Person down Oval 29/06/09

If I kept trying to nail a hammer into a wall, but kept missing and hitting my thumb, I would give up and accept I am no good at nailing things. He must be a bit thick to not realise he's obviously a crap driver after the first couple disqualifications. And some poor woman paid the price for that.

"Putz had previously been disqualified 20 times as well as three convictions for drink driving and three convictions for reckless driving".

Rot in jail, you selfish murdering bastard.

I hope the poor victim's family bring some kind of civil action against the company (Thames Materials) that employed this KNOWN dangerous imbecile.
The Daily Mail has it that"Putz, of Barnet, North London, was previously jailed for six months in 1995 for reckless driving and again in 2003 for 16 instances of driving an HGV while disqualified."

• either way it is almost too sickening to comment on this bastard.
  Under civil law there is little or no recompense available for her husband Anish and their families. We will be calling for a charge of corporate manslaughter against Putz's employers, Thames Materials Ltd. The managers and directors of that company should have known about Putz's record and drink problem, they should not have employed him. If they did not know about him they are equally culpable for their negligence.
  

The Daily Mail has it that"Putz, of Barnet, North London, was previously jailed for six months in 1995 for reckless driving and again in 2003 for 16 instances of driving an HGV while disqualified."

• either way it is almost too sickening to comment on this bastard.
  Under civil law there is little or no recompense available for her husband Anish and their families. We will be calling for a charge of corporate manslaughter against Putz's employers, Thames Materials Ltd. The managers and directors of that company should have known about Putz's record and drink problem, they should not have employed him. If they did not know about him they are equally culpable for their negligence.
  
  

+1, how can we help?

Cos driving is seen as a right NOT a privilege,

I try and give a drivers opinion and this should be in 40 metre high letters.

The Daily Mail has it that"Putz, of Barnet, North London, was previously jailed for six months in 1995 for reckless driving and again in 2003 for *16 instances of driving an HGV while disqualified*."

• either way it is almost too sickening to comment on this bastard.
  Under civil law there is little or no recompense available for her husband Anish and their families. We will be calling for a charge of corporate manslaughter against Putz's employers, Thames Materials Ltd. The managers and directors of that company should have known about Putz's record and drink problem, they should not have employed him. If they did not know about him they are equally culpable for their negligence.
  
  

What.

^^^^^^ they didn't jail him the first 15 times he was caught driving while disqualified.

Well I'm glad that he have to serve a 7 years prison sentence this time or he'll probably go back driving HGV despite being banned for life.

Dennis Putz was driving a tipper lorry operated by Thames Materials Ltd, a west London waste management company which has an appalling record of breaking safety regulations and poor maintenance of its vehicles. In March 1999 the Traffic Commissioner reduced its licence to only 7 vehicles.

Thames Materials Ltd failed several inspections, the company and its drivers had many convictions. In 2002 the Traffic Commissioner tried to revoke its licence to operate lorries, this was overturned on appeal.

http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=2138

I think drink/ drunk/ drug/ on-phone driving should all be treated as attempted murder/ premeditated murder.
knowningly getting behind the wheel after having a couple beers is no better than sharpening your best shank and running up to a random stranger and sticking it between the ribs.

Obviously Thames Materials should lose their license to operate HGVs, aside from any corporate manslaughter case. Does anyone know if the Traffic Commissioner automatically investigates in cases like this, or do they have to be lobbied?

And is there any way of finding out what previous convictions or sanctions other HGV firms have? As far as I can tell there is very little transparency - maybe another target for lobbying.

And is there any way of finding out what previous convictions or sanctions other HGV firms have? As far as I can tell there is very little transparency - maybe another target for lobbying.

At the moment, all you can do is wade through a load of pdfs http://bit.ly/8YUxSd

Maybe companies should be forced to put details of disciplinary offences on the back of their lorries.

Felt sick reading this on the mail website this morning, how can someone fuck up that many times and still be aloud to drive? Is 7 years really enough and will he actually serve the full 7 years?**
I agree with the fact that someone should try and help the family receive compensation for this.**

I try and give a drivers opinion and this should be in 40 metre high letters.

What.

As well as not driving while drunk maybe you shouldn't post while drunk Lynx, because you are not making sense or understanding what is going on mate.

I think drink/ drunk/ drug/ on-phone driving should all be treated as attempted murder/ premeditated murder.
knowningly getting behind the wheel after having a couple beers is no better than sharpening your best shank and running up to a random stranger and sticking it between the ribs.

Want to agree with this.

We will be calling for a charge of corporate manslaughter against Putz's employers, Thames Materials Ltd. The managers and directors of that company should have known about Putz's record and drink problem, they should not have employed him. If they did not know about him they are equally culpable for their negligence.

