Lorry drivers jailed over pile-up that killed eight people

Two lorry drivers have been jailed for causing a pile-up that killed eight people in a minibus.

Lorry driver Ryszard Masierak, 31, has been jailed at Aylesbury Crown Court for 14 years for causing a crash that killed eight people and seriously injured four others on the M1 on August 26 last year. 

Another trucker, Fed Ex driver David Wagstaff, 54, was jailed for three years and four months for his role in the crash.  

Ryszard Masierak (left) pulled his lorry onto the hard shoulder for a rest while he was over the drink-drive limit. David Wagstaff (right) was on his phone when he ploughed into the back of it

Pictures taken after the crash show Wagstaff’s mangled lorry on the M1 in Buckinghamshire

A minibus driven by Cyriac Joseph was crushed between their two vehicles when Masierak came to a complete stop in the slow lane while twice the legal limit.

Wagstaff had his vehicle on cruise control and was chatting on his hands-free set when he ploughed into the back of the minibus at 56mph, forcing it under Masierak’s lorry.

Six men and two women including Mr Joseph were killed in the smash, while four others including a four-year-old girl were seriously injured.

The remaining five deceased were named as Panneerselvam Annamalai, Rishi Ranjeev Kumar, Vivek Baskaran, Lavanyalakshmi Seetharaman, Karthikeyan Pugalur Ramasubramanian, Subramaniyan Arachelvan and Tamilmani Arachelvan.

They had been on their way from Nottingham to London to catch a coach to Disneyland. The crash happened near Newport Pagnell.

Polish national Masierak, of Evesham, Worcestershire, had been stationary in the slow line for more than 12 minutes, despite miles of hard shoulder being available to him.

Karthikeyan Pugalur Ramasubramanian (left), 33, and wife Lavanyalakshmi Seetharaman (right), 32, from the city of Chennai, in south east India, were one of the couples who died

Vivek Baskaran (left), 26, also died in the crash along with the minibus driver Cyriac Joseph (right), 52, the owner of Nottingham-based ABC Travels

At trial, it emerged he did not have a professional licence after it was revoked by the authorities.

Maseriak was convicted of eight counts of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after trial at Reading Crown Court.

Wagstaff would have had the obstruction ahead in his sight for nine seconds but did not brake or try to turn the wheel before the crash.

Wagstaff, from Stoke, admitted eight counts of causing death by careless driving and four counts of careless driving, but was cleared of more serious charges of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk