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+----- Thread: What we know so far about Mercer's crash (/showthread.php?tid=26631)
What we know so far about Mercer's crash - Malcolm - 06-06-2018
![[Image: merceratsulbybridge.jpg]](http://www.ttwebsite.com/gifs/2018/general/merceratsulbybridge.jpg)
Steve Mercer pictured at Sulby Bridge heading a group of riders anti-clockwide back to the Grandstand.
Other riders including Ryan Kneen (second from left) wait for instructions. Picture: David Skillicorn
Inquiries are continuing into an unprecedented accident which came after red-flagged TT riders proceeded the wrong-way round the course.
Steve Mercer is in critical care in hospital in Liverpool after his machine was involved in a collision with an official course car at Ballacrye, near Ballaugh last Wednesday.
The course car driven by an ACU official with a police sergeant and constable as passengers, was on its way to the accident near Churchtown, which claimed the life of Manx TT star Dan Kneen during that evening’s qualifying session.
An investigation into the incident, which has been described as a catastrophic systems failure by one former roads policing officer, is being carried out jointly by police and race organisers ACU Events.
And it is likely that the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate will also get involved.
Inquiries are focusing on whether riders were given instructions to return to the Grandstand anti-clockwise round the course - and if they were, exactly who gave that instruction.
A marshal who was on duty on the Mountain told the Examiner:
’A message came through on the radio that said riders would be allowed to go back to the Grandstand the wrong way round the course.
’They were referring to riders on the Grandstand side of where the accident happened.
’We certainly took it to mean that further instructions would follow about precisely when that would happen and how.’
In a non-serious red flag incident, it has often been the case that riders will be escorted round the course back to the pits by travelling marshals.
At 6.34pm on Wednesday, clerk of the course, Gary Thompson, tweeted: ’
Incident at Churchtown, there is a fire which has to be dealt with. Bikes to be brought back to Grandstand.’
One of those riders halted at Sulby Bridge was Dan Kneen’s brother Ryan, who was unaware that his sibling had been involved in the crash.
Marshals and riders were chatting with photographers at Sulby Bridge about 6.53pm when a shout came out that riders were approaching anti-clockwise from the Kerrowmoar area.
A group of around 10 passed by heading towards Ballaugh, led by Steve Mercer and James Cowton. They were not being led by a travelling marshal or an official vehicle.
The riders assembled at Sulby Bridge asked marshals if they could then restart their machines and follow in that direction, but were told quite firmly it was not possible as the instruction to release the riders had not been received over the TETRA radio.
Several minutes later two police vehicles and a motorcycle arrived at Sulby Bridge and the latter headed off in the direction of Ballacrye.
A course car had collided with Mercer’s bike.
Those in the course car were shaken but otherwise unhurt.
Following the incident, the chairman of the Strategic Motorsport Group, chief secretary Will Greenhow, immediately called a meeting of members.
It was held on Thursday morning, and included senior officers from the departments for Enterprise, Home Affairs, Infrastructure and Health and Social Care.
On Thursday, clerk of the course Gary Thompson MBE confirmed that a strict red flag procedure will now take place with immediate effect.
Riders will not be allowed to move until a red flag incident has been cleared, regardless of how long it may take to clear.
And they will only be permitted to move in course direction and under the control of travelling marshals at the front and rear.
Bernard Warden, head of the island’s Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate, said: ’
We are being kept informed of developments.
’If there are any risk assessments, management systems, method statements then we would probably get involved.
’We are being kept in the loop and are awaiting developments.’
Former roads policing inspector Derek Flint posted on Manx Forums:
’Questions have to be asked.
’I think everyone is simply aghast this could have happened.
’The car (and its occupants) were dispatched for the right reasons as part of the protocols after a fatality.
’It was past the duties of anyone on scene.
’Bikes can be, and are, sent back to Douglas anti-clockwise under strict controls.
’The question is ’how were "wrong way round" procedures in place at the same time as a car was allowed to head toward them?
’This incident is a potential threat to a great event. Only [last week] a roads open car was passed by a bike, breaching the sterile area.
’We are seeing error chains developing, and risk management says stop and find out what is causing them before just cracking on again.’
by Adrian Darbyshire
![[Image: iomtodaylogo.jpg]](http://www.ttwebsite.com/gifs/2018/general/iomtodaylogo.jpg)
RE: What we know so far about Mercer's crash - Splashdown - 07-06-2018
I am surprised that no one has posted any comment on this subject, surely one of the most startling and controversial incidents to strike Isle of Man racing on the Mountain Course.
Obviously, we must grieve the two fatal accidents, and we must send every best wish to Steve Mercer, and pray that he makes a full recovery.
However, when you consider that the entire Mountain Course is marshalled using ( I presume), high tech Tetra radios, it seems beyond comprehension that there should be a breakdown in communication in a way that could cause such a catastrophe.
Even allowing for the first mistake, i.e. a Marshal sending off Steve and others without the escort of a Travelling Marshal, you would think that other Marshals, and the Clerk of the Course would have cottoned on that something was amiss. I am guessing that Steve will have travelled about six miles to Ballacrye, so probably around four minutes passed from their departure before Steve arrived at Ballacrye
Furthermore, I am surprised that the driver of the car has not been named, or the police officer occupants. It always makes me think that there must be some underlying reason for this lack of information, that we are not being told.
I should point out, that I am aware there must have been certain officials in a state of shock as the news of Dan's accident filtered through, and I accept that this could have had some bearing on the chain of events in the immediate moments afterwards.
Finally, in the event of another serious accident in the future, which causes a red flag. It seems inevitable that the road closure at the scene of an accident would remain in force for some time. I cannot think that riders will be expected to remain on the course until the road re-opens. Imagine an accident at the Verandah, or a similar spot, in evening practice. The weather closes in, it's getting dark. Meanwhile, the road remains closed for investigations to take place. What will be the procedure to get riders back if there is no travelling in the reverse direction? I cannot think that any riders will accept being stuck on the side of the Mountain until the road reopens.
RE: What we know so far about Mercer's crash - HammerHead - 07-06-2018
Nick, I am certainly in agreement with your last paragraph, however, as for the remainder it cannot be more than speculation until (or even if) we are told the facts. For me that would be the time to make comment and pass judgments. Until then, like you, it remains beyond my comprehension as to how this may have happened. It seems likely that there is a chain of events so potentially more than one failure.
RE: What we know so far about Mercer's crash - Splashdown - 07-06-2018
Thank you HammerHead, I hear what you say.
However, in the article by Adrian Derbyshire of IOM Today, there are three comments on the incident. One from a Marshal, one from Bernard Warden, of Health and Safety Inspectorate, and another from Derek Flint, a former road policing Inspector.
If they can make comments, surely the general public can convey their dismay, whilst being careful not to jump to any conclusions, which i did not.
Indeed, Derek Flint commented: "this incident is a potential threat to a great event".
If something takes place that is indeed such a threat, then i would expect comments to be made, that's all I'm saying.
As far as I can see, I did not add anything in my comments that were not already known. I did not speculate. I agree that that would be wrong.
RE: What we know so far about Mercer's crash - Moderator2 - 07-06-2018
The actual article on the iomtoday site is open to public comments, there were 48 when I looked just now.
RE: What we know so far about Mercer's crash - HammerHead - 07-06-2018
I apologise if my comments implied you were speculating, no offence was intended. All I was trying to say (perhaps not very well) was that in general there is so little information known and, with respect to Adrian Derbyshire, what there is appears to be mostly just hearsay rather than cold hard fact.
Your knowledge of Mountain Course procedures is far greater than mine and you are right in as much as a significant threat to the event is certainly something worthy of comment, however, perhaps most feel like me that there isn't really too much they can comment on until they really know what happened and where the faults lie.
RE: What we know so far about Mercer's crash - BenjiesDad - 08-06-2018
Nick,
I think you have summed up the points that a lot of us would have liked to put,
But were struggling to fine the right words to do so,
So Thank you for your post,
Get well soon Steve,
And Rip Dan, The fastest Manxman around the TT course on 2 wheels !
RE: What we know so far about Mercer's crash - Nev14 - 08-06-2018
Splashdown just one comment on your point that you were surprised that other marshals did not cotton onto what was happening. I can assure you as soon as the marshals, myself included, saw bikes returning in the wrong direction the DSM radioed into control saying there was no leading TSM. What action was taken as a result of the message I cannot say.
RE: What we know so far about Mercer's crash - Alfie Noakes - 08-06-2018
I've been kinda stuck between the event I love and am still growing up with even past 50 and know the far far extremes of the all the emotions involved and seriously wondering just wtf happened with Steve Mercer and the course car. Derek Flint is talking on a a forum - Manx Forum which if i'm honest has some less than sensible comments on there and it only makes the way this site looks and is managed a real blessing(thanks to all involved) and if he's keen to mention car on course protocol when there's a fatality how come there was no car sent when we lost Adam in the Supersport race ? - The main part not going to say fact I simply cannot comprehend with all the comms we have(or do we ?) at an event of this magnitude is that if the car was sent from the Grandstand it must have have on the road for a much longer time than Steve was when he was heading towards it from where he stopped between Sulby Bridge and Dan's accident - the fact that nobody out there either on track or in the tower realised a mistake(they do happen by nature unfortunately) had been made is extremely worrying to say the least. If anything is too come out from this I dearly hope it's transparent honesty with how it happened. if it gets fudged or hushed in the slightest it will detract very seriously from the whole event and said management.