| SYNOPSIS Episode 2 Seconds after the collision has occurred and the road is a mass of twisted metal. Smoke and the anguished cries of the victims fill the air. The two police officers Gopal (Sushil Chudasama) and Clacy (Andrew Brooke), who had been in pursuit of Gareth (Anwar Lynch) and Alice (Lenora Crichlow), managed to avoid the worst of the collision and call the emergency services in. Gareth is desperate for help; worried that Alice is dead. Dan Rampton (Dean Lennox Kelly) comes round in his overturned van. All he can see are flashing blue police lights. Hearing more sirens in the distance he panics and makes a run for it. Ann Stallwood (Kate Ashfield) is the SIO (Senior Investigating Officer for Essex Police) she is on call – but presently she is on a blind date in a pub. It’s not going well and she is relieved to have an excuse to leave. Arriving at the crash scene she takes charge of the whole operation. The nearby service station is commandeered as an emergency treatment area for the less seriously injured, amongst them is Richard Reeves (Paul McGann). He has a dislocated shoulder and Jane Tarrant (Lucy Griffiths) helps him, as a paramedic puts his shoulder back into place. Brian Edwards (Phil Davis) has escaped serious injury but his is out of his mother-in-law, Joyce (Sylvia Syms) is unconscious. Paramedics are desperately trying to resuscitate Sidney Norris(David Bamber) - but he is already dead. Four days after the collision; Tolin’s eighteen year old daughter Jodie (Jo Woodcock), is paralysed and in a wheelchair. She’s wants to know how her father is coping with work, and is surprised to hear that he has volunteered for the A12 case investigation. Tolin arrives at Chelmsford, RCIT (The Road Crash Investigation Team) where he will be based, to find that Ann Stallwood is the SIO. The Assistant Commander Fraser is keen to resolve the lawsuit against Met and for this Tolin needs to uncover the truth. Were the police officers who pursued him responsible for their accident? Gareth is adamant the police pulled him over for no reason, targeting him and Alice because of their race. As they leave the hospital another victim of the accident, Karen Donnelly (Claire Rushbrook) approaches them, she is panicking and disorientated, obsessed to recover the documents she had in her car - that and her car keys. Tolin agrees to try to help her. Tolin interviews the officers Gopal and Clacy about Gareth. They claim that he was speeding and they pursued him in the normal manner, not even realising he was black. Strangely when he arrived at the car, the air conditioning was on, but the windows had been left open. Meanwhile Ann meets with Guy Pearson (Nicholas Farrell), who runs the car forensics garage. She has gone to pick up Karen’s documents, but Guy is surprised she is not there about Brian Edwards’ car. It has raised his suspicion that Brian walked away with scratches while his mother-in-law, Joyce is critically ill – in particular a discrepancy over whether she was wearing her seatbelt - but they are still waiting on the analysis of his car. Karen Donnelly’s statement indicates that Sidney was gesticulating angrily moments before the collision, but he also finds out that Sidney changed his surname from Morris to Norris – what does he have to hide? Meanwhile in the hospital, Karen Donnelly is visited by James Taylor (Richard Harrington). The day before the collision she had met with him outside the offices of The Guardian believing him to be a journalist. He is the one who persuaded her to get the documents from HDC. And he is shocked to find that the police now have them. Jane Tarrant’s boyfriend arrives home with potential dates for their wedding, Jane wants to talk to him about it, but before she has the chance, he dashes off to book the registry office – Jane feels trapped. Tolin visits the scene of the accident and RCIT arrange for the A12 to be closed down. As they pass through the collision site Tolin visualises the accident as if it was happening before him. Ann points out that Gareth’s reactions were slow; he should have had time to stop. That’s the trigger Tolin needs, suddenly Gareth’s part in this accident makes sense to him. The site of the collision has affected Tolin more than he thought it would and Ann takes him to the service station for a cup of tea. As they leave, Richard Reeves walks in. He has come to thank Jane for helping him, the day of the collision. There is an unmistakable attraction between them and Richard asks Jane out for a drink. Sifting through the forensic evidence Tolin discovers the remains of a joint – Gareth and Alice had been smoking it when the police tried to pull them over, this is why the windows were open, the air-conditioning on and Gareth’s reactions were slow. Tolin confronts Gareth in his flat. He breaks down – what could he tell Alice’s dad – she meant everything to him. Alice’s dad was angry, he wanted someone to blame. Tolin understands his grief, but leaves him in no doubt that he will not be able to take the law suit any further. When Tolin leaves the flat he realises his car has been broken into and Karen Donnelly’s documents have been stolen. Tolin goes to the hospital to speak to her, but to his surprise finds that she has discharged herself. Tolin runs from the hospital trying to catch up with her, but he is too late, she is already being driven off by two mysterious men. |