Crash victim ‘could not have come out of nowhere’, jury told
The locations of dents on the hood of a car that collided with a woman showed that the victim could not have “come out of nowhere”, a traffic collision expert said yesterday.
Pc Rawle Massiah told the Supreme Court that a large dent at the centre of Norrell Hull Jr’s car showed that the vehicle hit Tamra Broadley while she was in the middle of the lane.
He added that Berry Hill Road, where the incident took place, did have several hazards – but that any motorist who frequented the area, such as Mr Hull, would have been aware of these problems and would there have driven more safely.
Mr Hull, 48, from Southampton, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Broadley through careless driving on September 9, 2019.
The incident happened across from the old parking lot of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and was said to have fractured Ms Broadley’s right knee as a result.
A blood clot later formed in her leg, which travelled to her lungs and killed her weeks later on October 4.
Mr Massiah told the court that Mr Hull’s car had damage consistent with a “wrap” where a person’s upper torso dents the hood of a car when they are hit.
He added that, because Mr Null stopped his car “almost immediately” after Ms Broadley was hit, he had time to stop the car before it collided with Ms Broadley.
Mr Massiah said that the road at the time was relatively clear, although he added that glare could affect a motorist’s vision on the road. He said there were traffic signs that urged drivers to slow down in the area.
He added: “People driving down the road should be able to see someone on the side of the road.”
The trial continues.
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