'An L Reg old Polo driving along'
0:08:54 > 0:08:56with about four or five people in it,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58so I thought, "That will be worth a look".
0:08:58 > 0:09:00And they all looked fairly young.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Tan's Blackberry is hooked up to the Police National Computer.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Here it is, just disappearing in the distance.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12- And it's telling him the car's not legal.- Lima 392 JBM.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17- Right it has no...- A young boy. - ..insurance.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22'And we could tell straight away from the driving style,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24'that the driver didn't have any experience.'
0:09:24 > 0:09:27And he's no idea a police car's right behind him.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29TYRES SCREECH
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- But even so... - We will have that one!
0:09:32 > 0:09:34HE SWITCHES THE SIREN ON
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I've seen some pretty stupid things, but that was
0:09:37 > 0:09:41indecisive. So he tried to brake and accelerate at the same time,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43but the brakes didn't all work.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Three locked up and one wheel carried on,
0:09:46 > 0:09:47which caused the car to swerve.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51That was just inexperience shouting out towards us.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56Unlike its novice driver, the car is decidedly past its prime.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03It's one of the worst I've ever come across. It was a shocker.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06'It wasn't roadworthy, you could tell is wasn't roadworthy.'
0:10:06 > 0:10:10'The wheels looked decidedly on their last legs.'
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Hello mate, how are you?
0:10:13 > 0:10:18Come and have a look at your car. It's in a right old state, isn't it?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- Yeah. - What happened at the traffic lights?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24I think you tried to stop, but just didn't quite work, did it?
0:10:24 > 0:10:26- Yeah, I just got caught a bit. - Is it your vehicle?- Yeah, it is.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30- Registered in your name? - Not yet. I've recently bought it.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32- How long is recent? - About a week ago.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- In the process of going through. - OK. Be honest with me.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- Do you have insurance?- No, I don't. - OK. Pop yourself in the back.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43I'll quickly get some details from you and we'll go from there.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45The other side, please. No insurance.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48The outside of the car was bare trim rust,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50probably the rust holding it together.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54The windscreen wipers didn't look really effective
0:10:54 > 0:10:59and then, when I opened the door, it just...it stank!
0:10:59 > 0:11:02It was fully of rubbish and dirt and old food.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Just detritus from everyday life.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05It needs a good Hoover.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09- Do you have any identification on you?- No, I don't.- Nothing at all?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12What have you got, mate?
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- You're not disqualified are you?- No.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- OK, never been disqualified? - I've got...- OK, mate. No worries.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28- Just pop yourself... - The lad is only 17.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32What type of licence do you have? You don't have a licence, as well?
0:11:32 > 0:11:36- So no licence, no insurance. You've absolutely nothing.- No.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I was only moving the car, cos it couldn't stay where it was.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40What's the score with the three girls in the back?
0:11:40 > 0:11:43What happens if you have an accident?
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Well, it was just a bit stupid, really.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I was with them and I had to move it, cos it can't - where it
0:11:48 > 0:11:52was at the minute it - I didn't want it getting reported
0:11:52 > 0:11:55as being dumped, cos it was in... do you know Cage?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- Yeah, I know where you are.- That little car park.- OK, fair enough.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00And I didn't want it getting dumped or getting burnt out,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- so I know it's not excuse, but... - No, it's not,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05it's not good at all, mate, if I'm being honest.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09- So you've never taken your test at all?- No.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15'I'm cross at the fact that he's put his friends in that situation.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17'God forbid should something happen'.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21He's involved in an accident and it transpires he's 17 years old,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23he hasn't even past his test.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- He has no insurance.- The illegal car is going to be seized.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30He's got no licence and no insurance.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Does any of you know that he didn't have a licence?
0:12:33 > 0:12:35GIRL: I didn't.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- I did.- If he hasn't got a licence, he hasn't past his test, yeah?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- Yeah, I know that.- So he hasn't shown that he's safe to drive with
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and he doesn't know what he's looking for.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48So you four are just putting your lives in your hands.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50That thing at the lights, that was a crossroad.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53That's a blind hill. If somebody chanced it
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and they thought they were coming over the top of that hill
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and he did that stupid manoeuvre, I'd be calling your mums.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04It's not worth it. Always check the driver's got a licence.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Not nice going to somebody's mum and dad saying,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10"Sorry, your daughter or your son's dead."
0:13:10 > 0:13:14What is going to happen, girls, Luke, we're taking the car, OK?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Cos he hasn't got a licence and he hasn't got insurance.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21This is now my car and his name's now Carlos, right.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22It's not funny.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Don't get in a car with somebody who hasn't got a licence.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28They didn't fully understand the consequences
0:13:28 > 0:13:30of what could happen, which is a shame,
0:13:30 > 0:13:35because it only takes one accident of them to see the horrific
0:13:35 > 0:13:39injuries that we see and that will put a stop to it straight away.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Come on then, on your dancers, bye, bye.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47When it comes to lessons, Carlos is in a class of his own.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49My dad's a driving instructor.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50But...
0:13:53 > 0:13:56TAN: 'That's... I couldn't believe how stupid he was.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58'He gets driving lessons for free'.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59Beggars belief.
0:13:59 > 0:14:05You're given a golden ticket and you just dash it away.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08I was slightly gobsmacked by that.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10I just met these, literally, 15 minutes before
0:14:10 > 0:14:13and jumped in the car.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18With the cost of insurance over £4,000 for 17-20 year-old males,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21it's hardly surprising so many drive around illegally.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26I think he's quite proud of the fact he hasn't got a licence.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Insurance - every year it's going up,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33so can these young drivers afford it?
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Some of them can, some of them can't and the ones who can't decide -
0:14:37 > 0:14:41"What's the point, I'll just drive with no insurance and no licence.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43"And if I get caught, I get caught."
0:14:43 > 0:14:46You know, they'll go to court or they'll be summonsed to court
0:14:46 > 0:14:49and they might get a fine of 150 quid with three points
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and they'll be back out doing it again.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Tackling bad crashes and dealing with their consequences,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01is one of the biggest parts of a traffic cop's job.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And it's never long before they're called to another one.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08We're attending a report of a collision at a road in Hemel Hempstead.
