Firm Fined after Overworked Driver Dies in Crash

A delivery company owner has been fined £2,500 for breaches of health and safety regulations after a driver who was suffering from exhaustion was killed in an accident. Gary Couser, 19, died instantly when his car ran off the road after hitting a pile of stones.

It is believed he had fallen asleep as a result of working a series of shifts lasting more than 16-and-a-half hours. The company had required the keen new recruit to work a series of long shifts between 3 September and 18 October 2000, driving all over Britain.

Una Johnston, a director of Glenhire, of Markinch, Fife, was fined £2,500 after she admitted failing to ensure the health and safety of her employee by letting him drive excessive hours without appropriate rest breaks. After the hearing, Mr Couser's mother said she was disgusted at the outcome.

Last week, a fatal-accident inquiry in Perth heard how van driver Allan Preston, 27, veered off the road near Dalguise after a 10-hour shift. He crashed into a car driven by Lewisman Ronald Grant, 68. Both men died.
This document is for general guidance and research purposes only, and does not purport to give professional advice. Please check the date at the top of the article; the Workplace Law Network retains historic articles for general research.