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| Hog's Back police crash death: PC's driving 'was safe' | Hog's Back police crash death: PC's driving 'was safe' |
| (about 10 hours later) | |
| A police driver who hit a trainee soldier on the A31 near Guildford has told an inquest his driving was safe. | |
| PC Adam Spingett was on an emergency call when his marked car struck 21-year-old Joshua Brown in December 2012. | PC Adam Spingett was on an emergency call when his marked car struck 21-year-old Joshua Brown in December 2012. |
| The soldier was walking along the Hog's Back in Surrey - a dual carriageway with no pavement - when the car hit him at 81mph, Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking heard. | The soldier was walking along the Hog's Back in Surrey - a dual carriageway with no pavement - when the car hit him at 81mph, Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking heard. |
| When asked if he had been driving too fast, PC Spingett said "no". | When asked if he had been driving too fast, PC Spingett said "no". |
| The inquest heard it was foggy that night but with reduced visibility in patches. | The inquest heard it was foggy that night but with reduced visibility in patches. |
| The car did not have its blue flashing lights on and the sirens were not being used but this was usual practice at that speed on a dual carriageway, the hearing was told. | The car did not have its blue flashing lights on and the sirens were not being used but this was usual practice at that speed on a dual carriageway, the hearing was told. |
| PC Spingett said: "I wasn't aware there were any pedestrians on the road and I didn't expect any. | PC Spingett said: "I wasn't aware there were any pedestrians on the road and I didn't expect any. |
| "I have never seen pedestrians there before. There's no facility for them to walk on that road." | "I have never seen pedestrians there before. There's no facility for them to walk on that road." |
| "I believe my driving was safe and I took all necessary precautions to ensure that." | "I believe my driving was safe and I took all necessary precautions to ensure that." |
| He told Mr Brown's family: "I went to work that night to help people and this happened. I'm sorry." | He told Mr Brown's family: "I went to work that night to help people and this happened. I'm sorry." |
| Mr Brown, from Retford, Nottinghamshire, was a craftsman with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers based at Bordon in Hampshire. | Mr Brown, from Retford, Nottinghamshire, was a craftsman with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers based at Bordon in Hampshire. |
| During the hearing, PC Jamie McLaughlan, a colleague in the car, was asked if had considered telling PC Spingett to slow down. | During the hearing, PC Jamie McLaughlan, a colleague in the car, was asked if had considered telling PC Spingett to slow down. |
| He replied: "I didn't feel the need to tell him to slow down as I didn't think he was driving carelessly." | He replied: "I didn't feel the need to tell him to slow down as I didn't think he was driving carelessly." |
| The inquest was adjourned until Monday. | The inquest was adjourned until Monday. |