George Robert DILLON · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 01 June 2023 an investigation was commenced into the death of George Robert DILLON aged 19. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 24 April 2024. The conclusion of the inquest was that:

On the evening of Thursday 18th May 2023 the Deceased was driving a VW Golf south along a country road, namely Lee Lane, Romsey, in the vicinity of its junction with Spaniard Lane when at around 22.16 to 22.26 he lost control of the car by reason of his speed on a crest in the road, and hit a large tree. He was the sole occupant of the car. There is no evidence that any other vehicle was involved. He suffered catastrophic and unsurvivable injuries. He was taken to the Neurosurgical Unit at Southampton General Hospital where he died from his injuries on 20th May 2023.

On the evening of Thursday 18th May 2023 the Deceased was driving a VW Golf south along a country road, namely Lee Lane, Romsey, in the vicinity of its junction with Spaniard Lane when at around 22.16 to 22.26 he lost control of the car by reason of his speed on a crest in the road, and hit a large tree. He was the sole occupant of the car. There is no evidence that any other vehicle was involved. He suffered catastrophic and unsurvivable injuries. He was taken to the Neurosurgical Unit at Southampton General Hospital where he died from his injuries on 20th May 2023.

A. At 22.26pm Hampshire Constabulary’s control room received an automated telephone call from the deceased’s i-Phone indicating that the deceased had been in a serious car crash and was not responding to their i-Phone. The operator logged “no direct request made and cannot hear anything distinctive in the background – no sounds of distress/disturbance. An accurate location was provided by the i-Phone.
B. The iPhone was called back, but the call went straight to voicemail.
C. The control room supervisor forwarded the message to the intelligence team to establish who the i-Phone belonged to and whether there was any serious harm or risk to life at that time.
D. By 22.43 the intelligence team had drawn a blank. But for a separate telephone call from a member of the public at 22.45, further steps may have been made to make contact (one of which, an “!cetrak” message which was sent to the i-Phone at 22.59 asking whether there was an emergency and requesting a 999 call if so) or a Police vehicle may have been assigned to attend the GPS co-ordinates provided by the i-Phone or no further action taken.
E. The evidence indicated that false alarms from electronic devices such as telephones and watches are commonplace, and that locations received from such devices was often inaccurate and liable to involve substantial Police time in tracking the device down.
F. The Apple serious car crash detection automatic calls were a recent development at the time of the index accident. Other manufacturers have launched a similar feature. The investigating officer stated during the inquest that “not enough is known (by the police) about this technology within people’s personal phones.”
G. I am concerned that the understanding, training and procedures need review to assist with appropriately prompt response in situations where there is an indication of a collision where a risk to life may exist.