Latest news with #LeeCarroll
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Pal of father killed 'when drunk Brit backpacker ploughed into him' calls for ban on e-scooters
The friend of a 51-year-old father who died after being hit by a British backpacker riding an e-scooter in Australia has called for a ban on the vehicles. Alicia Kemp, 24, was arrested and charged for allegedly riding the hired e-scooter on a footpath and knocking down engineer Thanh Phan on May 31, who died of brain injuries two days later. In response, the city of Perth on Thursday suspended the hiring of e-scooters indefinitely as the head of trauma services at Royal Perth Hospital separately laid bare the extent of e-scooter-related injuries. Mr Phan's family friend Lee Carroll said that ban should be made permanent. 'E-scooters for hire are motorised vehicles that require no licence to operate and are often stationed outside bars and clubs, inviting use by people who may be intoxicated,' he told ABC News. 'We call on the City of Perth and the minister for transport to take decisive action.' Kemp had been out drinking on the afternoon of May 31 from 2.30pm with a friend, and was kicked out of a bar for being too drunk. Later that evening, she hired an e-scooter at around 8.30pm. Police told an Australian court court that she was the main driver, while her friend was a passenger. Prosecutors said that Kemp was driving in an 'inexplicably dangerous' manner, which as caught on CCTV, and that pedestrians were forced to 'take evasive action' as she rode down Murray Street in Perth's Central Business District. She had a blood alcohol level of 0.158 as she was riding. Western Australian law states that electric vehicle drivers must have a level lower than 0.05 to legally drive. Kemp was also travelling at 15mph as 'she careered into his back', prosecutors said, adding that this caused Phan to fall forward and hit his head. Tragically, he suffered 'a significant brain bleed', while Kemp's friend, a 26-year-old who had not yet been identified, was thrown from the scooter and suffered a fractured skull and broken nose. Phan was taken to the Royal Perth Hospital for surgery, where he died. It comes after the head of of trauma services at the Royal Perth Hospital told ABC news that he and his team were witnessing an increase in the numbers of e-scooter related incidents. 'Our patients are experiencing lifetime consequences or not even surviving from injuries sustained on an e-scooter,' Dieter Weber said. He added that allowing motorised vehicles to share footpaths with pedestrians is fundamentally unsafe. While not speaking on Mr Phan's death directly, Weber urged that e-scooter incidents are avoidable if riders are wearing helmets and not under the influence of drugs ot alcohol. 'The thing that sticks out to me as a surgeon is sadly the number of families that we've seen at the bedside in tears with their loved ones tragically injured from these e-scooters,' he said. The professor said the extent of the injuries can be so terrible that it is not always possible for patients to return to a normal life. 'We're seeing the whole range of injuries from broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, injuries that have not just immediate impact but then lasting lifelong effects on patients. 'It's this enormous group of patients that we've had to treat from injuries that are preventable,' he said. Weber welcomed Perth's decision to suspend the hiring of e-scooters but warned that the full range of potential consequences for riding these vehicles has not yet been fully understood. Earlier in the week, WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti acknowledged: 'We need to increase our compliance.' WA Police announced on Wednesday they would be undertaking 'state-wide targeted enforcement operations' in response to a number of incidents, including Mr Phan's death. A spokesperson said they would be focusing on speeding, mobile phone use, riding under the influence, use of helmets, passenger limits and underage riders. Police and Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said he was open to making any change 'that will make people safer'. 'I want to consult with local government, and the operators about geo-fencing these devices so they can't be used in certain areas, at certain times, at certain speeds,' he told ABC Radio Perth. Kemp's anxious parents have now flown to Australia to be with their daughter who is charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, the Times reported. It comes shortly after the young backpacker was told that she could not be bailed out as she posed too great a flight risk. Kemp, who could face up to 20 years in prison, had been travelling through southeast Asia and Australia with her boyfriend on a four-month tourist visa. At the time of the tragic crash, she had been working at Durty Nelly's Irish pub. Describing herself on Linkedin as a digital nomad, Kemp had said that she was taking a 'career break' in order to travel and had also taken to social media platform TikTok to document the experience. Kemp added to the social media platform: 'I aim to immerse myself within the different cultures Asia has to offer. 'This includes working as an English second language teacher in Vietnam, in both public and private schools.' In a heartbreaking statement given following Phan's death, his family paid tribute to a 'beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend'. The statement added: 'We received the heartbreaking news that Thanh passed away as a result of his injuries. 'We ask that the media respect the privacy of Thanh's family as they grieve their loss. 'The family has no other comment to make on the issue at this time.' The magistrate said that the significant prospect of a long prison sentence if Kemp were to be convicted means that there was a risk of her 'not returning to court to answer the charges'. They added: 'The temptation might be that (she) won't return. I can't manage that risk'. Kemp, who remains in custody, is set to appear before the court again on July 15.
