[A] PERSON wearing high visibility clothing was seen “being thrown into the air” as a vehicle ploughed into two highways workers beside the M6, a court has heard.
Traffic officer Adam Gibb was killed and his colleague Paul Holroyd left permanently paralysed from the chest down when they were struck by a black Mercedes ML 4×4 while standing on the hard shoulder south of Tebay last February. They were watching over the recovery of two previously-crashed motorway vehicles at around 12-10pm.
The Mercedes driver, 37-year-old football agent Peter Morrison, is on trial at Carlisle Crown Court. He admits his careless driving caused both Mr Gibb’s death and Mr Holroyd’s serious injury. But Morrison, of The Warke, Worsley, Manchester, denies two charges which allege dangerous driving.
On day three of the trial today (WED), a statement provided by BMW X5 driver Peter Needen was read to jurors.
Mr Needen – like Morrison – was travelling south on the M6 at the time in wet and windy weather conditions. In his statement, Mr Needen recalled watching as a black Mercedes, in a “split second”, “lost control and veered” from lane three across the carriageway and on to the hard shoulder.
“I believe I saw a person in high visibility clothing being thrown into the air during the collision,” he stated.
The trial continues.
