This is Bristol -- DRIVERS crashed "like pinballs in a machine" as dense smoke from a firework display mixed with fog on the M5 during a crash which killed seven people, a court heard. A survivor of the carnage, which also left 51 people injured, told Bristol Crown Court today that he feared the next impact would kill him as he rebounded in the blinding cloud. Dozens of cars, vans and lorries collided - some bursting into flames - in one of the worst traffic accidents ever seen in the UK, in November 2011. Lorry driver Terry Brice, 55, from Patchway, was among those killed. Geoffrey Counsell, 51, is accused of health and safety breaches over the huge display he organised at nearby Taunton Rugby Club, where around 1,500 fireworks were fired in 15 minutes. He denies a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act of failing to ensure the safety of others. Witness Steven Kingsland, 52, of Axbridge, told the court he was driving his silver Ford Galaxy north on the motorway when he found himself caught in the mayhem. He said: "Within a fraction of a second of passing junction 25 my windscreen went completely white, as if a blanket had been thrown over it - it was like a thick layer of snow. "All I could focus on was the inside of the glass and the interior of my car reflecting on it. "I was taken by surprise and before I had time to activate my fog lights or my hazard lights the fog began thinning. "I could see three sets of brake lights directly in front of me, on the near side and the off side, and immediately I thought I was going to hit the vehicle in front so I braked as hard as I could. "I can't exactly remember what happened next. I was hit several times, at least four or five. "I was so scared. I felt the next hit was going to kill me and I felt very vulnerable. "The only thing I can liken it to is being a pinball in a machine." In a statement read to the court, TNT lorry driver Perry Mead said he could hear sounds from the firework display by the side of the motorway as he entered the smoke. He said: "I could hear sounds of cheering and music like a fairground off to the left. "There was no visibility at all, so I began to brake heavily, just waiting for when I would hit something. I felt that at any point something would appear in front of me. "I couldn't hear the sounds of any vehicle skidding, it seemed as if the vehicles were crashing without braking." Matthew Craker, of Devon, was a passenger in his wife's white Renault Traffic van which pulled on to the motorway seconds before the smoke descended. He told the court: "There was a clear difference between what was perfect nighttime visibility and then a completely blackout. "It is something that I have never experienced before in driving and it was literally like somebody had thrown a bag over my head." His wife Michelle added: "I was following a car in front of me and I could see the brake lights clearly. "Then suddenly they just went out. I couldn't see the road surface, I couldn't see the cats eyes, nothing. "My headlights were on but at that point they didn't shine on anything. "I braked, we didn't swerve, we just hit whatever was in front of us. I couldn't see what it was I had gone into. "We felt like we were still moving, and we got hit almost immediately by something behind, probably about two seconds later. Then there were further collisions." Susan Crowle, who was a passenger in her husband's car, told the court: "There was absolutely no visibility, it was very dense, you couldn't see anything. It was very frightening.""We were probably in it five to seven seconds, it was all very quick. My husband slowed down very quickly. "That was quite scary too, we went from doing 60 to 70mph to 20 to 30mph. "You couldn't see anything outside. It was very dense and black. There was no visibility or lights of other cars." Her husband Stephen said: "I saw fireworks to my left, there were some very large ones which I would assume were from a professional display. "Suddenly we hit what I consider a black wall. Visibility dropped dramatically from an estimated 200m to virtually nothing. "Thankfully there was very little traffic around me." The trial continues.
Reported by This is 2 hours ago.
This is Bristol -- DRIVERS crashed "like pinballs in a machine" as dense smoke from a firework display mixed with fog on the M5 during a crash which killed seven people, a court heard. A survivor of the carnage, which also left 51 people injured, told Bristol Crown Court today that he feared the next impact would kill him as he rebounded in the blinding cloud. Dozens of cars, vans and lorries collided - some bursting into flames - in one of the worst traffic accidents ever seen in the UK, in November 2011. Lorry driver Terry Brice, 55, from Patchway, was among those killed. Geoffrey Counsell, 51, is accused of health and safety breaches over the huge display he organised at nearby Taunton Rugby Club, where around 1,500 fireworks were fired in 15 minutes. He denies a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act of failing to ensure the safety of others. Witness Steven Kingsland, 52, of Axbridge, told the court he was driving his silver Ford Galaxy north on the motorway when he found himself caught in the mayhem. He said: "Within a fraction of a second of passing junction 25 my windscreen went completely white, as if a blanket had been thrown over it - it was like a thick layer of snow. "All I could focus on was the inside of the glass and the interior of my car reflecting on it. "I was taken by surprise and before I had time to activate my fog lights or my hazard lights the fog began thinning. "I could see three sets of brake lights directly in front of me, on the near side and the off side, and immediately I thought I was going to hit the vehicle in front so I braked as hard as I could. "I can't exactly remember what happened next. I was hit several times, at least four or five. "I was so scared. I felt the next hit was going to kill me and I felt very vulnerable. "The only thing I can liken it to is being a pinball in a machine." In a statement read to the court, TNT lorry driver Perry Mead said he could hear sounds from the firework display by the side of the motorway as he entered the smoke. He said: "I could hear sounds of cheering and music like a fairground off to the left. "There was no visibility at all, so I began to brake heavily, just waiting for when I would hit something. I felt that at any point something would appear in front of me. "I couldn't hear the sounds of any vehicle skidding, it seemed as if the vehicles were crashing without braking." Matthew Craker, of Devon, was a passenger in his wife's white Renault Traffic van which pulled on to the motorway seconds before the smoke descended. He told the court: "There was a clear difference between what was perfect nighttime visibility and then a completely blackout. "It is something that I have never experienced before in driving and it was literally like somebody had thrown a bag over my head." His wife Michelle added: "I was following a car in front of me and I could see the brake lights clearly. "Then suddenly they just went out. I couldn't see the road surface, I couldn't see the cats eyes, nothing. "My headlights were on but at that point they didn't shine on anything. "I braked, we didn't swerve, we just hit whatever was in front of us. I couldn't see what it was I had gone into. "We felt like we were still moving, and we got hit almost immediately by something behind, probably about two seconds later. Then there were further collisions." Susan Crowle, who was a passenger in her husband's car, told the court: "There was absolutely no visibility, it was very dense, you couldn't see anything. It was very frightening.""We were probably in it five to seven seconds, it was all very quick. My husband slowed down very quickly. "That was quite scary too, we went from doing 60 to 70mph to 20 to 30mph. "You couldn't see anything outside. It was very dense and black. There was no visibility or lights of other cars." Her husband Stephen said: "I saw fireworks to my left, there were some very large ones which I would assume were from a professional display. "Suddenly we hit what I consider a black wall. Visibility dropped dramatically from an estimated 200m to virtually nothing. "Thankfully there was very little traffic around me." The trial continues.
Reported by This is 2 hours ago.
This is North Devon -- POLICE and fire crews were called to a crash in Holsworthy this evening. Police went to Crosspark Cross near Holsworthy at 7.45pm after receiving a call to say that a car had been involved in a collision. Once police were at the scene, they called for assistance from fire crews as there had been a fuel spillage on the road following the crash. Fire crews made the vehicle safe and used an environmental kit to mop up the fuel spillage. It is not yet known if anyone was injured in the incident.
Reported by This is 1 hour ago.
This is Scunthorpe -- An ex-SAS officer is beginning to show signs of improvement after being flown to Scunthorpe General Hospital from Thailand with severe head injuries. North Lincolnshire-based Amvale flew Stuart Kyffin back to the UK following a major fundraising campaign, which hit the £100,000 target needed to safely transport him. Stuart was involved in a serious motorbike accident in Thailand on October 4, suffering severe head and brain trauma, and was in a coma. Stuart was flown back to Scunthorpe General Hospital on Sunday night after receiving an anonymous £50,000 donation, which meant the £100,000 mark – which was needed to help bring Stuart back and receive treatment – had been passed. And since being admitted to Scunthorpe General Hospital, Stuart has already shown signs of improvement. His brother, Dave Kyffin, who supplied the picture of Stuart in Scunthorpe General, said: "The hospital did all the necessary checks after cleaning him from head to toe, and have been fantastic. "We weren't expecting any response for the first 24 hours as he had been sedated for the journey. But he started showing signs of improvement very quickly. He was moving his eyes and hands, and even opened his eyes when someone spoke to him, moving his head off the pillow as well. "The doctors say it is a remarkable thing. The neurosurgeon still has to see him this week, then we can see fully where he is with his recovery." Stuart is is a Veteran of H.M. Forces (Army) and gave 20 years' service to Queen and county, serving 10 of those with the SAS. To donate to Stuart Kyffin's cause, go to www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/medevac-for-stu/96395 Brain-damaged ex-SAS officer Stuart Kyffin flown to Scunthorpe General after Thailand bike crash Remarkable four stage operation to fly crash victim Stuart Kyffin from Thailand to UK
Reported by This is 16 hours ago.