0:15:08 > 0:15:14Reports are it's a single vehicle has hit a pedestrian.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Allegedly, the pedestrian has received possibly fatal injuries
0:15:18 > 0:15:22and there are persons trapped in the car.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25All the emergency services have been called to the scene.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Go to the near side.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31And once again, Nathan and Karl will take centre stage.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38But this time, along with some schoolkids who are playing dead,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40they're making a drama out of a crisis.
0:15:40 > 0:15:46- One casualty knocked down on the floor.- OK. Can you hear me?
0:15:46 > 0:15:50'We went along to that reconstruction
0:15:50 > 0:15:53'to act what we do on a daily basis'.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56We're gonna need ambo and fire brigades to the scene.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57Got possibly one fatality.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00A bit of a shock tactic, really,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02and it's almost got to the point
0:16:02 > 0:16:06where that's the only way to get through to people,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08is to show them what's going to happen.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11SIREN BLARES
0:16:11 > 0:16:14The hard-hitting re-enactment is specifically aimed at new drivers.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22- When was your last drink?- A few hours ago.- A few hours ago, OK.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27- How old are you?- 17.- It's all about getting across a very real message.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- It Could Be You.- Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going. Stop.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35- Well done.- It takes a few seconds for that device to...
0:16:35 > 0:16:38OK, the device has indicated to me that you are over the legal limit,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40so at this stage, you're under arrest.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45All the characters were being played by students from the school.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49The pedestrian had died and there were some
0:16:49 > 0:16:55injuries inside the car and the driver um, had been drinking.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57OK, come this way.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Obviously, we all want our kids to be safe and it's us all
0:17:03 > 0:17:06doing that little bit to, hopefully, get that message through -
0:17:06 > 0:17:08be safe on the road.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Some people respond to being spoken to, but many need to see it
0:17:16 > 0:17:18before they'll believe what's going on.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21And you get the sights, the sounds, the smells of a collision scene.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23APPLAUSE
0:17:27 > 0:17:31We all know that people have this thing, "It'll never happen to me."
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Um, and I think certainly young drivers have that attitude.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39I didn't realise how many people they need, like all the
0:17:39 > 0:17:42procedures they had to go through and there really is so much to think
0:17:42 > 0:17:46about and, yeah, I hadn't really thought of it in that way before.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48It's like, if this was real, it would be really scary.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53And once they CAN relate to it, once they can think, "That could be me there.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56"I could be that dead person or that person being arrested",
0:17:56 > 0:17:59that's when it has the desired effect.
0:18:01 > 0:18:0517 and 18 year olds, especially males, are statistically far more
0:18:05 > 0:18:09likely to be involved in serious accidents than any other drivers.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14But it's not just ones involving young men that the
0:18:14 > 0:18:16traffic cops go to these days.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21We've certainly seen recently that we've had a fair few collisions
0:18:21 > 0:18:24involving young female drivers.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27We certainly see a higher percentage with young male drivers,
0:18:27 > 0:18:33but it does seem to be that there seems to be more
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and more involving young female drivers.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Only a matter of minutes after their school visit,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Karl and Nathan are being called to a crash involving a young girl.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45- There he is.- Oh, he hasn't even hit the barrier.- No.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48It's another single vehicle accident.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51We were driving back, northbound on the A1.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Zero six arrived.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57A vehicle has spun out of control from lane two,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00across to the hard shoulder, back across the carriageway again...
0:19:00 > 0:19:02We're gonna need a recovery from that.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05..hit a central reservation and then comes to a rest,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08involving a driver who'd been driving for seven months.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11She's claiming something ran out in front of her.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I have no idea what it was.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I was looking at the road and I just saw something.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19It scared me, so I swerved and I spun round and then
0:19:19 > 0:19:23the back of my car hit the rails there and then I just stopped.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Losing control of her car at 70 miles an hour
0:19:25 > 0:19:29on a motorway as a young driver,
0:19:29 > 0:19:34that must have been one hell of a frightening experience for her.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38We have to report the damage to the barrier there, um,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42cos that has to go off to the Highways Agency and they then
0:19:42 > 0:19:46will have to repair that, so we have to do a collision book.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51My colleague at the moment is going to take some details from you.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- One of the standard things we have to do is breathalyse you.- Yeah.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56It's procedure.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- It's procedure, it's routine, after any accident we breath test.- Yep.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06- How old are you?- 18.- Is this your first accident?- Yeah, it is, yeah.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Seal your lips around the tube and blow steadily through it
0:20:09 > 0:20:12in one long continuous breath, until I tell you to stop.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Keep blowing. That's it, fine thank you.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19That analyses the sample that you've given. Nice zero. OK.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Take hold of the end of the tube for me please, nice and tightly.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24- No offence, but we don't keep them...- All right.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27..after you've had your mouth around it. That's your souvenir.
0:20:27 > 0:20:33It looks as though the car's drifted into the central reservation,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37which would tend to suggest some kind of distraction.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40And I was just completely looking at the road and, all of a sudden,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43out the corner of my eye, just saw something and my instinct -
0:20:43 > 0:20:46I hate running things over, I've ran over a bunny rabbit -
0:20:46 > 0:20:50and I literally just swerved and I don't even remember what happened,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I was spinning and I just saw something in the corner of my eye.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55To see a bunny rabbit running across the motorway
0:20:55 > 0:20:58when you're doing 70 miles an hour is quite an achievement
0:20:58 > 0:21:03and then, to then do something about it... Erm...I don't know.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06She seemed like she did like fluffy bunnies.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10The girl's learning about road safety, the hard way.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13I won't swerve for bunny rabbits any more. They're little.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I'd rather survive than a bunny rabbit!
0:21:17 > 0:21:20A couple of men pulled over and got my car out of the road
0:21:20 > 0:21:21and then someone else came over.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Do you mind if I speak to my dad, quickly?
