M6 lorry driver admits killing nurse in smash
A‘CARELESS’ lorry driver has admitted killing a nurse who was crushed to death during a horror smash on the M6.
Robert Ward was travelling along the northbound stretch of the motorway when he moved into the nearside lane where ‘crawling’ traffic was building.
He failed to properly check it was safe to manoeuvre his HGV and was met with stationary traffic he had not anticipated.
Despite slamming on his brakes, mother-of-two Victoria Kavanagh’s Citroen C1 was ‘sandwiched’ between Ward’s truck and another lorry.
She died at the scene in the Black Country, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
Ward initially denied he was responsible for the 41-year-old’s death But on Wednesday he changed his plea part-way through his trial.
He pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.
Judge John Butterfield said he will be sentenced next month and handed Ward an interim driving ban.
The judge said: “However he attended [the court today], he is not to drive back. He is disqualified from this moment onwards.”
Ms Kavanagh, from Oldbury, was killed when Ward’s lorry smashed into her with ‘tremendous force’ during the three-vehicle crash on July 27, 2020.
On the first day of the trial, prosecutor Daniel Oscroft told how Ward was travelling between junction 9 for Wednesbury and junction 10 for Walsall.
Ward was driving in the lane to the right of the hard shoulder moments before the collision, which took place at about 8.45am.
Ms Kavanagh was driving in front
of him, while another HGV was ahead of her.
Ward pulled across to the hard shoulder as he approached the exit for junction 10, driving at 50mph.
But he had been ‘too close’ to another lorry in front so could not see the stationary traffic building near the slip road or Ms Kavanagh’s car just 20 to 30m in front of him.
Jurors heard how Ward had manoeuvered his truck before being able to ‘clearly’ see traffic building ahead.
The defendant, of Croft Street, Willenhall, tried to slow down after moving into the lane but did not have enough time to safely stop.
He smashed into the back of Ms Kavangh’s car with ‘tremendous force’ even though he was moving at just 18mph at the time of the collision.
Mr Oscroft said: “Because she was in queuing traffic behind another HGV, she had nowhere to go. Her car was forced straight into the back of the other man’s HGV.
“Ms Kavangh’s car was completely crushed and she died there at the scene.” He added: “The cause of her death was directly as a result of an accident that was caused by Ward.
“The charge is that he did not show due care and attention.”