Gym-collapse man thanks heroes who saved him
A ‘STUPID and reckless’ lorry driver killed a decorated Army veteran and seriously injured his wife when he sped through a red light while checking his Amazon account.
Mark Byrne MBE, 58, and wife Julie were travelling along the East Lancashire Road on January 21 when their Toyota Corolla was crushed by a lorry being driven at 49mph.
Florin Solomon, 29, was jailed for four-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The couple were returning to their home from a medical appointment in Leigh when the lorry hurtled into Mr Byrne’s side of the car as he was behind the wheel, moving off from a traffic light at the junction with Atherleigh Way.
Mrs Byrne, the front-seat passenger, told of the terrifying moment the car was struck by the lorry, at around 10.20am.
In a statement read out at Bolton Crown Court, sitting at Manchester Crown Court, Mrs Byrne said: “I looked up and I saw the lorry, it was so close I could see the whole front of it. I screamed ‘it’s a lorry, it’s a lorry!’”
Dad-of-three and grandad Mr Byrne was pronounced dead at the scene, despite the best efforts of paramedics, and his wife was knocked unconscious and woke up in extreme pain, still trapped in the car.
She said: “I was in a lot of pain, I was scared. I tried to turn to Mark but a man said ‘keep your head still’ so I tried grabbing his clothes and shouting his name. I did not understand why he was not answering. I did not know he was dead.”
A MAN has thanked the air ambulance team who saved his life when he collapsed at a gym.
Mike Bray, 48, from Salford, suffered a blocked artery while he was training last year but was lucky that a crew were able to reach him quickly and revive him at the scene.
He was taken to hospital and had to undergo emergency surgery but
Solomon was delivering a shipment of fruit and vegetables.
He drove straight through a red light, which had turned from green to red 11 seconds before the crash as evidenced on CCTV, prosecutor David Lees said.
As little as three seconds before impact, Solomon had been checking his Amazon account on his phone.
Mr Lees said: “There was no apparent effort to stop. He was driving at 49mph when the collision occurred. The lights were on red when he passed them and had been for some time. The light had been showing red for at least eight seconds and three seconds turning amber.”
Mrs Byrne had to be cut from the car by firefighters and was rushed to the major trauma unit at Salford Royal Hospital. She suffered a fractured sternum – an inoperable injury that left her ‘unable to talk for longer than a minute’ in the aftermath of the crash. She said: “The pain was horrendous, it was the worst pain I have ever felt. It felt like someone was ripping my chest in half.”
The tragedy has left the family, from fortunately survived the episode.
Now, the North West Air Ambulance is celebrating its 21st anniversary and Mr Bray is urging people to help the charity, which is supported by donations from the public. “I am so lucky to be here, and I can’t thank the people who helped me that day enough,” he said.
“Without the effort of the air
Warrington, broken with grief and struggling financially, the court heard. Childhood sweethearts Mr and Mrs Byrne had three children, Samantha, Cheryl and Craig, and were stationed in Germany during the 1990s, and the couple embarked on a life devoted to charity work, particularly through their church.
Their main charitable endeavour was taking care of Belorussian children who were victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster – together they raised thousands of pounds for aid to the region.
In 2003, Mr Byrne was awarded an MBE in recognition of his service to his country and charity work.
Mr Byrne retired as a sergeant and the family returned home to the UK. Mrs Byrne said: “We did everything together. I have lost my soulmate, lover, companion, helper, carer and best friend. I have lost my lifestyle, I have lost my home and I have lost interest in many of my hobbies.”
She said she has had to leave the three-bedroom family home she shared with her husband to a ‘back bedroom’ in her father’s house – an elderly man who now has to look after his daughter as she needs help with everyday tasks.
Solomon, a Romanian national of Lansdowne Walk in Worcester, had clean driving licences in the UK, Romania and Italy. The agency he drove for even asked him to train other drivers, the court heard.
Rebecca Caulfield, defending, said: “Mr Solomon is distraught and feels remorse for his actions.”
He was disqualified from driving for five years and 11 months and faces an extended retest after his disqualification. Judge Graeme Smith told Solomon: “It was your own stupidity and recklessness that led to the accident.” ambulance – and my physiotherapist, who gave me CPR – I wouldn’t be here. I couldn’t believe it when I found out that it’s a charity, and as soon as I was discharged, I knew I had to support them. I’ve actually now met the team who helped me that day, which was really emotional. They’re unbelievable people and deserve so much recognition for what they do.”