A police offer has been charged with causing death by careless driving as a result of an incident that killed a woman in 2021.
In April 2021, jogger Kimberley Cameron, 27, was struck by a police car driven by PC Philip Duthie on the A41 Bicester Road in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Duthie was on duty and on his way to investigate a potentially serious incident when his vehicle collided with Kimberley as she crossed the road on foot. She died from her injuries, and PC Duthie, 41, has now been charged with the offence. Still serving as a police officer on restricted duties, he will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on April 27.
A re-investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct was triggered by evidence presented at the October 2022 inquest into the incident, which concluded that the collision was the cause of Kimberley’s death. The IOPC then looked into evidence relating to Duthie’s standard of driving, and presented their case to the CPS, who decided to charge. Significantly, the CPS has elected to charge him with causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving, not by dangerous driving, which could have attracted a heavier sentence if found guilty. For a successful conviction, the court must prove that Duthie’s driving fell below the standard expected of a competent driver, and that his driving was a cause of the victim’s death.
If you are accused of causing a death by careless driving, solicitors with relevant experience and specialist knowledge are well placed to give advice and support. Contact our team at Auriga Advocates for advice on how best to move forward with your case.