Firefighter arrested after farmer killed by stampeding cows

[Blasphemous]

I'm quick enough to criticise the Emergency Services but I'm just as quick to defend them when I think something isn't right.

This story leaves me a little unsure. I mean, the Fire Crew are on their way to a road traffic accident with siren and blue lights going. They come across a herd of cows and the herd stampede, killing the Farmer. It's terrible that the Farmer died in such a awful way but how can ANY Fire Fighter be held accountable for the behaviour of a herd of cows? Obviously we don't know the full facts but on the face of it (and I stress, it's just based on the facts presented here), I am a little worried that this is going to force the Emergency Services to be 'overly cautious' when attending accidents, crimes, fires etc.

As I stated above, I'm just not sure about this and how it's going to pan out.

Firefighter arrested after farmer killed by stampeding cows 'spooked' by siren and lights

A firefighter has been arrested over the death of a farmer who was killed when his cows stampeded after allegedly being spooked by an engine’s siren and blue flashing lights.

Harold Lee, of Robins Farm in Burtle, Somerset, was crushed to death when his own herd went berserk last August.

His family claim the animals were distressed by the emergency lights and sounds of the fire engine which was heading to a nearby emergency.

Up to 70 of the 100 Holstein Friesian cows tramped back into their field as they were being herded along a B-road to the milking parlour.

Mr Lee, who was 75, died in hospital five days after he was left with severe head and chest injuries.

Police launched an inquiry and after six months officers confirmed a 49-year-old man from Somerset has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by negligence.

The unnamed man, a member of the engine crew, has been bailed until the end of this week.

Mr Lee’s son Andrew claimed the incident could have been avoided had the fire crew waited for just a few minutes as the cows were safely herded off the road.

Andrew Lee said: ‘We have always said this incident should not have happened.

‘My brother Richard said he tried to stop the engine coming through.

‘He said a fire engine had frightened the cows and father was hurt.

‘My father had been doing this for 50 years and there has never been a problem before.

‘As a family we would like justice to help put this behind us as quickly as possible.

‘Things are pretty raw at the moment and will be until we get soem answers as to why he died.

‘He was a family man and a community man - he lived for Burtle - that was his life and he loved it.

‘Hopefully this can be a step forward to justice for him.’

Richard Lee, 42, said: ‘It’s not far along the road from the field to the farm. There was no need for them to have their sirens going.’

A Devon and Somerset Fire spokesman have refused to comment about the arrest but said earlier that the crew was on its way to a road accident when they came across the cattle.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ked-siren-lights.html?ITO=1708&referrer=yahoo

 

[ColJack]

the cows shouldn't have been on the freaking road to begin with..
they should make allowances to herd the cows through their fields and not along a road to the milking parlor..
if they have to cross a road, then either a bridge over, or an underpass should be constructed at the farmers cost..
or the farmer sould foot the bill to re-route the road around the edge of his farmland and not straight through it..

 

[Nige F]

Not a country boy , then Col. . The firefighters round here had 2 crew killed @ a fireworks factory in the sticks . 1 was videoing the proceedings . Court found owners guilty of manslaughter.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

ColJack - what if the farmer doesn't own the land immediately adjacent to his dairy? And what would the planning authorities have to say about bridges appearing all over the countryside?

Like the OP said, without knowing all the details its a bit difficult to comment but if the fireman chose to ignore the son's request for him to stop as the cows were in the road and continued, sirens blaring and lights flashing then I think he has to accept some of the blame for his actions? Some of my friends are firefighters locally so i know the work they do is fantastic and they don't get the credit they deserve. But i also know they like to think they're superheroes! As far as I know cows don't understand what the blue lights and sirens mean so i can't see what he hoped to gain by continuing despite the son making it clear the cows were in the road?

 

[Blasphemous]

In an emergency situation the Fire Crew have 'Right of Way' so I'm not sure how/if that effected their decision to proceed even with the Farmer's son telling them to stop. What I'm still not sure about here is how could ANY Fire Crew member possibly know what a herd of cows would or wouldn't do in that situation. It may well be that the son told them it would be dangerous to proceed but (and I know a few Fire Crew myself), they have people trying to tell them what they can and can't do quite often. I think they have to make split second decisions and it would appear in this situation, that the wrong decision was made ie to proceed.