Great to hear this Charlie - as far as Thames Materials are concerned the law has done them a favour by incarcerating a liability in the form of Putz. But there should have been reference checks et al and so the fact that they employed this man says to me they should also be liable. I hope they get sued till they go bust. It's only when company directors start to worry about their bottom line that HGVs and cyclist safety will be taken seriously by these firms.

Well the truth certainly came out... 34 years after he was first disqualified from driving, the guy finally murdered a cyclist.

Errr, what's the point of quoting me here? My post was one of many that took Julie's post at face value, and why not? Unfortunately like most people I don't have the gift of telepathy nor can I predict the future.

Julie's post now looks sinister at worse and delusional at best. But please don't use the benefit of hindsight to try and make an example out of the well meaning reactions of those who took her at her word and felt dreadful for everyone involved - including the cyclist and her husband.

Were we wrong to feel compassion? No. Has justice been served now all evidence has come to light, thankfully yes. Get off your soap-box.

I'd rather have the benefit of doubt than doing a witch hunt the moment she said those comment on the first of July 2009, everyone sympathies at the time because we do not know of the driver's previous conviction and ban.

Now that we know more about it, it's plain obvious she's acting on her best's interested instead of the cyclist.

Let me quote something that GA2G said that remind us that there are some good driver who feel remorsed for what happened;

Can I just say, that years ago in Kilburn High Road, an articulated lorry driver ran over an old lady, who crossed in the street, instead of at the pedestrian crossing (not even 30 yards away). The old lady was in a bad way, and the lorry's wheels had removed her leg from knee down. I was first on the scene, and provided first aid, while talking to Emergency Services on the mobile.

After the medics and police turned up, I went to see the driver. He hadn't moved. He was in total shock, as white as a sheet, and couldn't even move his legs. His only words were, "I've just driven all the way back from Norway, and I was almost home." I got him a cup of tea with 6 sugars.

Police deduced his speed to be less than 20 mph.

That driver took it very badly. He was nearly in tears. The lady survived, even though she was already in her 70s-80s.

Julie, thank you very much for posting, and I hope your partner will be okay.

Ross Lydall of the Evening Standard has a good blog post about this here, including this bit

I've just called Thames Materials, which is based in Trumpers Way, Hanwell. After being told by the receptionist that "no-one is here... well they are" I was eventually put through to a manager. He refused to give his name and said: "I have no comment to make at the moment."

Good stuff Charlie!

From the LCC website:

"Dennis Putz was driving a tipper lorry operated by Thames Materials Ltd, a west London waste management company, which has a record of breaking safety regulations and poor maintenance of its vehicles. In March 1999 the Traffic Commissioner reduced its licence to only seven vehicles.

Thames Materials Ltd failed several inspections, the company and its drivers had many convictions. In 2002 the Traffic Commissioner tried to revoke its licence to operate lorries, but this was overturned on appeal.

LCC's lorry campaigner, Charlie Lloyd said "Catriona's killer should never have been allowed in the cab of an HGV.

"The managers and directors of Thames Materials Ltd should have known that Putz was a driver with over 20 convictions.

"As yet there has been no prosecution for corporate manslaughter after a road death. Surely the people who put Catriona's killer in one of their lorries should be held to account for their actions."

Let alone Dennis Putz, it doesn't sound to me as though this company should have been operating HGVs at all. My primary concerns about 'sharing the road' are about having to share the road with the likes of these people. Just shocking.

We will be calling for a charge of corporate manslaughter against Putz's employers, Thames Materials Ltd. The managers and directors of that company should have known about Putz's record and drink problem, they should not have employed him. If they did not know about him they are equally culpable for their negligence.

+1, how can we help?

Good stuff Charlie!

From the LCC website:

"Dennis Putz was driving a tipper lorry operated by Thames Materials Ltd, a west London waste management company, which has a record of breaking safety regulations and poor maintenance of its vehicles. In March 1999 the Traffic Commissioner reduced its licence to only seven vehicles.

Thames Materials Ltd failed several inspections, the company and its drivers had many convictions. In 2002 the Traffic Commissioner tried to revoke its licence to operate lorries, but this was overturned on appeal.

LCC's lorry campaigner, Charlie Lloyd said "Catriona's killer should never have been allowed in the cab of an HGV.

"The managers and directors of Thames Materials Ltd should have known that Putz was a driver with over 20 convictions.

"As yet there has been no prosecution for corporate manslaughter after a road death. Surely the people who put Catriona's killer in one of their lorries should be held to account for their actions."

Let alone Dennis Putz, it doesn't sound to me as though this company should have been operating HGVs at all. My primary concerns about 'sharing the road' are about having to share the road with the likes of these people. Just shocking.

this is why i'm proud to be an LCC member.

+1

+2

Yes VanUden, you're right.

This lorry firm seems to be a menace on the roads
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23905321-waste-firm-very-sorry-after-its-lorries-kill-two-in-six-months.do