Road safety campaign in memory of Sunderland dad Richie Jordan heads for Westminster

Dad-of-two Richie Jordan, 33, died when he was thrown from a speeding Mercedes driven by workmate Mark Thompson in August 2019.

Thompson, of Seaton Crescent, Seaham, was subsequently jailed for six years and eight months after admitting charges of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he was over the drink and drug-drive limits at the time of the collision.

Since Richie’s death, his partner Carol King has been calling for changes to the legal system she hopes will save other families from having to go through the same pain.

Carol, mum to daughters Quinn, five, and three-year-old-year-old Gray – who was born after Richie died – has been supported by MP Bridget Phillipson in her campaign to allow motorists suspected of being at fault in a serious or fatal collision to be temporarily stripped of the right to drive while a police investigation continues.

She wrote to Transport Secretary Mark Harper in December asking that his department launch an information-gathering process, known as a call for evidence, in which people who have been affected by the issue can share their views.

Carol will join the Houghton and Sunderland South MP in a meeting at Westminster on May 15 for a meeting at which they will press their case.

Carol is calling for improvements in the way information is shared between police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and other agencies to ensure potentially dangerous drivers are removed from the road quickly, rather than having to wait until their case comes to trial and a driving ban is imposed by the courts.

Mark Thompson was not convicted until two years after Richie’s death, when he was handed a three-year ban from driving after release from prison. He was free to carry on driving in the meantime: “He had killed somebody, he had a previous record of driving offences and they knew he was under the influence,” said Carol, 31.

“They had all that information but it could not be shared unto the court case, when a driving ban was imposed.

“If someone is responsible for a serious crash, I would like information to be shared so we can get dangerous drivers off the roads.

“All this information is available but the police have no authority to do anything with it until the case comes to court. I can’t see why somebody who is suspected of being at fault in a fatal collision can’t be prevented from continuing to drive."

"It would have given me peace of mind to know he was off the roads during that period. I can;t see why the courts can’t have a system that allows them to do that.

"Bail conditions can be imposed but they are very rarely requested.

"It is not just for me – there are other people who have come forward to push for things to be changed.”