Having said all that, lets suppose they just stopped as requested. The cows wandered past at their own speed and the Fire Crew were held up for 4 or 5 minutes (I don't know how long it would have taken I'm just hazarding a guess). The Fire Crew then proceed on their way and arrive too late to rescue someone from a burning car, house fire, etc etc. The story would take on a whole new slant ie the relatives of the dead person saying their loved one died because a Fire Crew decided to wait for a herd of cows to pass by! I think most people would be asking why the hell did they wait for a herd of bloody cows when someone's life was at risk?

As I said earlier, it's a difficult one and I'll be interested to hear the outcome.

 

[CortinaV8]

If this did not heed the warning to stop and wait for the cows to move on the driver should face some kind of punishment. It's all well and good saying that someone may have died as they couldn't get through, but what about the farmer who died while trying to supply food for your own tables!

Driving through them is just asking for trouble, I came across a heard while in the highlands a few years back, only option was to stop and wait for them to pass, I don't realistically see how you could drive through without causing distress to the animals.

 

[Infidel]

Up to 70 of the 100 Holstein Friesian cows tramped back into their field as they were being herded along a B-road to the milking parlour.

Well it seems they were just exiting the field, so it looks like the old boy was still in it behind the other 30 or so with no one in the lead on the road.
Smacks of compo to me no win no fee, I feel sorry for the firefighter bet it's the driver thats getting done.

 

[ColJack]

ColJack - what if the farmer doesn't own the land immediately adjacent to his dairy? And what would the planning authorities have to say about bridges appearing all over the countryside?

then they should move their dairy next to where the cows graze, or move the cows grazing field next t the dairy... you don't build a boat yard 50 miles inland...

I don't see ANY need for cows to have to walk ALONG a road..
you make then cross through the fields until they are opposite the dairy and then cross them a few at a time.. not rocket science..

 

[noseall]

Having said all that, lets suppose they just stopped as requested. The cows wandered past at their own speed and the Fire Crew were held up for 4 or 5 minutes (I don't know how long it would have taken I'm just hazarding a guess). The Fire Crew then proceed on their way and arrive too late to rescue someone from a burning car, house fire, etc etc. The story would take on a whole new slant ie the relatives of the dead person saying their loved one died because a Fire Crew decided to wait for a herd of cows to pass by! I think most people would be asking why the hell did they wait for a herd of bloody cows when someone's life was at risk?

An interesting one this.

What if the crew came across a burning car on their way to a burning car?


By the way, the emergency services do not have a 'blanket' right of way. They are now being taught the "drive to arrive" methods these days.

They also have a responsibility to do as little damage as possible when putting out fires such as only using hire pressure nozzles when absolutely necessary.

 

[Thermo]

they asses and deal whats in front of them compared to what they are going to

 

[noseall]

then they should move their dairy next to where the cows graze, or move the cows grazing field next t the dairy... you don't build a boat yard 50 miles inland...

I don't see ANY need for cows to have to walk ALONG a road..
you make then cross through the fields until they are opposite the dairy and then cross them a few at a time.. not rocket science..

The farmer may have had his farm bisected by a new road.

 

[Norcon]

Farmer were working for at the moment shuts the road off when his cows go out in summer time. He has 400 of them. It a country road though.
The only place I have ever heard fire engines sirens on is in the towns.
Rarely in the country. Drivers keep them off.

 

[dextrous]

Pull the udder one

 

[wotan]

I would have thought the first officer of the fire engine, (very easy to say driver) could have given a bit more thought to the situation, would he have put the blues and sirens on, if he an come up against a riding school on a country road?
I think not.

He could have edged steadily forward, the cows would have moved at their own pace, and perhaps delayed them for a few minutes, rather than cause them to panic and stampede, with the tragic result that followed.

Wotan

 

[dextrous]

These cows are clearly a danger to the public and need to be put down.