Dunn family to meet health and transport secretaries in fresh bid for answers

The family of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn are set to meet the secretaries of state for health and transport in a fresh bid for answers after their son’s death.

Matt Hancock and Grant Shapps have agreed to meet the 19-year-old’s parents to discuss road safety and ambulance delays following the crash that killed him in August last year.

Ambulance crews took 43 minutes to reach the teenager despite him breaking “every major bone” in the collision outside a US military base in Northamptonshire.

The suspect in the case, 42-year-old Anne Sacoolas, the wife of an intelligence official based at RAF Croughton, was granted diplomatic immunity following the incident and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy.

Family spokesman Radd Seiger told the PA news agency a road safety review is essential in order to avoid people coming to “harm at the hands of American drivers”.

Mr Seiger said the family needed to be involved in projects such as road safety as “part of their therapy”.

Speaking to PA, the spokesman said: “Efforts are ongoing in respect of the ridiculous and untenable situation that has arisen at RAF Croughton in respect of who does and who does not have diplomatic immunity and that is going through the courts as we speak.

“Harry was not the first to come to harm at the hands of American drivers outside bases and unless urgent action is taken to tackle the situation, he won’t be the last.

“I am pleased that Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, has agreed to sit down with the parents and I. A comprehensive road safety review is required and I look forward to shaping that with him.”

Addressing the agreed meeting with the Health Secretary, Mr Seiger said: “The ambulance took 43 minutes to get to Harry as he lay dying in a ditch on the side of the road.

“We have held a positive meeting so far with local NHS leaders to see if Team Harry can help shine a light on the complex reasons for why that was and why it happens so often and I am also pleased therefore to say that Matt Hancock, the Health and Social Care Secretary, has also agreed to sit down with us to discuss and agree what will be done to prevent any reoccurrence.

“It is vitally important for the welfare of Harry’s family to be involved in positive projects as part of their therapy. They do not want Harry’s death to have been in vain.

“We will await dates for these meetings.”