Slush Pile: Girl killed refused seatbelt

2007 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Girl killed refused seatbelt

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2550695.html

Girl, 18, killed in crash hours after police told her to wear a seatbelt Russell Jenkins

She was fined hours before crash

Mother had also pleaded with her

A young woman who was fined on the spot for not wearing her seatbelt was still breaching the law hours later when she was thrown through the window and injured fatally.

Francesca-Lee Platt, 18, was a front-seat passenger in a Fiat Punto driven by her friend when they were pulled over by police and issued with fixed-penalty notices.

An inquest in Manchester was told that later that day the driver had belted up but Miss Platt was still refusing to wear hers when the car was in a crash. Miss Platt died but the driver survived.

Nigel Meadows, the coroner, said that the lesson to be learnt from this “very sad and tragic” case was always to wear a seatbelt. “One can only speculate whether Francesca-Lee would have suffered fewer injuries if she had been wearing her belt, but it is unlikely that she would have been ejected from the car.”

The wearing of seatbelts was a much discussed issue in Miss Platt’s family. She had ignored the repeated pleas of her mother.

In April last year Miss Platt, who worked in a call centre and lived in Chorlton, Manchester, was travelling with Kelly Bulger along Kingsway, a main suburban highway, in Didsbury, when they were stopped by police and fined.

The inquest was told that six hours later Miss Bulger was at the wheel of the Punto when she failed to observe a no-right-turn sign and drove into the path of an oncoming car in Wythenshawe. Miss Platt was thrown out of the window and suffered severe head injuries, from which she died the next day in hospital.

Wendy Gilbert, 39, Miss Platt’s mother, said that she had pleaded with her daughter to wear a seatbelt in the days before the crash.

“Francesca-Lee was obsessive and stubborn about it. She was 18 years old and made her own decisions,” Mrs Gilbert said. “She felt that nothing would ever happen to her and would tell us, ‘I don’t need a belt’. I think it was just an attitude of a teenager. I told her again and again to wear a seatbelt. It became a real family issue but she just refused.”

Mrs Gilbert said that she could not attach any blame to Miss Bulger for her role in the crash. The pair were inseparable friends who had been looking forward to a holiday together in Tenerife.

“I know that Kelly is torturing herself over this,” Mrs Gilbert said. “I hate to see her that way. I don’t want Kelly to be prosecuted. If I have to blame anybody, it’s Francesca-Lee for not wearing her belt.”

She said that it was a comfort to know that her daughter’s donated organs had helped others to live.

“Ironically, just six days before, she had asked me how you go about getting on the donor list. I don’t know what made her think of it. Among those she helped were three newborn babies. I have letters from all the families. The letters are sent via the donor service and only have first names.I know members of my family would like to meet some of the recipients.”

Roger Vincent, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: “It is always a terrible tragedy especially when someone has been given an earlier warning. Hopefully, when they were handed the fixed-penalty notices they were given advice as to its importance.

“Many people do not belt up. We have all seen the graphic images in the latest television campaign as to the consequences. Seatbelts have saved thousands of lives. If anything good is to come from this case, it is a reminder to people just how important it is to wear belts.”

Sarah Fatica, of the road safety charity Brake, said: “We would particularly urge young drivers and passengers not to cave in to peer pressure. Make sure you are wearing a seatbelt at all times.”

Submitted on 01/18/2007

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Times (UK) 17 Jan 07

>> Moderator Scores <<

James said:
Definitely Toss: Other
Thanks, we've already received this story and there's no new info here. The original story is currently undergoing moderator screening.

Graham said:
Definitely Toss: Other

The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards Condom

Keep yourself out of the gene pool!
A condom in a matchbook, useful for emergency contraception, bachelor parties, frat parties, and important rites of passage. LOADED inside and out with funny quotes and stories. Everyone loves this item!
Friends don't let friends reproduce!
$13 for Pack of 4

Slush Pile
Slush Pile Rejects

2007 Slush Pile

Girl killed refused seatbelt

2007 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

>> The Darwin Awards, by Wendy Northcutt << Link to Fight Evil.

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

>> The Darwin Awards, by Wendy Northcutt <<
Link to Fight Evil.