Coach driver had ‘no time to avoid crash’
9:11am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in News
A COACH driver told a court he had no time to avoid a fatal crash when a car turned right in front of him on Blackrod bypass.
Kevin Morton told Bolton Crown Court that on the night of September 13, 2009, he was dropping off passengers who had booked a London trip with the Liverpool-based Home James company he worked for.
Mr Morton said he was on the A6 heading towards Chorley, travelling at about 40mph, but slowing down as he approached the junction with Station Road when he saw the traffic lights on red and a car waiting at the lights heading in the opposite direction.
As he approached, the lights turned to green and Mr Morton said he started to accelerate again, but as he got to the junction the car, driven by Jordan Clayton, turned right in from of him, ignoring several no-right turn signs.
“The passengers on the coach said ‘we’re going to hit it’ but I had already applied my brakes,” said Mr Morton.
He told a jury that he could not have swerved to avoid the collision as it would have tipped the coach over.
He also denied defence suggestions that he may have been using a mobile phone while driving minutes before the accident and could have been distracted.
Two of Clayton’s passengers, Jade Pickering and Tia Guye, both aged 16, were killed.
A third girl, Laurie Graham, now aged 18, escaped with minor injuries.
Clayton, aged 20, of Chorley, denies two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
The court also heard from van driver Andrew Partington, who was on his way home after visiting his brother in Westhoughton that evening with his 15-year-old daughter, Sarah, as a passenger.
He had stopped at red lights at the junction and said he noticed a car behind him with its indicator flashing. Mr Partington said he turned to his daughter and commented: “Silly sod, they shouldn’t be doing that.”
The van driver said he pulled away from the lights when they turned green, but before he was across the junction he saw the coach hit the car.
He said the coach driver could do nothing to avoid the crash.
The trial continues.
