Kaushal Gandhi, 32 was driving his Skoda Octavia along the motorway at a speed of 119 mph (192 kmph) when he crashed in to a lorry. Just ahead of the crash, and even as Gandhi tried to stop the out of control car, he had the presence of mind to call a the cops and explain the situation. He narrated the incident to the handler about cruise control of the Skoda Octavia that was completely out of control, had become stuck thus not allowing him to stop the vehicle.
The speedometer of the Skoda Octavia was stuck on 70 mph (112 kmph) even as Gandhi was travelling at 119 mph showing that the speedometer too was faulty. Gandhi’s desperate attempts to stop the car were futile and he was killed on impact with the parked lorry.
A recording of the phone call Gandhi made to 999 was recorded and played at Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire. Gandhi was said to be a careful driver and had the presence of mind to make a call even when he was in such a precarious situation.
He was aware that his speedometer was showing a different reading as compared to the speed at which his vehicle was travelling while all his desperate attempts to apply the brakes also failed leading to a head on crash and his instantaneous death.
Below is Kaushal’s conversation with the cops –
“My car is not coming out of the cruise control.
“I have just passed the exit of the M40 towards Slough. It is not letting me stop. It shows 70mph but I think I am going much faster than this.”
The call handler asked: “Can you slow to a stop by braking? Can you try to control the car’s speed using your gears?”
“I am trying. It is not stopping at neutral,” replied Mr Gandhi, adding: “I have kept pressing the button but all it makes is a noise.
“My speed is increasing. I think what has happened was I tried to change the mode on the car, because I was on the sports mode. I pressed a button to come onto the normal mode and then it is not allowing me to do anything.”
“It is just gone 77mph right now,” he said.
Mr Gandhi replied: “I haven’t tried it because at this speed I am not sure what will happen. I am in the middle lane right now, there is no traffic. Do you want me to try the hand brake?”
The last words Mr Gandhi was heard saying: “I am just going to check that, one second…”
The Skoda Octavia crashed into the parked lorry while the driver died on the spot as his head was decapitated. Witness Robert Kague told emergency services that the car was completely embedded into the lorry while its roof was peeled back. The lorry had driver Emma Parrot on board and she was thrown out of her bunk with the force.
