Coroner calls for dementia checks on older drivers

Staff writer
File photo dated 18/05/17 of an elderly man. Health services for people at a high risk of dementia need to be overhauled to focus on early diagnosis and treatment, experts have said.
File photo dated 18/05/17 of an elderly man. Health services for people at a high risk of dementia need to be overhauled to focus on early diagnosis and treatment, experts have said.

After tending to a crash in which a victim was killed by an 88-year-old driver with dementia, a coroner is calling for older motorists to be routinely checked for the condition. Deborah archer, the assistant coroner for Plymouth and South Devon, is set to write to the Department for Transport urging for regular checks on older drivers.

Her call comes after a women was killed by an 88-year-old driver on a busy street. Evelyn Fisher, 61, was hit by a car driven by William Sherlock. It was later found Sherlock was showing early signs of dementia.

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