A bin lorry crash in Glasgow city centre killed six people after the driver lost consciousness, exposing gaps in medical self-reporting rules for commercial vehicle licences.
Key Facts
- Date
- 22 December 2014
- Deaths
- 6 people
- Injuries
- 15 people
- Driver
- Harry Clarke
- Cause
- Driver lost consciousness at the wheel
- Prosecution outcome
- No further prosecution brought against Clarke
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Driver Harry Clarke had a history of blackouts, including a prior episode while at the wheel of a bus. He failed to disclose this medical history on his heavy goods vehicle licence renewal application, despite self-reporting being legally required, allowing him to continue operating a large vehicle.
On 22 December 2014, a council-owned bin lorry driven by Harry Clarke lost control in Glasgow city centre after Clarke passed out at the wheel. The vehicle struck a group of pedestrians, killing six people and injuring fifteen others in one of the worst peacetime incidents in the city's history.
Clarke was officially informed he would face no further prosecution, provoking public protests from victims' families who disputed how the case was handled. In September 2015 Clarke was arrested on suspicion of driving without a licence, and the incident prompted wider debate about mandatory medical disclosure requirements for commercial vehicle drivers.