ABC News
5 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Trauma surgeon describes daily e-scooter toll as crash victim's friend says death avoidable
A friend of a 51-year-old man who died after being hit by an e-scooter on the weekend has criticised local and state governments for not further regulating e-rideables, saying the father's death was avoidable. His comments come as the head of trauma services at Royal Perth Hospital separately laid bare the extent of e-scooter-related injuries, highlighting the lifelong impacts they can have on patients. Pedestrian Thanh Phan was in Perth's CBD for dinner on Saturday night when he was struck by a hired e-scooter. A 25-year-old UK tourist, Alicia Kemp, has been charged with causing death while driving dangerously under the influence of alcohol. In response, the City of Perth yesterday suspended the hiring of e-scooters indefinitely. Mr Phan's family friend Lee Carroll said that ban should be made permanent. "E-scooters for hire are motorised vehicles that require no licence to operate and are often stationed outside bars and clubs, inviting use by people who may be intoxicated," he said. "This is a dangerous and unacceptable situation. "We call on the City of Perth and the minister for transport to take decisive action." It came as the head of trauma services at Royal Perth Hospital told the ABC he and his team were seeing patients seriously injured by e-scooters every day. 'Our patients are experiencing lifetime consequences or not even surviving from injuries sustained on an e-scooter,' Dieter Weber told Stateline. Mr Carroll pointed to that situation, saying it should have been enough of a trigger for governments to take action. 'Allowing motorised vehicles to share footpaths with pedestrians is fundamentally unsafe,' he said. While not commenting on Mr Phan's death directly, Professor Weber said he wanted people to see e-scooter injuries as avoidable, especially by riders wearing helmets and not riding while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. "The thing that sticks out to me as a surgeon is sadly the number of families that we've seen at the bedside in tears with their loved ones tragically injured from these e-scooters," he told Stateline. "The facilities here at the state trauma centre allow us to give our patients the best possible care, but sadly … the pathway to try to get back to as normal a life is not always possible with these terrible injuries that we're seeing. "We're seeing the whole range of injuries from broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, injuries that have not just immediate impact but then lasting lifelong effects on patients. "It's this enormous group of patients that we've had to treat from injuries that are preventable." Professor Weber welcomed the City of Perth's decision as a step towards an "informed discussion" about e-rideables and what role society wanted them to play. "Sadly, I don't think we've fully understood the potential consequences of riding one of these vehicles," he said. "Of course society is going to look at some of the benefits of e-scooters, but the harm, the risk, needs to be understood as well so that we can make an informed, balanced decision." It was that risk of serious, life-altering injuries which Professor Weber — a trauma and general surgeon — most wanted policymakers to understand. "Are these people able to get back into the community, back to their usual jobs?" he said. "Or do they place an additional burden on our society as we have to nurse them through a remainder of a life in a nursing home, or whether they don't make it at all?" While some suggest there is little difference between e-scooters and traditional bicycles, Professor Weber disagreed. "They're being used by different people in different situations, potentially with different understandings," he said. "The crashes can be equally bad, but one's battery power … presumably it's going to be at a higher energy, that's going to cause an impact and injury and the aftermath that we see on our clinical wards." Research by Professor Weber and and his colleagues found that of 81 Western Australian patients who sustained serious e-scooter related injuries between 2017 and 2022, 40 per cent were not wearing a helmet and were four times more likely to sustain a head injury. Around 35 per cent were under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. He said while the "majority" of patients admitted to the state trauma centre were e-scooter riders, there was a "large group" who had been hit by the devices. Earlier in the week, WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti acknowledged: "We need to increase our compliance." WA Police announced late yesterday they would be undertaking "state-wide targeted enforcement operations" in response to a number of incidents, including Mr Phan's death. A spokesperson said they would be focusing on speeding, mobile phone use, riding under the influence, use of helmets, passenger limits and underage riders. Police and Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said he was open to making any change "that will make people safer". "I want to consult with local government, and the operators about geo-fencing these devices so they can't be used in certain areas, at certain times, at certain speeds," he told ABC Radio Perth. The shadow road safety minister called for the government to go further, describing the state's laws as "no longer fit for purpose". "The rules we do have are being widely ignored, and compliance is almost non-existent," Julie Freeman said, pointing to a Road Safety Commission report which last month found a "concerning" lack of compliance. Ms Freeman called for penalties for modifying e-scooters to increase their maximum speed, and a broader strengthening of penalties which the report found were "much lower" in WA compared to elsewhere in the nation. She also called for urban planning to separate cars and pedestrians from e-rideables and bikes. A study which looked at six European countries, published in 2023, found higher rates of e-scooter accidents in cities with a lower density of bike lanes.
Belfast Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
NIFL kids have shown class with historic Dallas Cup triumph in Texas, says Lee Carroll
Team co-ordinator Lee Carroll feels the future is bright for the players in the NIFL scholarship select squad that returned home from America as Under-19 Dallas Cup champions. The side, coached by Cliftonville hero Barry Johnston and former Glenavon ace Mark Patton, made it a first Northern Ireland success in the 45-year history of competition.
