Calls for redesign of electric vehicle controls following tragic death of 7-year-old Alfie Tollett in Plymouth
5th Sep 2024
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Death of beautiful young Alfie Tollett prompts call by family and HCC lawyers for review of electric vehicle design.
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Senior Coroner writes to Jaguar Land Rover to see if steps can be taken to make vehicle controls safer after issuing Prevention of Future Deaths order.
Our clients, the family of a seven-year-old boy killed in Plymouth are calling for EV manufacturers to review their existing designs of driving controls to improve road safety.
Beautiful Alfie Tollett will be forever in the hearts of all his family.
Seven-year-old Alfie Tollett was struck by Trevor Thompson, the driver of a Jaguar iPace, on Wembury Road in Plymouth on 19th February 2023.
Thompson wrongly placed the car in ‘drive’ mode instead of ‘reverse’.
The subsequent manoeuvre shunted the vehicle in front of his into another vehicle which itself propelled forward trapping Alfie between two vehicles. Alfie sustained catastrophic injuries and died later that day in hospital as a result.
At the Final Inquest on Friday 16 August 2024 at, the Coroner decided to issue a prevention of future deaths order (Regulation 28 of the Coroners Regs).
The Coroner decided that it is her duty to write to Jaguar Land Rover about the ease of putting the vehicle into motion without an intermediate step. Jaguar Land Rover has 56 days to respond to the request by the Coroner to investigate whether additional safety steps can be considered before the vehicle is propelled.
The Coroner concluded that the cause of Alfie’s death was an accident caused by human errors of the driver of the vehicle.
Devon & Cornwall Police also confirmed that if Thompson was still alive, they would have invited the Crown Prosecution Service to charge him with causing death by driving without due care and attention.
Stephen & Gemma Tollett, parents of Alfie said:
“There is so much we could say about Alfie, but we just want everyone to know he was our amazing, cheeky, precious little boy who we all miss and love so very much. Alfie’s memory will always be kept going through his two brothers and sister. Keep chasing the Pokémon’s, riding the unicorns, and scoring the goals up there our special Alfie Moo. We’d like to thank everyone who has sent kind messages of support for our family since that terrible day. Alfie will be forever in our hearts.
“We thank the Coroner for her findings and the confirmation that she will write to Jaguar Land Rover about whether additional steps can be taken to make this electric car safer.
“We would welcome anything that prevents any other family from having to go through what we have as a family and that includes all manufacturers of electric vehicles to review their control designs in light of this case. We have lost our beautiful son Alfie because of what we see as a design flaw and we are passionate for this to never happen again.”
Hollie Muckley of HCC in Plymouth backs the call to ensure manufacturers make their vehicles safer.
Hollie Muckley, from HCC, who supported the family at the Inquest, added:
“The Coroner has now formally concluded the Inquest and although this was hugely challenging for the family it has gone some way to answering key questions they had about the circumstances. The family now politely requests privacy as they continue to come to terms with their tragic loss and await the response from Jaguar Land Rover in relation to the Prevention of Future Deaths order instructed by the Coroner.”
