ex-soldier is killed in motorway horror
Driver hit by car travelling in wrong direction
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former soldier killed when a car travelling the wrong way along a motorway smashed into his vehicle. Stuart Richards (pictured above), from Stockport, died after his Ford Mondeo was hit by a Subaru Forester towing a caravan.
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former soldier who was killed when a car travelled the wrong way along a motorway and smashed into his vehicle.
Stuart Richards, from Stockport, died after a Subaru Forester towing a caravan crashed into his Ford Mondeo on the M40 on Monday.
Two people in the Subaru also died. The pair, who were in their eighties, have not yet been formally identified.
Mr Richards’ former boss paid tribute to him, saying his colleagues were ‘shocked and saddened.’
The 32-year-old worked as a health and safety officer at Emerson Group in the town. Before that, he worked at Persimmon Homes.
Mark Cook, regional managing director of Persimmon Homes North West, said: “Stuart only worked with us for a short time, but everyone in the team is shocked and saddened by this tragic news. Our thoughts are with his family.”
According to Mr Richards’ Linkedin profile, he served in the British Army for nine years before working as a health and safety officer. His latest role was as a candidate support manager, recruiting solders and mentoring candidates.
Police were called at 4pm to the M40 to reports that the Subaru Forester was travelling in the wrong direction down the northbound carriageway of the motorway. A few minutes later, the car crashed into the Ford Mondeo driven by Mr Richards and a Ford Focus, near Junction 6.
Thames Valley Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct – the police watchdog – as the Subaru had been in a crash just days earlier.
A spokesman for the force said: “Thames Valley Police has made a mandatory referral to the IOPC in relation to the fatal collision, due to previous police contact.
“On 10 October this year in High Wycombe, a report of a damage-only road traffic collision involving the Subaru Forester was made to the force. The IOPC will now make a decision as to whether they will carry out an investigation.”
Sergeant Beth Walton, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit of Thames Valley Police, said: “We are in the early stages of the investigation, in which sadly three people died, and our thoughts are with their families.
“We are in the process of contacting witnesses who provided a report to us and are grateful for their support.
“I would ask anyone who has footage not to share it and to remove it from social media out of respect for the families and friends of the people who died.”
A number of people who witnessed the Subaru being driven in the wrong direction described what happened on Twitter.
Oliver Hayes wrote: “We also had to swerve, seemed at least 70mph driving head on in our lane at junction 8... did not look accidental.
“Called the police who said they’d had multiple calls by that time. Scary stuff hope no fatalities but looked inevitable the way they were driving.”