A lorry driver left two men dead as he tried to take a ‘short cut’ by doing a u-turn across a dual carriageway at an accident black spot, a jury has been told.
Brian Coleman, of Cornflower Close, Calne, pulled out in front of following vehicles as he tried to go from the northbound to the southbound side of the A350 between Chippenham and the M4.
But the recycling lorry, which was due to make a pick up across the road, was struck by a Transit van which was heading towards the motorway, killing the occupants.
Coleman admitted causing the deaths of Gareth Jones, 26, and Philip Wicks, 30, by careless driving, the jury at Swindon Crown Court was told But the 59-year-old is facing trial on the more serious charges of death by dangerous driving, which he has denied.
Ian Lawrie QC, prosecuting, said the accident happened shortly after 7am on Thursday July 29 last year.
The large red Hill’s Recycling lorry had just completed the collection from a couple of house on the northbound side of the A350, he said, and had to go across the road.
He said the driver could go up to the motorway junction and round the roundabout, which would have taken a few minutes, or through a gap in the central reservation.
“Mr Coleman chose to take effectively a short cut,” Mr Lawrie QC told the court.
The lorry had been in a lay-by close to the gap, which he was perfectly entitled to go through, before the accident happened.
The van and a car behind it were heading towards the motorway at between 70mph and 80mph when Coleman pulled out, the court was told.
Although the lorry driver had seen them when he moved off Mr Lawrie said he appeared to have not checked as he moved into lane one then lane two as he went over the road.
As a consequence the van smashed into the rear of the lorry and the Renault Megane, which was behind, hit the Transit before ending up in the lay by.
Simon Stickland, who was driving the Megane, told the court how he saw the lorry pull out in front of the van, which tried and failed to avoid it.
“It was moving across both lanes; it started in lane one but it was moving into lane two,” he said.
“It was perpendicular to our direction of travel, it was clear it was travelling across the carriageway to go to the southbound carriageway.”
He said he was in lane two and slammed on his brakes and the van, which was in lane one, moved across in front of him as it appeared to be trying to get round the lorry.
The van smashed into the lorry, which ended up on its side, and Mr Stickland’s car hit the Transit and was deflected into the lay by.
Under cross examination from Luke Blackburn, defending, he said he did not see if the van’s brake lights came on or if the lorry indicated.
Lance Jordan, who was driving behind them, said he too hadn’t seen if the lights came on either vehicle.
He said he thought the lorry was ‘struggling to complete its turn,’ as it crossed the road.
The court heard both men suffered serious head injuries and Mr Jones, of Calne, who was driving, died soon after the crash at the Great Western Hospital, Swindon.
His boss Mr Wicks, of Southmead, Chippenham, lost his battle for life at the John Radcliffe Hospital on Oxford five months later.
Coleman pleaded not guilty to two counts of death by dangerous driving. The case continues.
source: gazetteandherald.co.uk
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