0:21:23 > 0:21:27She was quite happily talking to us about what had happened,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29then Dad turned up.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34That's what puts the emotional aspect into the crash, then.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38It's gone from being, "Oh, your car's damaged", to, you know,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40the emotional effects of what's happened.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45I don't think you'll ever see this car again, mate. Be my guess.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48I shouldn't think so.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Well, you can get - it's going to our recovery agent.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- No, I mean in terms of like... - Yeah, so you can go there
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and get anything, yeah, rather than having to empty the whole car.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00I know what girls are like. Fill the car up with rubbish.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Despite the damage, dad's a happy bunny.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05I'm just relieved she's OK.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09I mean, I've got three daughters, they've all had accidents before.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14The cars are always repaired. Just nice to see her safe and OK.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18I hope it wasn't him that was teaching them to drive!
0:22:18 > 0:22:23The accident's being put down to very unlucky timing.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26'If what that young girl says is true and it was a rabbit that
0:22:26 > 0:22:28'ran across in front of her,'
0:22:28 > 0:22:30five seconds earlier and nothing would have happened,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33five seconds later and nothing would have happened.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37But just being in that place at that time has led to that crash.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Thank you. Bye.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41She may not have thought so, losing her car,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45but perhaps the luck of the rabbit's foot was with her after all.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49She's actually bloody lucky she didn't go straight up and hit that.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52That would have been game over, wouldn't it?
0:22:52 > 0:22:55You can see from the shape of the skid mark that the car's
0:22:55 > 0:22:57going sideways down here.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02The cops aren't entirely convinced about the rabbit story.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07And you can see it's not a violent swerve over, as would have
0:23:07 > 0:23:10been suggested by the young lady's account.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15The marks here suggest that she's gradually come over the rumble strip
0:23:15 > 0:23:20and then they abruptly end and that fits in with where the
0:23:20 > 0:23:25tyre marks then swerve back off towards the hard shoulder.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28So that doesn't quite fit in with the swerving to the near side
0:23:28 > 0:23:31to avoid something.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35It's driver error, but the cops won't be pursuing any charges.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37There is no punishment. No-one else is involved.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Had there been other vehicles involved,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42had someone else been hurt,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45then we may be looking at an offence, possibly a "due care".
0:23:45 > 0:23:48We might start looking at phone records.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52But in this case, if there's only her involved, there's not much else
0:23:52 > 0:23:56that we either can, or maybe would want, to do.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00And we just hope that she does learn a lesson from that
0:24:00 > 0:24:02and becomes a safer driver.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Motorways are Britain's safest roads, by far,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12but when accidents happen on them, the outcome and the chaos
0:24:12 > 0:24:15they cause is usually much worse than on any other kind of road.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Yeah, copy that. Do we know if they're trapped and injured or just physically trapped or..?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Keith Nicholson and his partner Andy Scales
0:24:24 > 0:24:27have just got news about one on the M1.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30SIREN BLARES
0:24:30 > 0:24:32A person's trapped and possibly injured.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36But that's not all.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39A haul of guns has been discovered in his vehicle.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41We're thinking, the most important thing is,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43is it going to be a threat to us?
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Are we going to have to shut the whole motorway,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50get everyone out of the way, call the Armed Response guys in?
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Is it going to be a massive siege, have they been damaged?
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Are they likely to explode, is there a fire,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58are they likely to go off in our faces?
0:24:58 > 0:25:00All sorts of things go through your mind.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04First, though, is the problem of getting to the scene.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07There are miles of clogged-up contraflow to get through.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Foxtrot units,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14we've found an access to a works lane,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17a couple of hundred yards after 13 on the southbound.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20News of casualties is still sketchy.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Well, we don't know that there's no-one dying,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25cos at the minute we've only got a couple of HATOs on scene.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Can you imagine a fire engine trying to get through,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30which is possible will have to happen in a few minutes?
0:25:30 > 0:25:34If the person's trapped, they're going to have to be cut out.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39The HATOs that are already here are the Civilian Highways Patrol.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42They're trying to deal with a multi-vehicle pile-up.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46There were four vehicles involved. A nose-to-tail shunt.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51- Yeah, but the people there, can we get them over here?- Go over there.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55And I was initially fairly keen to get these people
0:25:55 > 0:25:56to safety as quickly as possible.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59There's some concern for the driver of the people carrier,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02who's got a sore back and neck.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Hello, there. How we doing?
0:26:05 > 0:26:08But Keith's more worried about what he's carrying.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10I went and spoke to the driver straight away.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14- What have you got in the back? - It's crime scene equipment.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19There's a red ammunition box. It's got three replica firearms in it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:26And somewhere in the back there, in a bag, is a replica shotgun.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29I teach crime scene management examination.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33He was Scenes of Crime Instructor
0:26:33 > 0:26:36and so all the firearms
0:26:36 > 0:26:38were all imitations.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42- Yeah. Any ammo or anything?- Only replica ammunition and firearms.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46He said there's a replica shotgun in there, as well.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49The weapons are legal, but now there's another problem.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52The fire brigade had stopped on the opposing carriageway
0:26:52 > 0:26:54to assess the situation.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59The firemen now want to stop that side, to quickly get him out here,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03but that's never going to work, cos that's a live motorway.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06So they've got to come this side and park there.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12If this is going go somewhere, I don't want that obviously left in there.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14The guns in the car aren't functional,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18but Armed Response cops are coming anyway, just to make sure.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20There's nothing that will injure you.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Apparently, it's all duds, it's all imitation firearms.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25There's no ammo, no nothing.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31'The fact that they weren't being waved round by anyone
0:27:31 > 0:27:34'was quite nice. It was a normal crash.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38'It just happened to have some obscure objects in it'.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Yeah, he does crime scene management,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45so all his stuff is imitation, from the point of view of...
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Can we get him to sort his own scene out, then?
0:27:49 > 0:27:54The driver's not badly hurt, but he's trapped in the wreckage.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58We've got firemen in there trying to hold his C spine and what have you.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02As far as access goes, to getting in there, he's wedged
0:28:02 > 0:28:05- real tight against the...- He was shunted by the lorry, yeah?
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Yeah, into the back of the BMW.
0:28:07 > 0:28:13'The car was well wedged against the central crash barrier'.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17More firemen are arriving... on the right side, this time.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20I'm just going to take a few pictures,
0:28:20 > 0:28:22just in case it turns... The gentleman seems OK,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25but he's just complaining about back pain and neck, so...
