Call for law change after OAP driver killed girl, 3 Man, 72, ran over youngster after ignoring advice not to drive
THE devastated parents of a little girl who was run over and killed have called for a change in the law after the elderly man behind the wheel ignored warnings to stop driving because of his failing eyesight.
John Place, 72, was jailed for killing three-year-old Poppy-Arabella Clarke, who was struck as she pushed her bike at a red light across Chester Road with her mother in Boldmere on July 6.
Birmingham Crown Court heard Place had been to see his optician in Kingstanding for an eye test just three weeks before the tragedy and was told he should not drive.
Little Poppy-Arabella was with mother Rachel Clarke, from Erdington, on their way to nursery when Place’s car hit them both as they walked across a pedestrian crossing. The lights were on red.
Now Mrs Clarke and husband Phil are calling for a change in the law requiring medical professionals to be legally required to report those who are medically unfit to drive to the DVLA.
Mrs Clarke told te BBC: “We want to make sure that what happened to us does not happen again.
“If only one life was saved that would be wonderful for a family. The important thing to understand in this case is that this person was told to stop driving.
“He was sat down and explained the consequences and he still took the decision to drive.
“There are other people that will unfortunately make those decisions.
“Would it be right, we certainly think so, that a medical professional should really make that note or call to the DVLA to express grave concerns about their ability to drive?
“We would want that in law. Why wouldn’t we want to save lives?
Mrs Clarke added: “Any law takes time, but there are immediate things that people can do today. It’s important that professional people who see that every day and family members have the power to intervene.
“If you know a family member should not be driving, you have a moral obligation to take those keys away and to sit that person down.
“We have seen the catastrophic devastation of those decisions.
“People should be really intervening with their families now from what they have heard and read about Poppy.”
The court heard that Mrs Clarke had put her hand up to thank another driver as she and her daughter walked across the crossing and then saw Place approaching in his Volkswagen Passat.
“She was not initially concerned because it had time to stop,” said Gareth Walters, prosecuting.
“When she looked up she saw the car was still approaching. It hit her before she had any time to do anything.”
When later quizzed Place said the first thing he recalled was hearing a scream, a thump and the sound of his windscreen being smashed.
He said he was “bewildered and shocked” by what had happened, had forgotten his driving glasses and had not seen the lights on the crossing.