A Home Office minister has promised to look into the amount of time it takes the police to investigate fatal road crashes after being told of the “excessively long wait” being suffered by the grieving parents of a young Londoner.
It comes after The Standard revealed that the Met police forensic investigations into the alleged hit-and-run death of 27-year-old music student Harry Webb will take about a year-and-a-half to complete.
Harry’s case was raised in Parliament by the Lib-Dem MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick. Harry’s parents Mike and Pat Webb are his constituents.
Mr Chadwick told policing minister Dame Diana Johnson that resourcing problems were delaying crucial forensic investigations, which can be instrumental in determining which charges - if any – are brought against drivers.
The MP highlighted his own experience of being hit by a car while in the Netherlands a decade ago, and stated that any delay to justice increased the agony for the families of victims.
Mr Chadwick said: “In 2012, I was run over by a car in the Netherlands. I woke up in hospital several days later, with some fairly severe injuries. I am thankful that the resulting police investigation was swift and efficient.
“Unfortunately, that is not the case for such incidents in the UK, because forensic collision units across the country are facing severe challenges in preparing cases, resulting in large delays to trials and ultimately to justice, prolonging the agony for impacted families.
“What is the [Home Office] doing to help the police tackle those resourcing challenges and ensure road traffic collision cases come to a swifter conclusion?”
Dame Diana replied: “I will go away and ask my officials about… what more we can do to ensure justice is done on road collisions and that cases go to court quickly.”
Speaking afterwards, Mr Chadwick said: “It is simply not right that victims and family members of victims are being put through excessively long waits for investigations to go to trial, which only extends their agony.
“The Government must ensure that forensic collision units across the UK are being properly resourced so that no family should be expected to wait the amount of time Pat and Mike are being asked to for a trial to proceed.
“I am grateful for the Minister’s response today and hope to arrange a meeting with her in future to discuss the problem in more detail in addition to the specific case impacting my constituents.”
Harry, who was a student at the London College of Contemporary Music, was hit by a car driver when he was cycling in Kenworthy Road, Hackney, on September 10, 2023.
He suffered catastrophic injuries and died in hospital two days later.
Tiffany Treanor-Johnson, 25, of Bramshaw Road, Hackney, has been charged with causing injury and failing to stop.
Last month, the case was adjourned at Thames magistrates court on Monday until February 3, 2025.
This was because a report by the Met’s forensic collision unit will not be ready until the “end of January” 2025, the court heard.