Widow of smart motorway victim in billboard protest
THE widow of a man killed on a smart motorway will mark her late husband’s birthday by parading a giant board outside South Yorkshire Police’s headquarters demanding they prosecute Highways England over his death.
Inspired by Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Claire Mercer hopes to send a very public message to the force she claims is refusing to pursue a corporate manslaughter case.
Last month, a coroner ruled the lack of a hard shoulder contributed to the deaths of Jason Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, after they stopped in a live lane on the M1 following a minor prang in 2019.
On Tuesday, the digital billboard will display a giant picture of Mr Mercer, saying he would have been celebrating his 46th birthday had he not been killed on a smart motorway.
Mrs Mercer, 44 and from Rotherham, said: “Drastic times call for drastic measures. We have publicly called on South Yorkshire Police to investigate Highways England. We’ve had coroners back this call. I’ve confirmed I will take legal action against the police, and still we get nowhere.
“That’s why I have hired a mobile 11sq ft digtal display to ask why they are not taking this seriously.” The van carrying the billboard will drive around the Rotherham and Sheffield areas, as well as outside force headquarters.
The 2017 film tells of a woman who rents three billboards to highlight her daughter’s unsolved rape and murder.
Mrs Mercer’s lawyers have also written to South Yorkshire Chief Constable Stephen Watson, demanding an investigation. Her solicitor, Neil Hudgell, said:
“Our client feels strongly that there is a case to answer for the offence of corporate manslaughter.
“The fact is that Highways England has been aware of the obvious risk of removing hard shoulders on motorways, yet has continued to expand the network. It has been demonstrated by statistics that the risks presented by stationary vehicles have increased by the use of smart motorways.
“All of these facts ought to have been known before the death of Jason.”
Mrs Mercer started the group Smart Motorways Kill after her loss.