Coroner makes design recommendation to Jaguar after boy’s death

A coroner has recommended that Jaguar Land Rover add an “intermediary step” to put an electric vehicle in reverse or drive following the death of a seven-year-old boy in Devon.

Alfie Tollett was crushed between two vehicles on Wembury Road in Plymstock on 27 February 2023.

Coroner Deborah Archer acknowledged a “number of errors” had been made by the driver of a Jaguar I-Pace but she also stated that a design change by the car maker could prevent similar incidents.

A spokesperson for JLR told the BBC: “We have received correspondence from the coroner and shall be responding in due course.”

Alfie and his family had been to Plymstock Albion Rugby Football club to watch his older brother play in a rugby match.

The coroner’s report said Alfie was at the back of his father’s car, changing his boots, when the accident happened.

According to the report, the driver of the Jaguar had been attempting to park on the road beside a VW van which was parked next to Alfie’s father’s car.

After mounting the pavement, the driver attempted to select reverse and did not look down to check his selection, relying instead on “feel”.

The car began moving forwards and collided with the van after the driver failed to hear the reversing warning alarm.

The coroner’s report stated that the driver continued to accelerate “pushing the white VW van forwards, trapping Alfie between the VW van and his father’s Kia”.

Alfie’s father moved his vehicle forwards to release his son but the seven-year-old died shortly afterwards due to “blunt force traumatic chest injuries”, as concluded by the coroner during the inquest.

The coroner explained: “These errors occurred as a result of there being no intermediary step within the Jaguar I-Pace being necessary to put the car into drive/reverse other than pressing a button.

“In the police officer’s opinion if there had also been a lever or something similar present in the vehicle that needed to be engaged before a button was pressed this may have alerted [the driver] to the fact that he had pushed the incorrect button.”

Addressing JLR, the coroner said: “In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action.”

The Prevention of Future Deaths Report also revealed that there had been no prosecution of the driver as “he died of natural causes shortly after this incident”.

A spokesperson for JLR said: “Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family of Alfie Tollett, following his accidental death.”