Motorbike death crash teen Daniel Martin called up for jury service
THE father of a teenage motorcyclist killed in a car crash has hit out after his son was summoned for jury service.
Daniel Martin, 18, died after his bike crashed into a car in Runnymede Way, Kingswood, in July last year.
Now, his father Adrian has received a letter from Hull Coroner's Court, requesting Daniel as a juror.
Adrian, 46, said: "I couldn't believe what I was reading. Things like this shouldn't happen.
This Friday Mexican night at The Black Bull, Burton Pidsea, Two...
View detailsIndulge with our delicious range of specially selected Mexican dishes available from 5pm to 8:30pm this Friday 21st June. Traditional evening menu also available.
Terms: Terms: Friday the 21st June only, from 5pm to 8:30pm. Offer includes two main Mexican courses. Minimum 2 people dining.
Contact: 01964 770402
Valid until: Saturday, June 22 2013
"I have had counselling since Danny's death and this has put me right back to the day of the accident.
"I'm dumbstruck how an official body can do something so catastrophically wrong."
Student mechanic Daniel, who lived in Kingswood, was travelling north from the Asda Kingswood roundabout on his Kawasaki 400cc after a day out riding with friends.
Witnesses told Hull Coroner's Court they heard a bike "revving high" and changing through the gears as it was driven along the 30mph road, less than half a mile from Daniel's home in Halecroft Park.
The motorcycle, which had been de-restricted to increase the power by almost 50 per cent, crashed into the front of the Vauxhall Corsa.
The woman driving the Corsa was initially arrested and interviewed.
However, she was later released unconditionally and an inquest into Daniel's death heard he may have been travelling faster than 59mph in a 30mph zone.
A pathologist said Daniel died of internal bleeding after rupturing his spleen and fracturing five ribs and a verdict of accidental death was recorded.
Adrian, who also lives in Kingswood, said he received a call from Geoffrey Saul, coroner for Hull and the East Riding, apologising for the letter.
"The letter was addressed to Danny and I couldn't believe it," said Adrian.
"We are trying to get ourselves back on our feet. I don't want this to happen to anyone else."
Adrian, a taxi driver, said life has been hard since Daniel died.
"It's been an absolute nightmare," said Adrian.
"He was my best mate. I feel as though I've lost my right arm, the same as the rest of the family."
Mr Saul said he had spoken to the family and offered his "sincere apologies" for the "pain and distress" the letter caused.
He said: "Daniel's name was on a list selected annually by the Jury Central Summoning Bureau in London, using only one in 1,000 names from the electoral register they received in late 2010.
"Daniel's death occurred after that list was compiled.
"Last week, we chose jurors' names at random from that list and it is a matter of extreme regret that Daniel's name was selected."
Comments
by thesnooper
Sunday, October 21 2012, 11:48PM
“while it is upsetting to receive mail for someone that has passed away, its just not possible to inform every possible place that may send them letters, no one has a comprehensive list”
by Mark_Hull_65
Sunday, October 21 2012, 10:59PM
“It's inevitably going to happen as the pool of potential jurors is taken from the electoral roll and that is only updated once a year.
There's no central clearing house for the notification of somebody's death to everybody who might conceivably send a letter so these things are bound to happen.
I'm sorry the guy lost his son and all that but this really isn't something to go running to the papers about. Sooner or later most of us are going to lose a family member and when that happens somebody is going to have to deal with the letters to the deceased. It's something you just have to get on with.
Organisations be they public or private are not psychic and they don't have a list of everybody who's popped their clogs in the last 12 months. A simple phone call is all that's usually required to set the record straight and while I appreciate losing a teenage son is hard the organisations aren't doing it just to **** the bereaved off.”
by AnitaD
Sunday, October 21 2012, 2:08PM
“my nephew died a few months ago from a long illness aged only 25 and his parents received a letter addressed to him this week for jury service, knocked them back too......surely this should not be happening”
by Crabapple
Sunday, October 21 2012, 12:22PM
“Wether this story is worthy of a news piece in Hull Daily Mail is debatable but I hardly think anyone has the right to tell this guy to "get on with life " . He's lost his son for gods sake !”
by IllaGhee1
Sunday, October 21 2012, 10:57AM
“this has happened before few year back...”
by TheEnigma
Sunday, October 21 2012, 4:47AM
“As already mentioned 'Speed Kills' he could have also took innocent road users with him. It's 30 for a reason.”
by albaz
Saturday, October 20 2012, 1:10PM
“Get on with life and forget the counselling crutch. Stop bleating to the HDM and accept a mistake, albeit an upsetting one, was made. After my Mum died a letter was forwarded to us stating she had not paid her rent for 2 months. I went to the office in Greenwich ave and told them she owed them nothing and to send any other letters to. God, care of Heaven. Flippant.especially from a lifelong atheist, but we accepted it was a mistake,not some terrible horror story.”
by hookbeak
Saturday, October 20 2012, 11:34AM
“Tragic that a young man lost his life, but this isn't a story.
Anyone who can't believe that a paperwork mixup could take place among the thousands of these summons that go out every week is a simpleton.”
by Suzannah100
Friday, October 19 2012, 10:46PM
“This is an unfortunate mistake, but how can the council census register know when someone had died. I would have thought it is down to relatives to inform them. I am not blaming his dad either by the way, grief is a terrible thing and I am sure it was the last thing on his mind. There's a need to vent your anger when you are grieving it's just a pity the HDM doesn't recognise this and try to discourage him instead of wanting to make a story out of his anger.”
by GuyCandy
Friday, October 19 2012, 7:25PM
“Whilst this is a very sad occurrence for this man, at the end of the day it's just a mistake.”