buck Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 In September last year I had a serious fall on my head causing some concussion. My wife took me to the ER, where I was given a catscan, and sent home. The doctor said I was fine and left it at that. At that time I was taking warfarin to reduce a clot in my left lung. It thins the blood and can be dangerous if you are bleeding as its hard to stem the flow. The following day I set out to go to the barbers and get some money at the ATM, when I suddenly felt very ill, turned round and headed back the miie to home. I passed out, hit something and turned the car over. I woke up in hospital two days later. As it happens, I hit nobody, and the witnesses said to the cops that I was drunk. Wherupon my wife assured the cops that I hadn't had a drink in over a year. Drink with warfarin is a deadly combination. The point to all this is I continue to have near nightmares thinking what would have happened if I'd hit a family head on. I could not have borne it. I would certainly not have said that I forgave the victims. I would hope they would forgive me for being so stupid as to drive the day after I was concussed, though the cause was a brain bleed that the ER doctor failed to detect. I have not driven a car since, though I have always loved to drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulgarian Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 But you see he made conscious choice to get behind wheel after 36 hours without sleep, unless he's completely stupid he would have been aware of the consequences of getting into what amounts to a killing machine. I'm sure lots of people have driven without sufficient sleep, and I'm sure most of them didn't really think about what might happen, if they though "I'll probably kill 10 people" they wouldn't do it, but people don't think like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altus Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Obviously he doesn't understand remorse. I don't think it's a case of lack of remorse. You have to accept responsibility for something to feel remorse and it sounds like he's blaming it on fate to avoid having to accept the responsibility for what he did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I can't believe it was 10 years ago, seems like yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 But you see he made conscious choice to get behind wheel after 36 hours without sleep, unless he's completely stupid he would have been aware of the consequences of getting into what amounts to a killing machine. Indeed he would; those consequences, of course, being nothing whatsoever in more than 99% of cases. It was a freight train coming the other way that killed ten people,and Gary Hart was not driving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack Jack Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I think Id have to see this in context to understand it as I feel he is probably referring to those who demonised him. And although what happened was terrible I think the guy has done his time and we should leave him be - what he did was silly and reckless but goodness, I mean I didnt sleep last night and drove to work! It never crossed my mind that I may kill 10 people on the way to work - I will probably be demonised for that now but it just didnt! I deeply feel for the families and victims who paid with their lives but the guy has done the time for it - it wasnt malicious! Silly, tragic and sad but he has justly been punished Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I mean I didnt sleep last night and drove to work! It never crossed my mind that I may kill 10 people on the way to work - I will probably be demonised for that now You won't be. There was another case of reckless driving and falling asleep at the wheel, after the Gary Hart incident but before was convicted. That case also ended with a car on the train line. There was no train coming quickly enough to hit him, so he didn't even get charged with anything. If either of the two trains involved in the Gary Hart incident had been as much as ten minutes behind schedule, he would not have been charged, let alone convicted, let alone given a ten-year sentence and turned into a demon figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 In September last year I had a serious fall on my head causing some concussion. My wife took me to the ER, where I was given a catscan, and sent home. The doctor said I was fine and left it at that. At that time I was taking warfarin to reduce a clot in my left lung. It thins the blood and can be dangerous if you are bleeding as its hard to stem the flow. The following day I set out to go to the barbers and get some money at the ATM, when I suddenly felt very ill, turned round and headed back the miie to home. I passed out, hit something and turned the car over. I woke up in hospital two days later. As it happens, I hit nobody, and the witnesses said to the cops that I was drunk. Wherupon my wife assured the cops that I hadn't had a drink in over a year. Drink with warfarin is a deadly combination. The point to all this is I continue to have near nightmares thinking what would have happened if I'd hit a family head on. I could not have borne it. I would certainly not have said that I forgave the victims. I would hope they would forgive me for being so stupid as to drive the day after I was concussed, though the cause was a brain bleed that the ER doctor failed to detect. I have not driven a car since, though I have always loved to drive. Saying that, having sustained a concussion, surely, Buck, you should have been advised by the docs not to drive for a few days after suffering the head injury, (on warfarin or not?) It's frightening to think what could have happened had the road not been empty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 Do you have a link PT. It's not obvious he's talking about the people he killed or maimed. It just seems pretty daft to forgive the people you killed, so it may be something else. Hi, Ron. I'm sorry, I didn't have a link to post, as it was an interview broadcast as part of the local calendar news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 I have a link to some of his comments in the "Gruniad" if that's any help? http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/28/selby-rail-crash-driver-fate The driver jailed for causing the Selby rail crash, which killed 10 people and injured more than 80, has marked the disaster's 10th anniversary by again denying full responsibility. Gary Hart, who has started a new life in south Wales after serving 30 months of a five-year term, blamed "fate" for his Land Rover's plunge on to the East Coast main line in North Yorkshire after he fell asleep at the wheel. His comments came as families and friends of victims, rail staff and emergency crews gathered for memorial services for the crash – described by the judge who jailed Hart as the worst caused by a driver in the UK in modern times. Hart, 47, has been repeatedly criticised for failing to accept blame, in spite of detailed evidence of his staying all night on internet chatrooms before setting out on a 145-mile (230km) journey to work at 4.40am. He told Real Radio in his first extended interview since the crash: "I believe in fate and I was meant to be there that morning. The accident occurred because I was there. The same for the people that were on the train. They were meant to be there that morning. "As far as being asleep at the wheel, that's what I went to prison for. It's not what the truth is. No deaths occurred at the point of impact with my Land Rover. They all occurred 700 yards down the track which I feel other people should have been held accountable for, so in my own head I've dealt with it in that fashion." Hart's trial in 2001 on 10 counts of causing death by dangerous driving heard that he had fallen asleep and failed to brake when his Land Rover and trailer, taking a car to a buyer in Lancashire, slewed off the M62 at Great Heck near Selby and on to the rail tracks. He got out and was phoning 999 when the car was hit by a high speed train to London, which derailed and smashed into a heavily laden coal train coming in the opposite direction. his comments as reported here:- (and repeated in the TV news) He told Real Radio in his first extended interview since the crash: "I believe in fate and I was meant to be there that morning. The accident occurred because I was there. The same for the people that were on the train. They were meant to be there that morning. "As far as being asleep at the wheel, that's what I went to prison for. It's not what the truth is. No deaths occurred at the point of impact with my Land Rover. They all occurred 700 yards down the track which I feel other people should have been held accountable for, so in my own head I've dealt with it in that fashion." My good night and garden green stuff. I've never heard such cobblers as this man is spouting. Denial is NOT a river in Egypt you know! Had he not got behind the wheel after 36 hours without sleep, those people might still be alive today! His comments are like a bomber pilot, saying "I'm not responsible for the deaths of the people I dropped my bomb on, as I was 25,000 feet away from the point of impact!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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