Decade On: Eyewitnesses Reflect on Glasgow Bin Lorry Tragedy

On 22 December 2014, at approximately 14:30, a bin lorry driven by Harry Clarke lost control in Glasgow city centre after he passed out. The vehicle then went onto the pavement, hitting Christmas shoppers on Queen Street. The incident resulted in the deaths of six individuals: Erin McQuade, 18, along with her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and Lorraine Sweeney, 69, all from Dumbarton; Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow; and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh. A decade later, eyewitnesses report that the traumatic events of that day are still vividly remembered. Catriona Stewart, for instance, was at a coffee shop with a friend when she observed the bin lorry moving rapidly. Upon hearing screams, Ms Stewart, a journalist trained in first aid, exited the premises to investigate. She described the scene: “There were cars fanning out, there was people lying in the street, people screaming. It was a horrific scene.” She added that “The chaos was quite spread out along Queen Street.” Only 19 seconds elapsed from the moment the driver lost consciousness until the vehicle stopped against the Millennium Hotel in George Square, resulting in six fatalities and 17 injuries. Ms Stewart provided first aid to a wounded teenager who was on the ground. She stated that the visual and auditory experiences of that day have remained with her. Ms Stewart further commented: “When I cycle to work I cycle along Queen Street and I find that very difficult, because the memories are so vivid.” She continued, “There are things I saw that day that I’ve never talked about and probably never will, because they are very personal to the other people involved, but they are very fresh in my head. “It’s astonishing to think it was 10 years because it feels like it was just last week.” Right Reverend Dr Gregor Duncan, who was the Scottish Episcopal Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway at the time, was also present at the site following the incident. Now retired, he informed the Press Association that he intends to pray for the six victims and the driver this weekend. Subsequent information revealed that Mr Clarke had previously experienced a blackout while operating a stationary bus, a fact he withheld from his employers. Right Rev Duncan recounted: “That afternoon I went out, and when I went back the road was closed off with lots of people around. “I saw human remains on the road, some covered, some not. “I realised something terrible had happened and went back to my office and put my clerical dress on.” The full scale of the catastrophe quickly became apparent to the Bishop. He stated: “Someone said to me out of the crowd ‘Five souls, Father’ – by which she meant five people had been killed, at that stage, I didn’t know how. “She might have been asking me to pray for them.” Right Rev Duncan observed that Glasgow appeared “stricken” following the collision, which occurred only a year after a police helicopter crash at the Clutha pub, less than a mile away, claimed 10 lives. He further remarked: “I think Glasgow felt afflicted. The time of year made it even worse. “Some tragedies happen out of thin air, but others happen because of human error or human folly.” After the incident, Royal Exchange Square in the city was filled with numerous floral tributes, and a candle-lit vigil took place in George Square. A fatal accident inquiry conducted in 2015 concluded that Mr Clarke had “repeatedly lied” regarding his history of blackouts to secure and maintain employment with his former employer, First Bus, and with Glasgow City Council. Jacqueline Morton, mother of Adam Russell, was one of the victims who perished in the catastrophe. In 2015, during the BBC Scotland documentary, Lies, Laws and the Bin Lorry Tragedy, he stated: “I just keep on thinking that one day I’m going to take my two girls up to see their Granny Jackie at the grave and they’re going to turn round and go ‘What did happen to Granny, Daddy?'” He added, “I’m just going to say ‘Granny lost her life because a man lied.'” The then-Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland KC opted against prosecuting Mr Clarke in 2016, asserting it was “the right decision” because of “insufficient evidence in law” to proceed with the case. Three years subsequent to that, Mr Clarke informed a Sunday newspaper that the tragedy was “an accident” and remarked: “There’s not a day goes by I don’t think about it.” In 2021, Glasgow City Council’s legal challenge against First Bus concerning job references supplied for Mr Clarke was unsuccessful. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.