0:28:25 > 0:28:30It's looking like another roof-off job, to get the man out.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Normally, if there were no occupants in it,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34we'd just get a tow truck and drag it.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39If someone's got a broken spine, being in a car that's being dragged isn't a particularly delicate
0:28:39 > 0:28:43arrangement and we want to preserve his chance of recovery,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46to cut him out by other means, and there's where the fire brigade
0:28:46 > 0:28:49come in, with their specialist kit and training.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50What car are you from? OK.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53And you're the truck driver, I'm taking it. Right, OK.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56The drivers of the three other vehicles involved are all unhurt.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00Now the cavalry's arrived, I can concentrate on talking to you a little bit.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03It wasn't a little stray bunny to blame this time,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06but a little red car, that has vanished.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09So I was driving on this road and there was a car
0:29:09 > 0:29:13in front of me, which was red, and it kept slowing down and speeding up
0:29:13 > 0:29:17and then I, like, noticed, so I slammed my brakes down, but I didn't
0:29:17 > 0:29:20have enough time to put the hazard lights on, so obviously the car
0:29:20 > 0:29:24behind me had to brake, too, but obviously went into the back of me.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28The same with the car behind and the car behind that.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32She was the one who was trying to avoid the mysterious little red car.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Managed to avoid that and then got hit from behind.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going. That's it, magic.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Well, you did it better than the other guy.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46There you go. Zero, zero, zero. OK.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50- That's your souvenir, cos it's got your dribble on it.- Dad, Dad,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52I'm just with a policeman, giving him my details.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56She was a student returning home from university
0:29:56 > 0:29:59and she had all her worldly possessions in the car.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03All of a sudden, she jumped on the brakes, so I jumped on the brakes
0:30:03 > 0:30:07and just about stopped and suddenly got a thump from behind and had
0:30:07 > 0:30:10a look behind and saw a great big truck
0:30:10 > 0:30:12and the poor man behind.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16So you know, I pulled over, stopped. It was quite serious.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18You know, it's a relatively small thump.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23I couldn't have been that quick, cos the airbag on my car didn't go off.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27I believe that I'd stopped before anything had happened
0:30:27 > 0:30:30and then, suddenly, somebody... You can't stop these trucks
0:30:30 > 0:30:33doing 40-50 miles an hour in a hurry.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Had the 26-ton lorry been going any faster, the consequences
0:30:36 > 0:30:38could have been disastrous.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43I, like, stopped in a very, very fast time. Wasn't quite enough.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47I don't know. I don't know why she just stopped.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49There was nothing there.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Some people might say that it's the red car's fault,
0:30:52 > 0:30:57because he's been driving erratically and weaving lanes.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Some people may say it's the blue car's fault, because she's the one
0:31:01 > 0:31:06that's come to an abrupt halt and has had the first impact.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11Now, I would say that it's the people behind should be leaving
0:31:11 > 0:31:12enough room to stop.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16It's, kind of one, of those, 'whose fault is it?'
0:31:16 > 0:31:19We'll leave it to someone else to argue in court.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22It's six of one, half a dozen of the other.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Shutting the carriageway is a very costly business
0:31:26 > 0:31:29and not something the cops take lightly.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32At the end of the day, if you're talking about somebody's life
0:31:32 > 0:31:37and if you don't deal with a back injury in the right way,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40then they could be paralysed for the rest of their lives.
0:31:40 > 0:31:45The fire brigade aren't getting a chance to practice their cutting skills.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50The driver's finally been freed, without the need to take his roof off.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53The only way that that they could get him out
0:31:53 > 0:31:54was to go in through the boot.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57They had to empty everything out, take all the seats out.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59I think it was a seven-seater,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02so they had a fair distance to get through.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06In the process, they've had to move a small arsenal of very
0:32:06 > 0:32:08realistic-looking weapons.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14That's some of the stuff that was in the back of the...
0:32:14 > 0:32:18It's an imitation, it is plastic,
0:32:18 > 0:32:22but still looks pretty realistic.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28The accident is going to be left to the insurance companies to resolve.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33We never traced the car in front. This mystery little red car.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36As far as the driver of that was concerned,
0:32:36 > 0:32:40may not even have been aware that there was a crash behind them.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Certainly, there was no impact with it, so it's quite likely that they
0:32:43 > 0:32:47didn't even know of the chaos that they caused in their wake.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55Chris and Tan, in the unmarked car, are still scouring Bedfordshire for bad drivers.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to accidents.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06- The driver ahead's in a bit of a hurry.- Sure it's 30-odd here.- It is.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10All the cars in front seem to be going over the speed limit,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13but the Ford Focus is tailgating, as well.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15He was just really aggressive.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19He was driving about 40 to 50 down a 30-mile an hour road.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23He was looking for overtakes that weren't there.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Chris and Tan are going to pull the driver over and have a word.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30THEY PUT THE SIREN ON
0:33:32 > 0:33:36After the lights, after the lights. After the lights, turn left.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39No, keep going, keep going.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42You all right? Do us a favour.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Follow us. Might be easier. Just want to have a quick word with you.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49'We were actually on our way to something else.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52'We were looking at a couple of disqualified drivers,'
0:33:52 > 0:33:56having had some intelligence, so, on that occasion, a stern
0:33:56 > 0:34:00word of advice, just a ticking off, was suffice.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05- The man's been playing cricket. - What's up with your driving?- Yeah.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08I don't know. To be honest, it's a bit related to my performance.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11We won and stuff and I just - and this gonna sound ridiculous,
0:34:11 > 0:34:15but I'm an opening batsman and had a really scratchy innings.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17I ended up 30 not out. We were only chasing a hundred.
0:34:17 > 0:34:18I was pissed off with myself
0:34:18 > 0:34:21and I think probably just a bit frustrated, if the truth be known.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23OK. Don't bring it on the road.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25- Keep it on the pitch...- Yeah. - ..because let me tell you,
0:34:25 > 0:34:30you're driving down the 603, OK, there's six cars in front of you,
0:34:30 > 0:34:32all going along at most probably the speed limit
0:34:32 > 0:34:36that they should be going. You're trying to get too close,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38it means you're braking every five seconds,
0:34:38 > 0:34:40because you're driving too close to the car in front.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Your speed is a lot higher than theirs, that's why you're braking.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Coming along here, it's 30 miles an hour, you're doing 50.
