Absence of streetlights caused a death? Council blamed for death of an 18 year old
Warwickshire Council was blamed to contributing to the death of a university student whilst trying to cut costs by switching off streetlights. Archie Wellbelove was hit by a taxi and killed on 7th December, 2012 when coming home from a night out. Mr. Wellbelove, who was in his first year at Warwick University, studying English and French was killed on the A452 near Leamington five days after Warwickshire Council switched off selected lights across the county in a bid to save £500,000 a year.
Graham Fitton, head of transport and highways at the County Council, confirmed that lights on that stretch of road on Friday and Saturday nights are left on later following the death, but insisted the lights policy and the speed limit on the street were more than appropriate. Asked about the lights switch-off in general, he said: ‘If I have to save £500,000 then whatever I do will always have an impact on safety in some way.’
Mr. Wellbelove was described by his family as ‘beautiful, intelligent and very witty’. PC Dean Male mentioned, “that it would have been a ‘benefit’ if the streets lights had been left on however, at 40mph, the driver would have literally had two seconds to have seen the pedestrian and reacted.”
The court was informed that Mr. Wellbelove was three and half times over the drink-drive limit when he decided to walk nine miles home. . Investigators from Warwickshire Police concluded that he was walking home on the road from Evolve nightclub with his back to traffic before he was hit. It took three quarters of an hour for Mr. Wellbelove’s body to be found by emergency service, and it was only after the street lights were switched back on that it was discovered.
After the inquest Katie mother of Archie, who lives in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire said,: ‘We are very happy with the outcome of the verdict and that the light situation will be looked at. It was certainly a contributing factor.’ A county-wide review was drawn up as well as a review of that stretch following Mr. Wellbelove’s death.