Recovery driver sentenced after runaway car crush
CCTV footage captured the vehicle rolling down the road, dragging driver Sean Baker along.
A recovery driver was sentenced after his vehicle rolled down a hill, dragging him along and crushing a bystander who tried to assist. Sean Baker, an employee of GRS Recovery Bournemouth, received a suspended 14-week prison sentence at Bournemouth Crown Court. Surveillance footage revealed the two-tonne Range Rover moving down Exeter Crescent during a recovery operation on March 22, 2024, with Baker caught by a rear wheel.
Kai Dransfield, who was taking a break from his job at TGI Fridays, witnessed Baker trapped under the runaway car and attempted to help, but was struck by the vehicle and suffered multiple injuries. Dransfield continues to experience chronic pain and difficulty walking over two years later. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that Baker had not followed proper recovery procedures, such as securing the wheels with chocks and attaching breakaway cables, which led to the vehicle rolling uncontrollably.
Baker pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. HSE inspector Alexander Ashen emphasized that Baker's failure to secure the vehicle properly was a significant mistake that endangered those nearby, including pedestrians, motorcyclists, and other vehicles in the busy town center.
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