0:34:46 > 0:34:4948 along here, up to 50 along here and then you're braking
0:34:49 > 0:34:52because they're doing 30 in front of you.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Regardless of whether you're in a shit mood or not, you can't
0:34:54 > 0:34:56- bring it out on the road. - There's no excuse, you're right.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59No, it's not, because your position on the road is almost like
0:34:59 > 0:35:02you're looking to overtake five cars and the overtake is not on,
0:35:02 > 0:35:04especially along the 603.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Do me a favour, take a couple of minutes out. Just relax.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Yeah, I'm gonna go to Tesco, I'm going to buy a few groceries.
0:35:10 > 0:35:11And then get yourself home, yeah.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14It's not the end of the world, trust me. Honestly, it's not.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16- I'd rather you get home in one piece.- I'm sorry, yeah.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Slow down, keep your distance from the car in front
0:35:19 > 0:35:20and keep an eye on the speed limit.
0:35:20 > 0:35:26If it says 30, it is 30 for a reason, OK? Not 40, not 50. Please.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Tan's being a good sport, letting him off with a warning.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34'No, the excuse was not acceptable, far from it'.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Clearly, I think he needs to open his eyes a bit
0:35:38 > 0:35:39and go out in the real world.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42For a moment, he was on a sticky wicket.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44He scored 30 not out, he opened the batting,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47they were chasing 100 runs and he was just upset with himself
0:35:47 > 0:35:51at the fact that he only scored 30 runs.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53And that's why. I said. "Well, don't bring that on the road.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56"Keep that on the pitch or back at the cricket club."
0:36:01 > 0:36:03'You know if he's concerned'
0:36:03 > 0:36:05and upset about scoring 30 runs,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08then maybe he shouldn't open the batting.
0:36:08 > 0:36:1130 runs isn't bad, in the grand scheme of things.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14I was thinking, expected a bit more.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19Opened the batting and made 30 not out and we were chasing a hundred.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21Well, I'm really sorry, mate.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Well, yeah, he's still got flippin' nine men to go.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31Back on the A1, Karl and Nathan have got a difficult decision to make.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35Is it, or is it not, time to take tea?
0:36:35 > 0:36:39- As we're here and it's that sort of time.- Are you thinking junction ten?
0:36:39 > 0:36:40Well, I'm thinking,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43I'm thinking of going slightly north of junction 10, yes.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Maybe to an establishment where it's renowned for providing
0:36:46 > 0:36:49- filthy good coffee? - British Petroleum, Kingsford.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Do you know what, mate?
0:36:51 > 0:36:55- I'm going to turn my rear ends off first.- Shall we do that?
0:36:55 > 0:36:58And then I'm gonna say, "I like you."
0:36:58 > 0:37:03- I like your thinking, do you know that? I do.- Not a lot.- Not a lot.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08- I love the way your foul little mind works.- I shall call you "Mini Me"!
0:37:08 > 0:37:13But, all of a sudden, there's a googly in the works.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Look at that, just straight out at 40 miles an hour.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19It's another driver with a speed problem,
0:37:19 > 0:37:23but if this one's a cricketer, he must be the slow bowler in the team.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28He was only doing around 35 to 40 miles an hour.
0:37:28 > 0:37:34He's either distracted - we're doing 30 mile an hour.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39'When you see someone driving that slowly on a fairly quiet motorway
0:37:39 > 0:37:42'it's going through your mind, "Oh, we've got a drink driver here."
0:37:42 > 0:37:49He just - he didn't speed up, um, and whilst, you know,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51we go on that speed kills,
0:37:51 > 0:37:56unfortunately, sometimes driving too slowly can cause collisions.
0:37:56 > 0:38:02The driver's going to be pulled over to see just what his game is.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11Are you Kenneth? All right. Just step over here for me for a second.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15The reason we've stopped you is just cos of your lack of speed.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18I know it might sound like a strange thing.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21You're doing 30 to 40 miles an hour coming up the slip road
0:38:21 > 0:38:23and then joining a motorway at 40 miles an hour.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27Well, I very seldom drive on motorways. I haven't been drinking.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32All right. Have you got your driving licence with you?
0:38:32 > 0:38:36- No, but I've got ID. Want some ID?- Please.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38It's not just the young and speedy
0:38:38 > 0:38:40that are drawn to the attention of the cops.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44Kenneth is 69...not out.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48This is the first time in 69 years that I've ever been
0:38:48 > 0:38:50stopped by the police!
0:38:50 > 0:38:55- This is an experience! - Note this one down.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- Right, what's your date of birth? - 23rd, eleventh, 1941.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00- It was a Sunday.- 23/11/41.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Whittington Hospital, St Mary's, during an air raid.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08- Explains a lot, don't it?- Didn't get hit while you were being born?
0:39:08 > 0:39:11No, no, me mum was worried, though, apparently.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13The person I thought he reminded me of - it was more the glasses
0:39:13 > 0:39:17than anything - is Reuben out of Ocean's Eleven.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19The casino chap.
0:39:19 > 0:39:251970s, sort of, disco-type bloke.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- What, you're just checking on me, see if I'm legit.- Yeah, yeah.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31I've got to be honest with you, Kenneth,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33we thought you might have had a drink or two, cos of the speed...
0:39:33 > 0:39:36- No. No.- ..or lack of it.- No.
0:39:36 > 0:39:37When I first spoke to him
0:39:37 > 0:39:41I still thought, "We've probably got a drink driver here",
0:39:41 > 0:39:44cos he was a little - you know a little bit woo, a little bit way.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46But that's obviously just his way.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50Extraordinarily, Kenneth's been done for pace before.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53RADIO: 'Three coloured points'.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57- For speeding.- No way. - 37 miles an hour. 37.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01THEY LAUGH
0:40:01 > 0:40:02I don't have accidents.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06- Well, do a little bit more than 40 mile an hour on a motorway.- 50? 55?
