A Metropolitan Police officer drove at excessive speed through a red light and "drove straight into" an 81-year-old woman who later died, prosecutors told the Old Bailey. Pc Christopher Harrison is on trial for causing death by careless driving after hitting pensioner Helen Holland while escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh on May 10, 2023, in west London.
Harrison was travelling between 44mph and 58mph in a 30mph zone when he struck Holland, who was crossing at a pedestrian crossing. Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told the court: «Mrs Holland was entitled to be crossing then, Mr Harrison knew that the light for traffic, for him, was red, and so he should have taken care when driving through the red light, but he did not stop and he did not see Mrs Holland, which is why he drove straight into her.» Holland suffered serious injuries and died two weeks after the collision.
Duty of Care Argument
The prosecution argued that despite Harrison's role as a police escort rider, he still had a duty to drive carefully. Heeley told the court: «As a police escort motorbike, the defendant was allowed to do things other drivers can't do, for example, he could exceed the speed limit, and go through red lights, but he still had a duty to other road users, including pedestrians, to make sure that his driving was careful.»
Harrison had driven through the crossing 18 seconds after another officer in the convoy radioed that the lights had turned red. The prosecutor stated: «He should have seen her, he should have expected there to be pedestrians and thus modified his driving somehow, but he didn't, and that is why the prosecution say he was driving carelessly at that point.»
Witness Account
Passer-by Diana Cetara witnessed the collision and told the court: «She was crossing, a motorbike hit her and then she flew away - to be honest, I was a bit of a mess then.» Harrison admitted in police interviews that he had not seen Holland, claiming she "appeared from nowhere". The prosecution rejected this account, noting Holland was three metres into the carriageway when struck.
Harrison has pleaded not guilty to causing death by careless driving. His motorcycle was inspected after the incident and found to have no mechanical faults. The trial continues.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
