Live blogging from the scene of two serious crashes five days apart
I am one of the most trusted reporters in the newsroom to be dispatched to the scene of a live incident. During my time at EssexLive, I have attended some of the most serious crime scenes in the county, as well as serious collisions like the two I attended in the space of five days on Crow Lane, Romford in November last year.
How I conduct myself at the scene of an incident:
Each incident varies, but the way I operate at a live scene largely remains the same. I introduce myself to emergency service personnel on the ground, particularly police officers. This is courteous and it allows me to do my job without being interrupted. I then start by getting pictures and video of the scene to feed back to the newsroom before trying to find eyewitnesses, usually by door-knocking. I believe my confidence and friendly personality ensures I am approachable, and as a result people feel comfortable in my presence. This is essential while engaging with eyewitnesses, especially if they have seen a particularly distressing event.
On November 14, 2019, a tweet from Greater Anglia alerted us of an incident in Romford. I contacted the London Ambulance Service and the Metropolitan Police press office for a statement. When police confirmed the road was closed in both directions and a woman and young child had been injured, I was dispatched to the scene.
When I arrived I made myself known, got pictures and video footage and started looking for eyewitnesses. I door-knocked the residents closest to the cordon, none of whom recalled seeing or hearing the crash. Some residents believed a bus may have been involved. The only person on the bus was the driver, a lady called Denise Batchelor. I asked her what she knew about the incident and she described seeing ‘someone fly over the fence onto the tracks’ following a collision. Based on Denise’s detailed and shocking eyewitness account, my colleagues back at the office published a breakout, leading with the new information she had provided.
How well the stories did for our site:
The live blog generated 19,367 page views, while the break out had 16,744, leaving a combined total of more than 25,000 page views. MyLondon was also live blogging the latest updates on the collision based on my updates, and they also republished my eyewitness breakout.
Just five days after that crash, a second serious collision happened on the same road and I was again dispatched to the scene.
Story link: Live Romford Crow Lane: Royal Mail worker in critical condition and another injured in crash
I managed to find a couple of residents who heard the crash, and given it happened so soon after the first incident it became clear that there was an underlying concern about the road’s safety. So while there, I spoke to as many residents as possible to find out their specific concerns. By doing so, I was able to run a follow-up story delving deeper into why Crow Lane had become known for being particularly dangerous.
Story link: Residents call for action after two serious crashes on major Romford road in space of five days
I combined the testimony of the residents who live there along with the background information on the two crashes for the follow-up story. I also spoke to local Councillor Timothy Ryan and Havering Council also provided a comment.
I made our site the go-to place for updates on both incidents, beating our rivals, the Romford Recorder, with the best eyewitness testimony.
How well the stories did for our site:
The live blog had 22,464 page views while the follow-up piece had 2,055 page views, making for a combined total of just under 25,000 page views.
Paige Ingram’s Certificate of Journalism Portfolio 