Teenage driver lay injured in his car despite iPhone calling police to alert them of crash

A teenager lay dying behind the wheel of his car despite his iPhone automatically calling 999 when it detected he had been involved in a crash.

George Dillon, 19, had been driving his VW Golf when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree on 18 May last year.

Despite the ‘Crash Detection’ feature immediately alerting the emergency services that there had been a crash with a possible risk to life, they failed to attend the scene.

His iPhone had sent an automated call to Hampshire Constabulary’s control room at 10.26pm to indicate there had been a crash and that he was not responding.

An operator logged “no direct request” after not being able to hear anything in the background or any sign of distress.

The crash was reported to the police a few minutes later by a member of the public, with Mr Dillon dying two days later from his injuries in hospital.

An inquest into his death heard that “not enough” was known by police officers about automated phone technology, and that training needed to be reviewed in handling those calls.

“I am concerned that the understanding, training and procedures need review to assist with appropriately prompt response in situations where there is an indication of a collision where a risk to life may exist,” Coroner Henry Charles wrote.

In his Prevention of Future Deaths report, he added: “The evidence showed that false alarms from electronic devices are frequent, and locations provided are often inaccurate.

"However, the iPhone’s serious crash detection feature was new at the time and required a better understanding and response strategy".

In a written response to the coroner’s report, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s solicitor said at the time of the incident there was no national guidance on how forces should respond to crash notifications.

They have accepted that clear guidance needs to be provided, and a video message was sent to all staff on the expected course of action and a toolkit for handling abandoned and automated notification calls.

Highways authority Hampshire County Council was also written to in relation to the condition of the road.

The coroner said he was concerned the hazard posed by the crest on Lee Lane, where Mr Dillon crashed, was not readily apparent to drivers even when travelling within the 60mph (96km/h) speed limit.

Following his death, his family said: “Our son and brother, our hero! George brought love and laughter to everyone who had the privilege to have met him.

“He had a heart as big as a mountain and would do anything for anybody. George had his own unique style, he loved country music, farming and his biggest loves of all were tractors and his cowboy boots.

“George’s studies came to fruition just days ago when he passed his final year studying agriculture engineering with merit and we couldn’t be more proud. He enjoyed living life to the full, he was so incredibly sociable and adored each and every one of his friends.

“Our hearts are shattered and we miss him more than words could ever express. We are so immensely grateful for the amazing 19 years and 11 months he gave us. Georgie our beautiful, gentle, loving boy - thank you so much for the amazing most joyful precious time we had with you. All our love xx.”