0:40:06 > 0:40:09- That's top whack.- OK.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Well, whatever you're comfortable with,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15but joining at 40 miles an hour is likely to cause something.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18Not so much now cos it's quieter, but if you're doing it with any traffic...
0:40:18 > 0:40:20OK. I can appreciate that.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22But there's nothing on the roads hardly, is there?
0:40:22 > 0:40:26People can't afford the petrol. I had to save up for this trip.
0:40:26 > 0:40:31- SIREN BLARES - Well, he's doing more.- Yeah, there you go, he's making up for you.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35If everyone we dealt with was like that, our job would be so much easier.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42It's when darkness falls that the worst road accidents usually happen.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45And tonight is no exception.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50It's nearly midnight and Karl's on his way to a shocking incident.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52OK, en route.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56A cyclist has been badly injured and possibly worse on the A10,
0:40:56 > 0:40:58the London to Cambridge road.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Apparently there might be a push bike next to him,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04so don't know if there's been an accident or not
0:41:04 > 0:41:07or whether it's someone who's just fallen off his bike.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11The A10 is a fast dual carriageway, hardly a place to be cycling.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Especially this part of it, which is pitch black.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20The local unit completely shut the A10 or were in the process of doing that.
0:41:20 > 0:41:280-60, if Whisky Seven are coming, if they can start putting a taper just north of the Ware junction
0:41:28 > 0:41:31and bring everything off at the 602 for me, please.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45There was a local car there and also a paramedic response vehicle.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Right, what we got?
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Just turned up, he was here a couple of minutes after.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52He was rolled over, so he was on his side.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Bicycle's there. Rolled over, he's just confirmed deceased,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57that's it, you've arrived.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00These three chaps here have stopped and found him, different vehicles.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02No other vehicle involved here.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04The cyclist was laying to the near side
0:42:04 > 0:42:07and his bicycle was just in front of him.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12The man is dead and it's looking like he's been struck by a vehicle that hasn't stopped.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15A hit and run.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18There are three members of the public at the scene.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20I think they've come across it.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22They're just being spoken to by the local officers.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24I'm just getting all their details.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27I'll wait till we've got some traffic units to the scene
0:42:27 > 0:42:29to start getting accounts.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33But from the state of the peddle cycle he was riding,
0:42:33 > 0:42:37it would appear at this stage that it's a 'failed to stop',
0:42:37 > 0:42:41but no other vehicles have stopped at the scene,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44so it will be a complete closure on the A10 southbound.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47It was clear from both his injuries
0:42:47 > 0:42:50and the damage to the bike that it had been a very high-speed impact.
0:42:50 > 0:42:55Remarkably, a violin case has been found undamaged, just a few yards
0:42:55 > 0:42:58away from the twisted remains of the victim's bicycle.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04How was he when you found him? Was he faced over?
0:43:04 > 0:43:06He was face down.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09His jacket was right up over his head, so we've had to...
0:43:09 > 0:43:12So I take it he was - his face would have been here, would it?
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Yeah, it was there - there's a big pool of blood.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17So you've literally just pulled him over as he was.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19- Pulled his jacket down, that's it.- OK.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Sadly, the paramedics had been unable to resuscitate the man
0:43:26 > 0:43:28when they arrived.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31I don't think you ever get used to it,
0:43:31 > 0:43:36but you have to remember that you're dealing with someone's loved one...
0:43:37 > 0:43:41..in that, you deal with it as professionally as possible.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44Yes, we may have to close the road,
0:43:44 > 0:43:47which may well inconvenience other people, but it's imperative
0:43:47 > 0:43:52that we conduct a proper and professional investigation for that
0:43:52 > 0:43:55person and for their family, so that they know exactly what happened.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57And so that, if it's required, justice can be done.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01And that means finding out the man's name and why he was
0:44:01 > 0:44:05riding along the dual carriageway, and tracing the driver that hit him.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08They just saw a man on the floor.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12A couple of men chanced upon the cyclist.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14They found him, yeah. No witnesses to the collision.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19Just as we were driving down the road, spotted the bike and then as
0:44:19 > 0:44:23we've shot past, I've caught the clothes out of the corner of my eye.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Went up to the roundabout, spun round and pulled up behind him
0:44:26 > 0:44:28and you could see he weren't, you know,
0:44:28 > 0:44:30there weren't a lot left there.
0:44:30 > 0:44:36It is dark and it's a fast road and people do tear along here,
0:44:36 > 0:44:40but you know it's... You wouldn't expect to see a bike on a road,
0:44:40 > 0:44:45- you know, this dark.- It's dreadful, when somebody don't stop, yeah.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48We do see it on a fairly regular basis,
0:44:48 > 0:44:54but this is something that's quite deeply shocking for them.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Oh, it's horrific.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58You know, somebody's obviously done some damage
0:44:58 > 0:45:02and not hung around to see the result.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06But some vital clues have been left behind.
0:45:06 > 0:45:12He's certainly missing his nearside wing mirror.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15Karl is turning detective.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Possibly, and this is only possibly, other body work damage
0:45:19 > 0:45:24to the nearside, but most certainly, nearside wing mirror missing.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26Can we give the details as soon as possible to Essex
0:45:26 > 0:45:28and the Met, please?
0:45:28 > 0:45:30'Looking at the debris',
0:45:30 > 0:45:35we saw a...it was a chrome-effect headlight housing
0:45:35 > 0:45:39and both myself and Adam
0:45:39 > 0:45:41had come to the conclusion it was from a Mini.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44It's a great lead for the cops.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48However, no clues to identify the bike rider have been found.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Who he was is a mystery.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54Out there somewhere is a family and they need to be told
0:45:54 > 0:45:57and the earlier that we can get a positive identification
0:45:57 > 0:46:01on that person, the earlier we can let them know.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09'Searching the body is a part of what we do.
0:46:09 > 0:46:14'A not very nice part, but something nonetheless that we have to do'.
0:46:15 > 0:46:21He had substantial injuries, so very heavy impact injuries,
0:46:21 > 0:46:23substantial blood loss.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28The cops' only hope for a quick identification is a specialist
0:46:28 > 0:46:31piece of equipment that can read fingerprints.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Adam had used the mobile ID device.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38He'd managed to get a fingerprint from the cyclist.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41The device is connected, via a Blackberry, to the police's
0:46:41 > 0:46:43National Fingerprint Database.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45It's trying to identify him without having to go through his
0:46:45 > 0:46:48pockets at this stage. We were only able to use it on one finger.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50It's come back with a result, so we're just running that through.
