How a fatal crash happened on a smart motorway
Summary
A fatal crash occurred on the M4 motorway in the UK when a car lost power and was stranded in a live lane without a protective shoulder. Despite passing several potential warning signs, a van crashed into the car, resulting in the death of a passenger. Barry O'Sullivan, the van driver, was found guilty of causing death by careless driving, though he argued that a failure in smart motorway technology contributed to the crash.Key Facts
- The accident happened on March 7, 2022, on the M4 motorway near Reading, UK.
- The Nissan Micra's engine failed, leaving it stranded in a live lane for nearly six minutes.
- 35 cars passed without collision before a van driven by Barry O'Sullivan hit the Nissan.
- Pulvinder Dhillon, a passenger in the Nissan, died in the crash.
- O'Sullivan drove at about 77 mph when the crash occurred and was not wearing a seatbelt.
- National Highways had been aware of a technology failure on this section of the motorway before the incident.
- O'Sullivan claimed the smart motorway's warning system failure led to the crash.
- Despite technology arguments, a jury found O'Sullivan guilty of death by careless driving.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.