This is Hull and East Riding -- THREE factory workers, believed to be from the Hull area, have been killed in a car crash near Wetwang. North Yorkshire Police have not named the three people, who were travelling in a Ford Focus which was involved in a crash with a Citroen Relay van shortly after 6am this morning. However, they are thought to be from Hull and working for the Karro Food Group. Another two people from the same car were injured along with the van driver. The crash happened on the B1248 between Wetwang and Norton, in the Wharram area. The vehicles were travelling in opposite directions. Charles Pascall, HR director at the Karro Food Group, said: "We are extremely saddened to hear about the road accident this morning, in which three of our colleagues were fatally injured. "Our thoughts go out to their families at this awful time and we are offering support to those families and to the colleagues of those who died. "We are assisting the police in any way possible with their enquiries into the cause of the incident." There were five people in the car which was travelling towards Malton to work at the bacon factory, now operated by the Karro Food Group. Three were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the van has also been taken to hospital. At the scene a police spokesman said: "It is a very difficult scene to be present at. We are dealing with the situation in the most sensitive manner we can in the circumstances. "We are asking members of the public who saw these vehicles to come forward." Anyone with information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and pass information to the force control room.
Reported by This is 11 hours ago.
This is Exeter -- DETAILS of the funeral for an Exeter sapper who was killed in a car crash earlier this month have been announced. Sapper Kieron Blight, 19, of 26 Engineer Regiment will have a funeral with full military honours. It will be held at St. James Church, Dry Lane, Christow, near Exeter on Tuesday, December 3 at 12noon. This will be followed by a private cremation in Exeter. At the time of his death, tributes poured in for the soldier "of huge promise" who died in a car crash in Wiltshire. An Armoured Engineer, he was a passenger in a Mazda X5 convertible which hit the kerb and overturned before colliding with a tree at around 6.30pm on Monday, November 11. He leaves grieving parents Stephen and Mandy, who live at Bridford, sister Hayley, and his beloved girlfriend Emily. His commanding officer at 26 Engineer Regiment,Lieutenant Colonel John Ridge, said: "If you were to sit down and list the qualities required of the perfect sapper, they would sum up what we had in Sapper Kieron Blight. He was keen, professional, courteous and bright. "Above all, he loved his armoured engineer trade. During our recent deployment to Canada, whenever he got the chance, he would race off to clamber all over our tanks and chat to his fellow crewmen: anything to learn more about armour and how to get the best from it. Canada was his first big exercise, but it was already clear that he had huge promise, so much so that he had recently been selected to attend training to be a Junior Non Commissioned Officer. "Despite his young age and boyish looks, his maturity and professionalism made him naturally respected amongst his peers. I have no doubt that he would have been a Lance Corporal before most of them.""We are all shocked by his death, but know how little our loss compares to that of his parents Stephen and Mandy, his sister Hayley, and his beloved girlfriend Emily."
Reported by This is 9 hours ago.
This is Nottingham -- THREE people were taken to hospital after a crash in Beeston today. The smash involved four vehicles, including BMW and Hyundai cars. It happened at 12.40pm at the junction of Station Road and Queen's Road. A police spokesman said none of the injuries were life-threatening and that the people were taken to hospital as a precaution. The road has been closed while police clear the scene.
Reported by This is 8 hours ago.
This is Bristol -- POLICE report that a crash involving a car and a lorry on the eastbound M4 has left a lane blocked and traffic queuing. The accident is affecting traffic approaching Bristol between the Severn crossings and the Almondsbury Interchange with the M5. Drivers are being warned to beware of slabs of concrete in the road on the northbound M5 between the Aztec West junction with the A38 and the Almondsbury Interchange with the M4. The Highways Agency says the debris is on the northbound exit sliproad for traffic heading from the M5 to the M4 and warns drivers to expect delays of 10 minutes. The agency is also reporting delays of up to 45 minutes for drivers approaching the Clevedon junction on the southbound M5 because of an earlier accident. The BBC reports delays on the A38 near Bristol airport because of a five-vehicle accident. There are also long hold-ups for drivers approaching roadworks in Bristol at the Filton Road/Toronto Road junction in Horfield and the Victoria Street/Counterslip junction in the city centre.
Reported by This is 6 hours ago.
This is Hull and East Riding -- POLICE have confirmed a woman and two men were killed at a crash near Wetwang this morning as they travelled to work. The three, pronounced dead at the scene, have not been named as officers notify next of kin. It is thought the victims were all food factory workers from the Hull area. The Ford Focus they were travelling in was involved in a crash with a white Citroen van along the B1248 between Wetwang and Malton at 6.08am this morning. Three people in the Focus died at the scene. The other two men, in their 30s, have been taken to Hull Royal Infirmary with serious injuries. The 48-year-old man, who was the sole occupant of the van travelling in the opposite direction, was taken to York District Hospital with serious injuries. The road was closed to allow recovery of the casualties, to enable collision investigators to examine the scene and recover the vehicles. The road reopened shortly after 4.30pm. A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "Police are appealing for anyone who was travelling along the B1248 between Wetwang and Malton at around 6am and saw either of the vehicles prior to the collision, or witnessed the actual crash, to come forward." Anyone with information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and pass information to the force control room, quoting 0052 of November 27. Updated 5.40pm
Reported by This is 5 hours ago.