Tourist killed American retiree in freak accident

A tourist who killed an American retiree in a freak accident as he flew to the UK for his sister-in-law’s funeral walked free from court today (mon).

Bill Barber, in his 70s, was collecting a rental vehicle with wife Linda Lane when he was hit by an out-of-control car, in the Enterprise rent-a-car parking bay at Heathrow Airport.

Onlookers tried to lift the car off Mr Barber and paramedics desperately to save him, but he died from his injuries in front of his wife on Boxing Day 2018.

The driver of the other car, Jose Amaya-Romero, 72, admitted causing death by careless driving by not putting on the handbrake when he parked.

The American couple were collecting their hire vehicle and Amaya-Romero was driving to return his rental Toyota Yaris at the time.

Mr Barber got out of the car and went around to the driver’s seat to help his wife, who was struggling to put on her seatbelt in a Toyota Aygo, the Old Bailey heard.

As he was stood on the driver’s side, Amaya-Romero tried to park his car and got out of the vehicle, only to see it slowly start to roll forward.

He was seen desperately trying to jump back into the car to pull on the handbrake, but did not get there before the vehicle had struck Mr Barber.

Amaya-Romero’s car threw Mr Barber up into the air and onto the bonnet of his Toyota, which rolled over him after he fell onto the road.

The speed of Amaya-Romero’s car could not be determined, but it did not travel over 15mph.

Two cleaners heroically lifted the car off of Mr Barber, allowing a member of the public to pull his body out from under the car.

Amaya-Romero was taken into the Enterprise car rental office as paramedics tried to save Mr Barber’s life, where police interviewed him.

But despite the medics’ best efforts, Mr Barber had died.

Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe, QC, said Amaya-Romero, from Virginia in the US, began to wail
and ‘put his head in his hands.

‘At the outset, he was trying to tell the officers what had happened.’

Amaya-Romero wept in the dock as Ms Lane read out her statement to the court via video-link from the US.

She said: ‘Sometimes I hardly believe it myself.

‘Bill and I flew to the UK to attend my sister’s funeral. Bill was struck and killed by a car before we left the rental car parking lot.

‘After three years, images of Bill’s death are still vivid. The other vehicle slammed into him, hitting him in the pelvic region, throwing him into the air, before he disappeared from my sight.

‘Bill was lying underneath the other car which still had the engine running.

‘I had to go out and tell them [my neighbours] what happened. I wonder what Mr Amaya-Romero told his wife when he got home.

‘How do I express the impact of Bill’s death? How do I express the misery, the pain, of losing the person who loved and support me in everything I do?

‘All of that love, that closeness, that happiness, is gone.

‘I still want to cry when I see couples holding hands in the street. I will never hold my husband’s hand again.

‘Sometimes I experience so much pain I can scarcely feel it. I miss him every single day.

‘He was a good-natured, unpretentious, and honourable man.

‘He was thoroughly enjoying his time before his life was cut short.

‘He didn’t deserve to die such a cruel and violent death.

‘I understand that accidents happen. I understand that Mr Amaya-Romero was probably following his lawyer’s advice when he answered no comment to all questions during his police interview.

‘But I can never forgive him for it. Bill would have done.’

Judge Mark Dennis, QC, said: ‘It’s a slow-moving disaster really, that’s taken place.

‘It has been described as an incomprehensible freak accident.

‘There can be no doubt that there is genuine remorse and actually shock and remorse, from the very first moment.

‘This would have been a horrific event for Linda Lane to experience.

‘This was a dreadful event for all concerned.

‘It will scar two sets of families for a long time to come.

‘Mr Amaya-Romero, I was impressed by your letter and I have not reason to doubt your remorse was genuine. I hope now you are able to put these matters behind you, as much as you can.’

Judge Dennis sentenced Amaya-Romero to six months imprisonment suspended for two years.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Amaya-Romero had admitted causing death by careless driving by video-link at Westminster Magistrates Court last month.
ends