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Jury fails to reach verdict in case of Kemsley man accused of careless driving after good samaritans killed on A20 near Swanley

A jury in the case of a Kemsley driver accused of killing two good samaritans by careless driving have been unable to reach a verdicts.

Andre Robinson had denied the offences which happened after he lost control of his Mercedes on the A 20 at Swanley in November 2018.

Emergency services at the scene of a car crash. Picture: Shaun Dunn (30684881)
Emergency services at the scene of a car crash. Picture: Shaun Dunn (30684881)

Maidstone Crown Court heard how Ray Bridges, 54, and Stephen Ball, 25, died just seconds after they had helped to free another motorist, John Kelly, who was trapped in his overturned Vauxhall Astra.

The prosecution had claimed 39-year-old Robinson had been driving "inappropriately" for the poor weather conditions that morning.

But after retiring for more than eight hours, the jury failed to agree on verdicts and were discharged by Judge David Griffith-Jones QC.

A decision as to whether he will face a retrial will be made next Friday.

Mr Bridges, a maintenance supervisor from Kidbrooke, south east London, and Mr Ball, from Crawley, West Sussex, died at the scene.

The trial is being heard at Maidstone Crown Court
The trial is being heard at Maidstone Crown Court

Neither knew each other and had been travelling in separate vehicles when they pulled over to assist Mr Kelly, who is from Sheerness.

He had been freed uninjured from the wreckage of his car and was standing with his rescuers on a grass verge at the side of the three-lane carriageway when they were hit by Robinson's Mercedes.

Mr Kelly suffered a fractured wrist and three broken ribs in the impact.

Robinson, a removal firm driver from Bruges Court, Kemsley, was released on bail by the judge.

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