Hichame’s father, Hamid, 49, welcomed today’s patrols, but urged TfL to also reinstall barriers that were removed from the road before his son’s death.
He said: “Having a lollipop lady there is very important but it needs to be permanent and we also need speed bumps, new barriers and signs saying there are schools nearby to warn drivers.
“It’s such a busy road and this patrol is just there for short time in the mornings and afternoons, but at least there’s someone there.
“I just hope the council find the extra funding to keep it and they must work with TfL to improve safety.
“Without these measures, kids will jump in the road, look what happened to my son.”So, what happened to your son?
Hichame was holding his mother’s hand when he broke free and dashed onto a busy one-way street near a pedestrian on an exit road from Elephant & Castle roundabout.Has no-one in this family heard of reins? Have they fallen out of favour, as a result of the ‘My children must be free to express themselves’ brigade?
It's not like they weren't aware of the dangers of the road, is it?
"I was always scared of that road," says Mr Bouadimi.
"Most of the drivers drive fast, and if the police put a camera there they would see it. The school is very close to the main road, and I don't know who was the clever man who made the decision to take away the barriers. It's really upsetting to be honest with you. My son is gone but I'm really worried. There has to be a camera and a flashing sign showing kids coming out from school, at least at 9 o'clock and 3.30.
It's not complicated to do, it's just a sign. I don't want anybody else to experience what I've experienced."Sorry if I sound heartless, but most of my sympathy is going to the lorry driver who was part of an unnecessary accident caused by someone else’s carelessness.
The driver, 46, of the flat-bed lorry was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and bailed by police until January.I wonder if it’ll go forward, or be quietly dropped? Given the kid dashed out into the road, what more could he possibly have done?
Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling, said: “We do not want anyone crossing that road to feel unduly anxious or have heightened fears or anxiety.
“While this is only temporary measure in response to a tragic situation, there will be local funding available which can be used to secure a patrol for the longer-term.”It’s not the job of councils to ‘alleviate anxiety or worry’, or to try to work out ways in which the population can take increasing risks without suffering any consequences!
And why does no-one seem to want to point out that this family's tragedy was, in most part, down to their error? I mean, as Very British Dude's experience at the swimming baths shows, some people have no trouble raising Cain over highly unlikely 'child endangerment', yet the preventable death of a toddler seems to render the family immune to all criticism.
Given the kid dashed out into the road, what more could he possibly have done?
ReplyDeleteWe could do with a convention about arrests which includes making a comparision as to whether the diver is in the same position as a train driver.
In some situations they have exactly the same physics but on a smaller scale; all they can do is bang on the brakes and hope, knowing that frankly there isn't likely to be much.
We don't automatically arrest train drivers before investigators have established that they have broken the rules of their job on the assumption that they must have done something until proven otherwise.
My son is 4 and he wouldn't run into the road (I hope). However despite the fact that he always stops when he comes to a road my wife and I are ultra careful with him walking by the road.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...Weirdy Beardy muslim dad....
ReplyDeleteDriver probably arrested because of 'community cohesion' or some such PC nonsense.
Yet again plod take the easy route and arrest someone without reasonable grounds.
ReplyDelete@WoaR - I'd never thought about the comparison with train drivers, but you're absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteI've been having a go at my MP recently about arrests before evidence is collected, and this will make a perfect example to show how two groups of people are treated completely differently.
One less.
ReplyDeleteRightwinggit
ReplyDeleteIt's like the Hydra; chop one off and two more appear.,
?It's about time we started asking questions first and arresting later. Sounds to me like this kid's parents should be arrested for have a child out who was not under control.
ReplyDelete"Has no-one in this family heard of reins?"
ReplyDeleteDon't be silly, that might infringe the kids "Uman Rites"...
" probably arrested because of 'community cohesion'"
ReplyDeleteOr maybe because he killed someone. Serious matters need to be investigated and it is not practical to do so without detaining people. While they could just apply Occam`s razor that's a bit slap dash when someone has been killed.
FFS Dont kids learn the green cross code anymore?
ReplyDeleteBill:
ReplyDeleteNo, because an accident due to his parents inability to hold on to the kid is not the same as "he killed someone" which implys a certain deliberation or at least gross carelessness on his part.
"Serious matters need to be investigated and it is not practical to do so without detaining people".
ReplyDeleteObviously Bill cannot wait for the dawn arrest of Sir Norman Bettison.
Regardless of fault he did kill someone. The whole point of the arrest is to establish if he was grossly negligent. That can't be decided there and then.
ReplyDelete"Bill cannot wait for the dawn arrest of Sir Norman Bettison."
ReplyDeleteI`m not sure of the connection but if you are asking should be subject to the same process then the answer is yes. I don't think a ` dawn raid` is appropriate for something that happened decades ago...
Your opinion is as valuable as iron pyrite and not something I would object to other folk seeking, Bill.
ReplyDeleteglib
ReplyDeleteThe Police have to abide by ACPO's Road Death Manual.
ReplyDelete..if an early assessment indicates that a criminal offence may have been committed, arresting suspect(s) who have been identified and are present at the scene of a fatal collision must be a priority, for example, in cases where
impairment through drink or drugs is suspected. In such circumstances, the escape of any potential suspect(s) and the intentional or accidental destruction of material (e.g., tachograph charts, documents, and reconnection of speed limiter)
must be managed.
The isolation of any suspect(s) and/or vehicle(s) is also important ..
I accept the point about Train/Tube drivers. Just don't give the Govt any ideas.
"We could do with a convention about arrests which includes making a comparision as to whether the diver is in the same position as a train driver. "
ReplyDeleteApart from the rigidity, agreed. But if he'd swerved to avoid the kid and wiped out the mother instead, I suspect the police'd still nick him!
"Serious matters need to be investigated..."
No-one's suggesting you don't investigate, are they?
"Just don't give the Govt any ideas."
Perish the thought!