Nick Morley, driver of the Porsche that was involved in a tragic accident that killed 2 people in Macedonia has been convicted of dangerous driving causing death. In a strange twist, officials have given his a 2 year suspended sentence and will be allowed to leave the country. The whole case appears to have been strangely mishandled, which may have as much to do with the need to make rallyists look criminal as it does with the unusual legal system in Macedonia. It is unlikely that we will ever learn the truth regarding what happened that day.
Once again, our thoughts go out to Cepuljoski family and to Nick Morley.
For the full story visit Gumball 144
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Nicholas Morley car accident, Macedonia, May 2nd 2007
STATEMENT OF FACTS AS OFFICIALLY RELEASED BY THE MORLEY FAMILY JUNE 7TH 2007
• According to two expert crash investigators, the vehicle driven by Nicholas Morley was travelling at no more than 47mph (76kph) at the time of the accident
• The initial accident investigation was carried out by a professional Macedonian investigator. His findings were reviewed and confirmed by Dr Richard Lambourn, an established expert in the field
• Dr Lambourn was an accident reconstruction specialist at the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory for 23 years (1973-1996) and is currently a principal consultant at TRL, an independent, not-for-profit transport research firm and consultancy. It was the firm that reconstructed the car crash that caused the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
• The cause of the crash was a second vehicle pulling out of a minor road without warning and into Nicholas’s path. The cause of the crash has not been disputed by the prosecution
• According to the defence expert witnesses, Nicholas had 1.6 seconds to respond to the second car’s sudden appearance, causing him to react reflexively and swerve violently to the left. The defence experts concluded that the accident would have been unavoidable at 30mph (50kph)
• The court declined to hear the evidence of the defence expert witnesses, although the testimony of the prosecution expert witness was heard
• Macedonia is party to the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 6 of which provides a detailed right to a fair trial. Under the Macedonian Criminal Code, the defence has a right to submit evidence
• The prosecution’s accident investigator is not a professional in this field. He admitted in court that he is currently unemployed. He further admitted in court that the police sketch of the crash site on which he based his findings is inaccurate
• Dr Lambourn concluded that the accident investigation report relied on by the prosecution is “fundamentally flawed in its physical and mathematical reasoning.” He further concluded that it was “quite impossible” that Nicholas’s car was travelling at the 100mph (161kph) alleged by the prosecution
• The family of the Mr and Mrs Cepunjoski, who were tragically killed in the crash, have called for the court to release Nicholas
• Following the accident, Nicholas and his passenger, Matthew McConville, attempted to disentangle the vehicles and offer what assistance they could. They only left the scene after the injured persons had left the scene in local vehicles. Nicholas and Matthew then travelled to the border to alert the police
• Nicholas Morley and Matthew McConville spoke to the investigating judge at Qafasan, on the Macedonia/Albania border
• Nicholas Morley did not try to flee the country. He was released on bail, with no conditions or restrictions attached. He was free to leave the country
• Nicholas Morley, 30, is not a millionaire; he does not work in property
Thank you for the details Justice. These details certainly clear up a big chunk of the haze surrounding the incident.
Moral of the story…don’t have an accident in Macedonia. You will be made a scapegoat.
A scapegoat?? You crash your car and realise you have seriously injured two people (or killed at least one person) then you attempt to run away from the scene and escape to another country; then after being questionned by police and bailed you then attempt to escape again by hiring a private jet (his family says he’s not wealthy!!) … come on, this man is trash!!
Careful with the hearsay there Mr Jones.
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