Horrifying moment coach careers into car which killed three people

Staff reporter(wp/es):

This is the horrific moment a coach crashes into the back of a car in a high speed crash in which three people died. 

The chilling footage, released by police, shows the double-decker coach craeer into the back of a car which was pulled over on the hard shoulder of the M1.

Allan Evans 59, from Islington, Tom Aldridge, 20, and Nathan Reeves, 23, both from Newport Pagnell, were killed when the coach carrying cheerleaders crashed into their car early on Valentines day 2015.

Coach driver Alan Peters, now 78, from Gravesend, was convicted after a court heard that he “consistently ignored” signs stating the hard shoulder was only to be used in emergencies.

A fourth man, Jake Dorling, suffered serious injuries in the collision including a fractured skull and a punctured lung. 

Jake, Tom, and Nathan were being given a lift back to Buckinghamshire by Allan following a night out in London when the “tragic” incident happened. 

They had pulled onto the hard shoulder after the car's oil light came on and were about to re-enter the motorway when Peters crashed into them.

The jury heard how Peters failed to see signs saying that the hard shoulder was not to be used except for in emergencies and travelled along it for almost three minutes before colliding with the car – which had its hazard warning lights activated. 

The Crown Prosecution Service also told the court that he had been driving along the hard shoulder for three minutes prior to the collision.

The car had been visible for almost a minute before the crash but he only applied brakes 0.4 seconds before impact.

Peters pleaded guilty to causing the deaths by careless driving, but his pleas were not accepted and, on Wednesday, he was found guilty of three counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

PC David Clarke, of the Bedfordshire Forensic Collisions Investigation Unit, said: “This was an utterly devastating incident which resulted in three innocent men having their lives cut short. 

“What makes this even more tragic is that the collision was completely avoidable. 

“Peters consistently ignored signs saying that the hard shoulder was for emergencies only and also had ample time in which to see the car and move to a different lane. 

“His lack of attentiveness on that fatal morning has forever changed the lives of four families and Peters will have to live with that for the rest of his life.”

A statement written on behalf the families said: “The loss of Tom, Nathan and Alan, due to the actions of Mr Peters, has dealt a devastating blow to our families, a blow from which we will never fully recover. 

“Nothing can ever make up for the heartache caused by events on that day, but we hope that this incident will act as a reminder to all other drivers to pay attention to the road at all time.”

Peters will be sentenced in December.