Investigation and inquest
On the 16th of October 2022 I commenced an investigation into the death of Andrew Howat (DOB 29.01.82 DOD 15.10.22). The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on the 12th of November 2024. The cause of death was recorded as being due to 1(a) Multiple Injuries and the conclusion of the inquest was that the death was due to a road traffic collision
Circumstances of the death
On the 15th of December 2022, the deceased was collected by a Kingkabs taxi from a Chester Hotel. He was intoxicated at the time and as a result of disruptive behaviour the driver felt it unsafe to continue the journey and dropped him at a petrol station. Another taxi was ordered from the same firm, and he was collected for his onward journey home. Again as a result of his disruptive behaviour the driver was not prepared to continue the journey without full payment of the fare and stopped in a layby on the A483 dual carriageway in an unlit area with no means by which a pedestrian could easily leave the area (notwithstanding that there was a junction approximately 400 metres away which would have been a safe place to discharge the passenger).
When the deceased got out of the taxi, the driver left him in an unsafe location and no contact was made with the police by the firm to advise them of the potential risk to both the deceased and other traffic.
Coroner’s concerns
Oral testimony was given by a representative of Kingkabs that appropriate training was being provided to drivers seeking to balance the risk to themselves with their duty of care to their passengers, however the taxi driver stated in his evidence that if similar circumstances arose, he would do nothing different and would still be prepared to leave a passenger in an unsafe location.
Furthermore, the firm’s representative advised that usual practice would be to contact the police in circumstances such as these, but this was not done on this occasion and no evidence or documentation was available to corroborate that staff were being trained in respect of this protocol.