Nurses died in 'horrendous' crash
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A LORRY driver killed five people when his truck ploughed into a car full of nurses just before roadworks on the M50, a court was told yesterday, writes David Thomas.
Peter Young, 47, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, was trying to 'jump the queue' by switching from the centre lane into the inside lane before it was closed, it was alleged at Hereford Crown Court.
But the four-ton Volvo lorry, travelling at 61mph, crashed into the back of the nurses' Ford Fiesta, moving at 15mph between the 800- and 600-yard road work warning signs, Graham Cliff, for the prosecution, told the court.
He said: 'For some reason Mr Young didn't brake. His Volvo ploughed into the Ford Fiesta, crushing it. It rode up over it and drove along the motorway with that car underneath it.'
He said the impact pushed the car into a Ford Sierra in front and caused a six-vehicle pile-up on the east-bound carriageway near Tewkesbury, on 14 July last year.
All the nurses and a passenger in the Sierra died at the scene.
Mr Cliff said Mr Young, who denies five charges of causing death by dangerous driving, had begun work late because he overslept and was further delayed by traffic jams. The crash happened as he headed home in the afternoon. He said Mr Young was 'in a hurry, seeking to make up a little bit of time'. He said he overtook three lorries, then 'instead of waiting to go through the lane closure, he was trying to jump the queue . . . He was trying to cut up on the inside of slow moving traffic. It led to a horrendous collision.'
The nurses, who worked at the Bupa South Bank Hospital in Worcester and were returning from a training day in Cardiff, were Corrie Howard, 32, Pauline Edwards, 45, Liz Crooks, 46, and Sheila Corbett, 48, all from Worcestershire.
The victim in the Sierra, who was returning from holiday in South Wales, was Elizabeth Cruickshanks, 61, of Strathclyde.
The case continues.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments