Fatal crash case delays left bereaved family feeling 'forgotten'

John Slater was killed on the A10 in Cambridgeshire in 2018

The widow of a man killed by a "truly appalling" driver said delays in the investigation left the family wondering if the case had been "forgotten".

Remigijus Visockas, 37, killed John Slater in Cambridgeshire in November 2018 but died himself in December 2019, before he could be prosecuted.

Several other cases involving the same police unit have been criticised by a judge for "inexcusable" delays.

A review has led to the unit having a "restructure and uplift in resourcing".

A spokeswoman for the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire serious collision investigation unit said "the team's gap in resources were reviewed, addressed and rectified".

Mr Visockas lost control of his Volkswagen Passat on the A10 near Littleport in Cambridgeshire on 5 November 2018 and ploughed head-on into the BMW driven by Mr Slater, 55, of Methwold Hythe, Norfolk.

A coroner labelled Mr Visockas's driving "truly appalling" and a police officer told an inquest into Mr Slater's death he had "no doubt whatsoever" Mr Visockas would have been convicted of causing death by dangerous driving had he lived to face charges.

Mr Visockas's cause of death has yet to be determined and an inquest is due to take place later this year.

John Slater's wife Lorraine said she had been "married to the man of my dreams"

Lorraine Slater said delays to the police investigation left her family wondering what had happened and asking "have they just forgotten it or are they not doing it?".

Mrs Slater said that at a meeting with police on 31 October 2019, an officer was apologetic but said the delays were "all down to resources we have".

She said: "That's all we kept hearing, 'we're short-staffed'."

John Slater had been on his way to work when he died

But Mrs Slater said she was impressed by the final police report.

"What they did with the measurements, the witnesses - they had everything organised, which is quite reassuring to think that they've actually done that," she said.

But she felt if the investigation had been completed sooner "we'd have had our day".

"It wouldn't bring John back but it would have been a bit of a blessing to know justice had been done."

Delays in other cases have also prompted criticism. During Monday's sentencing of Radu Ion for killing his colleague in a crash in July 2018, a letter was prepared by police, who apologised for the distress the delay had caused.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge David Farrell QC told Ion: "The most significant mitigating factor is the delay, the inexcusable, inordinate delay. It is now well over two years since the collision and that is through no fault of your own."

Stewart Milne, pictured alongside his partner Carrie-Anne Hardingham, was killed while cycling in Cambridge in December 2017

Last month the same judge said there had been a "totally and utterly unacceptable" delay following the death of a cyclist, Stewart Milne, in Cambridge in December 2017.

Miles Polite was jailed for three years for causing Mr Milne's death by dangerous driving.

In the January sentencing of Jane Maraka, who killed Jessica Howe on the M11 in December 2018, the judge said the delay had caused an "intolerable strain" on all those involved.

A police spokeswoman said following the "proactive internal review" in 2018 the unit was split into two separate teams "in order to ensure an improved level of service".

"We completely understand how devastating fatal and serious collisions can be," she said.

"Victims and affected loved ones remain at the heart of all of our investigations and we are working hard to ensure we respond to all incidents as quickly as possible and carry out thorough investigations in the most timely manner."