Medic is cleared over 999 call death crash

Jurors have cleared a Staffordshire paramedic over the death of a 60-year-old woman in a collision as he sped to a 999 call.

The court had heard that Kevin Webster, of Burntwood, was travelling at speeds of up to 75mph as he rushed to reach a five-year-old boy who had swallowed a coin.

Wendy Williams' car was hit by his rapid response vehicle as she pulled out of a junction.

Members of her grieving family have now called for more controls over the speed of ambulances.

Webster, aged 33, of Selwyn Road, was cleared of causing death by careless driving at Stafford Crown Court. The trial heard that he travelled at speeds of up to 75mph to go eight miles to reach the young patient.

Mrs Williams pulled out from a side junction into the path of the ambulance in Tamworth Road, Lichfield. Webster braked but his Vauxhall estate, which had its blue lights and siren activated, could not avoid her.

The prosecution claimed that although Mrs Williams was partially at fault, Webster was also at fault. He was exempt from the 40mph speed limit because he was on a 999 call, but he was not exempt from the requirement in law to drive with due care, it alleged.

The jury unanimously acquitted Webster who said the accident, in December 2009, was not his fault as he had slowed down approaching the junction but there was nothing he could do to avoid hitting the Ford Ka.

After the verdict, Mrs Williams's husband Terry said: "We appreciate the ambulance service does a good job, often under great stress, but this should never result in taking life.

"We have been shocked at the lack of consistency between the emergency services, even between regions of the same emergency service, in their guidelines for high speed first response vehicle drivers.

"Police in Staffordshire are restricted to a 20mph limit above the local speed limit in responding to emergencies, but the ambulance service has no set limit."