0:46:50 > 0:46:55The man's a local musician. 37-year-old James McGee.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Because we'd got an early identification on James,
0:46:58 > 0:47:03we were able to identify his home address
0:47:03 > 0:47:07and a Family Liaison Officer in place, PC Rowley Smith, and together
0:47:07 > 0:47:13with PC Holmes, they had the address and had informed his parents.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17Almost half an hour has passed since the accident happened
0:47:17 > 0:47:20and the cops have just received a very important phone call.
0:47:22 > 0:47:27We've had contact from a driver of the vehicle that we believe is involved.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30She's contacted our control room to say that she believes
0:47:30 > 0:47:34she was in a collision somewhere around 30 minutes
0:47:34 > 0:47:37before calling us. She believes she was involved
0:47:37 > 0:47:40in a collision on this stretch of the A10.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45She's told us that she'd left the dual carriageway
0:47:45 > 0:47:49at the next junction, she's examined her vehicle and found some damage.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52I think because I'm quite a cynical person, I was actually wondering
0:47:52 > 0:47:54whether it was actually the driver
0:47:54 > 0:47:58or whether it was somebody covering for another driver.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02Drink drivers are the most likely to flee an accident.
0:48:02 > 0:48:08'Because the person had already left the scene, we need to interview'
0:48:08 > 0:48:14that person, because she and her car are part of the crime scene.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22To avoid any possibility of evidence being transferred
0:48:22 > 0:48:27from the crime scene, Traffic Cops based in Watford, PCs Tony Nibb
0:48:27 > 0:48:31and Tim Hill have been called in to talk to the driver and check out her car.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37All the other officers from that side of the county
0:48:37 > 0:48:38were involved at the scene.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41Now, from a cross-contamination point of view, those officers then
0:48:41 > 0:48:45couldn't leave the scene and then go and deal with a possible offender,
0:48:45 > 0:48:47or go and touch the vehicle.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50So were asked, as we'd been completely uninvolved with
0:48:50 > 0:48:53anything that had gone on prior to that, to go to where this vehicle
0:48:53 > 0:48:55could potentially be.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57The offender is going to be arrested...
0:48:57 > 0:48:59Looking for a little Mini.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01..for causing Death by Dangerous Driving.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09It carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence.
0:49:16 > 0:49:17I can't see it yet, mate.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24Tango three, whisky one over. We have arrived.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27The car is on the driveway with damage on the front of that vehicle
0:49:27 > 0:49:31consistent with hitting a cyclist.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37She believed she'd hit an animal, so we actually had to tell her
0:49:37 > 0:49:40that she'd actually killed somebody on the road.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43The news has come as a total shock to the girl.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45She physically broke down and, at one point,
0:49:45 > 0:49:48she had to walk into the back garden and was physically sick.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50So the young lady's been arrested.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52We're just going to breath test her,
0:49:52 > 0:49:55so I'm gonna get the kit out the car.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57There's a possibility that she may have been drinking.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00We didn't know that, so we had to conduct a roadside breath test
0:50:00 > 0:50:03on her, which we did inside the house there and she blew zero.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07The cops are satisfied they've got the right person.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10She openly admitted to being the driver of that vehicle, so has been
0:50:10 > 0:50:13arrested by me, at this point, for Causing Death by Dangerous Driving.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17So, at the moment, we're just waiting for recovery of the vehicle,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20to have it taken away to be examined forensically and then we'll take
0:50:20 > 0:50:24her into custody and we'll have her dealt with in custody.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28The girl's account is that of another chance event...
0:50:28 > 0:50:31something that could have happened to anyone.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34She's extremely distraught. She didn't realise she'd hit a person.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37She said she saw no lights, she was just driving along in lane one
0:50:37 > 0:50:39and she believes she's hit what she thought was an animal.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42She pulled over at the side of the road a little bit further up
0:50:42 > 0:50:45the road and she's called her father and the boyfriend, as well,
0:50:45 > 0:50:48said she think she's hit an animal and had an accident in the vehicle.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51Her boyfriend's gone and driven the vehicle back to the home
0:50:51 > 0:50:54address here, where she's been good enough to phone the police
0:50:54 > 0:50:57and spoken to her dad, as well and he's advised her to phone the police.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Not stopping at the scene of an accident
0:50:59 > 0:51:03and failing to report it would have been another offence.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07Saved us an awful lot of aggravation in trying to trace
0:51:07 > 0:51:10a vehicle of which we only have the briefest of details.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13We then conveyed her back to Hatfield Police Station
0:51:13 > 0:51:17and, really, she was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21But what needs to be discovered, before any conclusions
0:51:21 > 0:51:24can be drawn, is whereabouts on the road was the cyclist
0:51:24 > 0:51:26and could he have been avoided?
0:51:26 > 0:51:30His main injuries appear to be on the nearside. It's his left arm.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33He's got some injuries to his left leg, as well.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36It's another assignment for Crash Detective, Bob Wagstaff.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41But first, a little light needs to be shed on things.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43The Collision Investigators, SOCOs,
0:51:43 > 0:51:45need to be able to see what they're doing.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48We need to be able to find, locate the evidence that's there,
0:51:48 > 0:51:50so we had lighting put up at the scene.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56The cops have got something especially for the job...
0:51:59 > 0:52:00..an inflatable lighthouse.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09SOCO, or Scenes Of Crime Officers, are here, as well.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11We'll seize that, because we'll be going to the vehicle
0:52:11 > 0:52:14probably in a couple of days and we'll do the mechanical fits.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17'Hopefully they will be able to tell us where the
0:52:17 > 0:52:20'peddle cycle was at the time of the collision'.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24Every minute scrap of evidence is being identified for analysis.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28We're basically working our way through the scene, systematically.
0:52:30 > 0:52:38Chrome headlight surround, is it chrome? I think it's chrome.
