A MAN killed in a road crash in St Ouen was the victim of a ‘tragic accident’ and ‘no one was to blame’, an inquest has found.
However, the father of Christopher Fisher, who died when his car collided with a tree near St Ouen’s Manor in 2021, says his family are upset and angry that they were kept in the dark for ten months about what happened.
Stephen Fisher says he is now hopeful that other families will not have to endure the distress that his has suffered.
Christopher (31) died when the car he was driving left Grande Route de St Ouen and crashed into a tree on the afternoon of 11 February 2021.
An inquest in St Helier yesterday concluded that no other vehicles were involved and that no one was to blame for what Relief Coroner Bridget Dolan described as ‘a tragic accident’.
But Mr Fisher says that the States of Jersey police did not keep his family up to date about the investigation or share correct information with them, and says that the force led them to believe that another motorist could be prosecuted for causing the accident.
He said the police handling of the case had made the experience ‘extremely difficult’ for the family.
‘We appreciate that the police have a lot to do, but we were given conflicting accounts,’ he added.
‘We were told initially there was another car, which may have caused the accident and that the driver never rang the emergency services and left Chris to die by the side of the road.
‘We didn’t know what to believe and what not to believe.’
Mr Fisher said that if the family had been allowed to see witness statements – as is generally the case in the UK – they would have had a clearer idea of what had actually happened.
During the inquest, Chief Inspector Sian Gidley, the investigating officer at the time, said the evidence could not be released in case the incident became a criminal investigation.
But Mr Fisher said: ‘We repeatedly asked to see witness statements even if they had to be redacted. That wouldn’t compromise any investigation.
‘If they are not going to do that, they need to make sure that they are giving families accurate information.’
The inquest heard that Christopher – who had a keen interest in, and knowledge of, cars – had taken delivery of the red Nissan, which had been brought over from the UK, only that morning.
Various modifications had been carried out on the car but Inspector Rob Manners, who specialises in investigating collisions, said: ‘The vehicle was in good working order.’
Christopher was driving along Grande Route de St Ouen and had moved to overtake a car in front of him, the inquest heard, but there was no evidence that he had driven dangerously in order to do so.
When he moved back into his own lane, he appeared to have swerved and left the road. The vehicle spun round and hit a tree and he suffered multiple injuries to his head and chest, the inquest heard.
Insp Manners added: ‘There was no evidence of excessive speed or concerning driving.
‘The vehicle appeared to be in second gear. The seatbelt had been worn. There was nothing of note on the road surface.’
Toxicology reports also showed that Christopher was not under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication.
The coroner concluded: ‘This was a tragic accident.’
After the verdict, Mr Fisher said: ‘We hope the States of Jersey Police learn some lessons from this, and families facing this in the future aren’t treated the way we have been.’
He added: ‘Chris was a wonderful man. We, as a family, considered him intelligent, witty and funny, and a person who always had a smile on his face.
‘His absence leaves a great hole. We loved him and we miss him.’
