Port faces fine after taxi death

The driver had picked up the fare in Middlesbrough

A port authority faces unlimited fines after admitting it played a part in the death of a taxi driver.

Abdul Rashid drowned after driving his cab over the dockside, at the Port of Tees in March of last year.

Mr Rashid's Vauxhall Astra was dredged from Tees Dock the day after a ship's captain spotted his body floating in the water.

Investigators - who initially thought Mr Rashid was the victim of an assault - realised he had missed a turning in the dark and had driven into the water.

Safety

David John Robinson, managing director of the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority, pleaded guilty at Teesside Magistrates Court on Wednesday to failing to ensure the safety of a non-employee under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

[Mr Rashid] drove over the edge and his car turned over and fell in the dock on its roof

Martin Smith, HSE

Mr Rashid, 49, was one of four taxi drivers returning officers to a merchant navy ship, the Norqueen, moored at the dock.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Martin Smith told magistrates Mr Rashid had picked up Tarmo Nuutinen, now captain of the Norqueen cargo ship, in Middlesbrough shortly before midnight on 25 March.

He dropped the sailor at his ship and was driving out of the dock when his car went over the edge.

'Barrier removed'

Mr Smith told the court Mr Rashid was probably knocked unconscious by the fall and drowned.

The court heard the port was only lit by security lighting and not the much brighter works lighting used when ships are unloaded at night.

A highly visible black and yellow barrier had been removed from the spot where Mr Rashid drove over the dock edge after it was damaged several weeks before his death.

Mr Smith said: "[Mr Rashid] drove over the edge and his car turned over and fell in the dock on its roof.

"He suffered serious head injuries which probably caused instant loss of consciousness and he subsequently drowned."

Coincidences

Simon Cattrall, solicitor for the port authority, said an estimated 175,000 taxi trips had been made to the dock in 36 years.

He blamed an unforeseen catalogue of coincidences which had conspired in causing Mr Rashid's death.

Under normal circumstances a ship would have been moored at the point where the car went over the edge, he said.

An inquest in August recorded a verdict of accidental death

Magistrates decided their powers of sentencing - allowing them fine the port authority a maximum of £20,000 - were insufficient and committed the case to the crown court.