0:52:40 > 0:52:41It's definitely a Mini.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45Well, we're looking for contact marks, we're looking for tyre marks,
0:52:45 > 0:52:47we're looking for anything to give us a point of impact.
0:52:47 > 0:52:52It's clear that the bicycle had no lights on it or even a reflector.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55But it's proving impossible to deduce anything more
0:52:55 > 0:52:57from its mangled remnants.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59The moment the bike's been hit, it's been hit,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02it's been accelerated and thrown forward it becomes a projectile.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06So therefore, there's no actual - we couldn't find the actual
0:53:06 > 0:53:07precise impact point,
0:53:07 > 0:53:11so we couldn't be definitive, as to where it was on the road.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14We have got a shoe missing, that we can't find,
0:53:14 > 0:53:17but that's marshland. I'm not sending anyone over there at night.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19That can be done during the day.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25The accident is high up on a viaduct with no hard shoulder or any
0:53:25 > 0:53:27spare room to cycle along, at all.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29Actually if he'd gone over the railings
0:53:29 > 0:53:32he could have dropped down into the river that was below
0:53:32 > 0:53:35and nobody would have known that he was there.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38We've given the chap a quick search.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42The police believe the man had been busking and was returning home.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45Somebody suggested he might be a busker.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47He had a violin on his back and seems to be some intelligence
0:53:47 > 0:53:49that he's been busking with somebody.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53Extraordinarily, his violin has survived in its case
0:53:53 > 0:53:55and is completely intact.
0:53:58 > 0:54:03I suppose if he'd been riding his bicycle up here, no reflectives on.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06- As you do.- There don't appear to be any lights on the bike.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08We haven't found any lights on the bike.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21The 24-year-old girl has arrived
0:54:21 > 0:54:24at Hatfield Police Station for questioning.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27She had potentially committed a serious offence.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30A pedal cyclist has been hit by a motor vehicle
0:54:30 > 0:54:33and, as a result of that collision, the pedal cyclist has died.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36'It's a sad situation for anybody. She was fully cooperative',
0:54:36 > 0:54:38she came from a nice family,
0:54:38 > 0:54:42and unfortunately, it's one of those things that possibly
0:54:42 > 0:54:44could have happened to many people.
0:54:44 > 0:54:45I'm going to authorise your detention here,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47so that we can ascertain
0:54:47 > 0:54:49if there's sufficient evidence to charge you with any offences.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Obviously, I understand this is going to be a difficult time
0:54:51 > 0:54:54for you, as well, but we need to look into what's happened
0:54:54 > 0:54:56and we need to work out how to deal with it.
0:54:56 > 0:54:57'And all the way through she always said
0:54:57 > 0:55:00'she thought she'd hit an animal'.
0:55:00 > 0:55:01And then became scared.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03And I think it's only when she got home
0:55:03 > 0:55:07and spoke to stepdad and I think a little bit of realisation set in,
0:55:07 > 0:55:08which is why then they called the police.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11Because they believed it may have been something perhaps more
0:55:11 > 0:55:14than an animal and that the police needed to be aware of what
0:55:14 > 0:55:17had happened or potentially what may have happened.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Back at the scene of the accident, it's looking,
0:55:20 > 0:55:24from all of the evidence, that the girl is not to blame.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27Is it reasonable that the driver didn't see him?
0:55:27 > 0:55:31Well, yes, it is reasonable, because, you know, he's in a black
0:55:31 > 0:55:34environment, he's on a trunk road, he's got no lights,
0:55:34 > 0:55:38he's got no reflectors, in complete dark. There's no contrast
0:55:38 > 0:55:42to help anyone see him, as potentially being a hazard.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46It's likely she wasn't on main beam, because she's on a dual carriageway
0:55:46 > 0:55:50with other traffic coming towards them, so she will be driving
0:55:50 > 0:55:54on dipped beam and it's on a long, sweeping curve, as well.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58So as you're coming round, your lights are forward,
0:55:58 > 0:56:00although on dipped beam they would be to the near side,
0:56:00 > 0:56:05but potentially, you know he would be to the nearside of her
0:56:05 > 0:56:08and she still wouldn't necessarily pick him out.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10Purely from her reaction,
0:56:10 > 0:56:14when I've arrived at knocked on her door, and told her the sad news
0:56:14 > 0:56:18that she has killed somebody, I think she's telling the truth.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28Another discovery has been made which might have been
0:56:28 > 0:56:31a factor in the accident.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35The paramedic who was dealing with the casualty informed us
0:56:35 > 0:56:40that he suspected that there may be an element of alcohol involved.
0:56:40 > 0:56:45Whether that's had any bearing on the collision, we don't know,
0:56:45 > 0:56:48but he did think that he could detect alcohol on the deceased.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01Like with most accidents, there's a chain of events that have
0:57:01 > 0:57:06happened and it's all of those little bits that have led to,
0:57:06 > 0:57:09unfortunately, to this death occurring.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12Um, had one of those bits changed,
0:57:12 > 0:57:15it may have been a different outcome. May never have happened.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20At his inquest, it was revealed that James McGee was nearly
0:57:20 > 0:57:24two-and-a-half times the legal limit for driving.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27The coroner described the gifted violinist's death
0:57:27 > 0:57:29as "a tragic accident".
0:57:32 > 0:57:35The young Mini driver was not charged with any offences.
0:57:38 > 0:57:42The man with a stash of guns in his car, who was trapped after being hit
0:57:42 > 0:57:46from behind by a lorry, was released from hospital the following day.
0:57:49 > 0:57:54Kelsey, the young girl who was badly injured after crashing into a tree,
0:57:54 > 0:57:59spent four weeks in hospital recovering from her injuries.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01She had no recollection of her lucky escape.
0:58:01 > 0:58:06Seeing the top of the car, how it was, I'm thinking, "My goodness!".
0:58:06 > 0:58:08I'm lucky that I'm alive.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13And whether she was distracted or not, will never be known.
0:58:13 > 0:58:16There was no third-party influence.
0:58:16 > 0:58:21There was no defence that was put forward that could have given
0:58:21 > 0:58:24an excuse as to how that collision occurred.
0:58:24 > 0:58:28It was 99% down to driver error.
0:58:40 > 0:58:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd