Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash Driver 'Did Not Disclose Previous Blackout'
The driver of a bin lorry that crashed killing six people did not disclose a blackout he had at the wheel of a bus when applying for a job with Glasgow City Council, an inquiry has heard.
The driver of a bin lorry that crashed killing six people did not disclose a blackout he had at the wheel of a bus when applying for a job with Glasgow City Council, an inquiry has heard.
Harry Clarke was driving the council truck in Glasgow city centre on December 22 last year when it went out of control after witnesses reported he appeared to lose consciousness at the wheel.
Last week, the inquiry into the Queen Street tragedy heard evidence that he had collapsed while driving a bus in a previous job on the morning of April 7 2010.
Today, the inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court was shown that Mr Clarke did not disclose the incident in a medical questionnaire when applying for a job at the council in December 2010.
Dorothy Bain QC produced a form completed by Mr Clarke on December 15 2010 that stated he had had seven days off in the previous two years due to flu.
The lawyer, who is representing the family of victim Jacqueline Morton, later showed Mr Clarke's First Bus employment record that showed he had been off between March 1 and 6 and then between April 7 and 30.
Both were marked as sickness'' on the form and an application for sick pay during the April absence detailed the illness asvasovagal'', which Ms Bain said was a faint or blackout''.
Ms Bain also showed a second medical questionnaire filled out by Mr Clarke in December 2011 when applying for a new job at the council.
It stated he had no absences in the last two years. The documents were produced during cross examination of Douglas Gellan, 48, cleaning services waste manager at the council.
After showing Mr Clarke's First Bus record, Ms Bain asked the witness: If you had been informed that someone had been off work for three weeks while employed for driving a bus, would a reasonable question be 'why were you off'?
But if he didn't tell you, you wouldn't have an opportunity to say 'why, MrClarke?'''
Mr Gellan said: No, not if he didn't tell us.''
Ms Bain said Mr Clarke had a third opportunity to declare the bus incident during a DVLA licence check in 2011.
The inquiry heard that Mr Clarke was initially employed by the council as a school bus driver before applying to work in the road gritting department and then refuse collection.
He had to complete a medical questionnaire as part of his application due to the type of vehicles he would be driving.
Erin McQuade, 18, and her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and Lorraine Sweeney, 69, from Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, were struck and killed by the lorry on December 22 last year.
Stephenie Tait, 29, and Ms Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, also died.
Earlier today, Mr Gellan told the inquiry that large bin lorries have been removed from busy Glasgow city centre locations after some crews faced verbal threats'' in the wake of the fatal crash.
Asked by Solicitor General Lesley Thomson QC if any changes had been made since December, the council manager said: We have removed large vehicles from pedestrian precincts like Sauchiehall Street, Argyll Street and Buchanan Street at busier times.
What was happening was we were aware of sensitivities of the public in the city centre when they saw crews.
We swapped smaller vehicles and were monitoring our crews and some crews came in for verbal threats.''
Mr Gellan added that the decision was made for sensitivity'' rather than a change in route assessments.