An eyewitness to the Dundee road tragedy that killed schoolboy Danny Leech has broken more than three decades of silence.
Ashley Clement was just yards away when seven-year-old Danny died on September 8, 1989, after being struck by the HGV as he crossed the busy Arbroath Road near its junction with Albert Street.
Ashley, who grew up nearby and was 12 at the time, was never interviewed by police as part of their investigation.
But the psychological wellbeing practitioner recently spoke to Police Scotland as part of their “independent review” – led by senior road officers from Glasgow – into the tragedy and has also given an affidavit to the Leech family lawyer.
She came forward after seeing pleas for information, on a local billboard and on social media, from Danny’s loved ones who are critical of the original probe.
Her version of events backs up the family’s own investigations, undermining the official narrative that it was an accident caused by the youngster’s recklessness.
‘Should never have happened’
On the day of Danny’s death, Ashley was heading to a babysitting job when she saw him across the street.
The 47-year-old says she remembers the sound of the driver braking and describes hearing a “screeching” noise before Danny was hit.
She told The Courier: “Danny ran across the road and this truck came round the corner.
“It failed to see him despite him being in the middle of the road.
“Danny was full of joy and the next minute he was under the truck.
“I remember him being happy and smiley…it should never have happened.
“He was a gorgeous, bubbly boy who should have had a life ahead of him.”
Danny’s brother John told The Courier: “The purpose of our Facebook page was to gather information and bring our family’s plight to the wider public eye.
“It’s great that someone who was there, and saw what happened, is able to assist us in putting the puzzle together.”
Phone call with driver
The driver, Colin Nicoll, has never been charged with any offence.
Mr Nicoll – working for Lairds Trucking of Forfar at the time – was allowed by the investigating officer to drive his lorry away from the scene.
Meanwhile, the road was reopened only half an hour after the tragedy.
Last month John told The Courier of the phone call he had with Mr Nicoll in 2021.
He has investigated his brother’s death for the last six years, with the family this year submitting a dossier outlining their concerns to Police Scotland.
Central to their complaints is the validity of a statement taken by officers and attributed to Danny’s cousin Karen Martin, who witnessed the tragedy aged 13.
It appeared in police files four years later – stating Danny ran off the pavement and into the side of the lorry – and led to a civil court case against Mr Nicoll and his employer being dropped in 1994.
Karen denies ever making a statement.
If you have any information regarding this case please contact brendan.duggan@dcthomson.co.uk.
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