csua.org/u/o2h -> www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4804007.ece
CLASSIFIEDS From Times Online September 22, 2008 Woman burnt to death after setting her own car alight in road-rage incident Simon de Bruxelles It was the ultimate expression of road rage. A furious woman driver died after ramming another vehicle and spinning her wheels so fast that her own car burst into flames. Serena Sutton-Smith, 54, burnt to death after refusing to get out of her Vauxhall Nova as she sat with her foot flat on the accelerator. She spun the wheels so fast that her tyres disintegrated and the metal rims sent a shower of sparks into the engine, igniting the brake fluid and setting the car on fire. Appalled onlookers urged her to get out of the car as the flames licked around her but she told them to "F*** off", an inquest in Gloucester was told.
Police seize suspect after family shooting The road-rage attack took place on a quiet country road in the Cotswolds between Weston sub Edge and Mickleton in Gloucestershire. The inquest heard that Paula Small was driving her Fiat Punto when Ms Sutton-Smith emerged from a side road without stopping, causing her to swerve to avoid a collision. Mrs Small was forced on the grass verge and she flashed her lights as Ms Sutton-Smith passed her. Ms Sutton-Smith then pulled over and Mrs Small stopped a short way in front of her. She was getting out when the Vauxhall Nova rammed her car. Mrs Small said: "I opened my door and put my foot out but as I was getting out there was a bang and I hit my head on the door frame. As neighbours came to investigate they saw Ms Sutton-Smith sitting with a furious expression, revving her engine and spinning her wheels. Nicholas Willmore told the inquest that he was in his workshop at Cottage Farm Antiques when his mother alerted him to what was happening outside. As he walked across the road to the two cars he saw smoke coming from the engine of the Nova. He said: "There was a deafening sound of an engine running as though someone had a foot stuck on the accelerator. "The car's front wheels were spinning and there was loads of revving. I could see a biggish person at the wheel and there was movement in the car. Flames were coming from underneath the car and I thought the person might be trapped inside although I couldn't hear any shouting.
Sean, Preston, UK As far as I'm concerned, at least she didn't take innocent others down with her. Just imagine if her self-destructive flourish had killed or maimed innocent motorists, bystandards, children, etc. Victoria, London, To those who suggest simply removing the ignition keys, on some older british models the key is not next to the door, it's in the middle. This woman obviously had some kind of episode and yes, I would suggest if she was that disturbed, she shouldn't be allowed to drive. Rebecca, Northwich, England Have I missed something in this story? The coroner referenced her mental state at the time, that's all ie she couldn't think rationally . Sad state of modern life that people speculate wildly and fill in their own facts, as 24-hour news media often do. Wayne, London, UK To Suzie in Chesterfield, the erratic behaviour of someone suffering from bipolar disorder is hardly novel to our times. Michael Richard Allen, Exeter, UK What sad commentary on the times we live in. I feel very saddend by this needless and stupid waste of life. bosire, nairobi, kenya It must have been an extremely harrowing scene for all those involved & with the benefit of hindsight perhaps people may have tried to do more. Its very unfair to judge people harshly after the event. My job involves attending scenes such as this and my sympathy goes to all involved. K Knowles, Derbyshire, UK Having come suddenly upon a bizarre situation myself it takes some time for your brain to understand what is going on. I'm sure these poor onlookers have rerun this over in their heads every day since and what they could have done. This wasn't road rage but she was acting suicidal on the road. someone hits my car from behind and while I get out, tries to push it forward by applying the accelerator fully, injuring me in the process. Only someone equally deranged would actually try to get back into his/her car to drive out of the way. Nader, London, UK For the benefit of the posters from the USA we don't have to worry about guns being carried in other peoples cars in the UK as it's illegal to carry any firearm. Strange that none of these 'heroes' ever happen to be about when these things happen isn't it? A sad incident and I feel equally sorry for those that had to witness it as I do for the woman who died. Alex Ritchie, Salisbury, United Kingdom @Nonki I hope you're not trying to be witty with your last comment. Obviously, a small compact car like a Nova would not be able to push a heavier car forward without any momentum.... Perkins, London, UK A truly horrific experience for the woman concerned and the nearby observers. And a timely reminder that, with our 'care in the community' policies, there are people living un-supervised and un-medicated who can be both a danger to themselves and others. Tony, West Lothian, Scotland How did the car in front not get pushed along while the car behind was spinning its wheels? Why didn't the driver of the car infront move of once it was realised that the other car was burning? Nonki, ondon, UK The bystanders clearly did everything in their power to help this deranged person. It sounds as if some of the commenters here feel they should have climbed in the car and died with this woman in order to prove they acted responsibly. I think they were remarkably brave to get that involved. Barbara, Cincinnati, United States Surely Eyri, any prescription drugs she was taking (and you seem to assume she was taking them) would have been prescribed to have the opposite effect on someone suffering a mental illness? Or are you of the opinion that all psychiatric drugs are dangerous? Lee Lewis, London, That's because it would be speculation Eryri - if it was public knowledge that she was on prescriptive drugs it would have been mentioned! Not everyone who is bi-polar takes meds & conversely the drugs aren't wrong for many - my bi-polar mum totally erratic without them. So don't jump to conclusions Gemma, Burton, It mentions she had suffered from bi-polar, but doesn't attribute her actions to it totally - there is no way of knowing whether it killed her. Mental illness isn't black & white - the illness doesn't govern all personality aspects - some people are just bloody minded, violent & antisocial anyway! Gemma, Burton, Reading all the comments, I have to say there are a lot of good points made. However, I don't blame the bystanders I think they did what they could at the time. We weren't there so we can't make the determination if enough was done. I think I would have tried to pull her out tho, just don't know. susan, Waco, USA Why was this woman allowed a driving licence?. pete m, HULL, UK Yet again, while mention is made of her illness, nothing is said about the prescription drugs which can have a devastating effect on the mind. Eryri, cheshire, uk I know the news media love to propagate the "road rage" thing but this clearly was not. The poor woman was ill and there was little that anyone could do. R Bingham, Lauzun, France Scene from a J G Ballard novel. Maybe one of the tests to pass to get your license should be a mental evaluation. mike grant, Philadelphia, USA This is the front story, but we don't know what went on in here personal life to act in this way. It is very interesting what triggers this kind of actions. Recently in Greece a 50 year old jobless man set himself on fire. All people can get enraged but most have a mental "break" these 2 didn't Spyros, Athens, Greece A lot of people seem to be missing the point that this woman had bipolar disorder ie this was not just road rage but a severe mental illness. However as others have pointed out, there is no reason to stop all mentally ill people driving - in many this condition is well-controlled with medication. I think there might be people/a person who know/knows perfectly well what that was. but I feel more sorry for the innocent bystanders who had to witness...
|
http://csua.com/feed/