Trailer crash victim describes impact
Feb 6 2008 icWales
A driver today described the aftermath of a crash in which a trailer came loose and smashed into his car, killing his elderly mother-in-law.
Paul Llewellyn was driving Elizabeth Roberts to his home in Peterstone, south Wales, when a trailer became detached from the Land Rover of Timothy Rose, and was in collision with their Vauxhall Corsa.
Mrs Roberts, 84, died at the scene.
Rose, 49, of Elizabeth Avenue, Barry, south Wales, denies causing death by dangerous driving.
Hywel Hughes, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court that Mr Llewellyn picked up his mother-in-law at 4pm on March 9 last year and they went to collect his wife at 4.30pm.
Describing the aftermath of the incident, Mr Llewellyn said: “I was pretty stunned. I looked at Bet (Elizabeth Roberts) next to me. She was sat upright and I thought she was okay.
“I turned around and my wife seemed unconscious. I started shouting to her and she sat up and said ’what’s happened?’
“Then, after the second impact my wife was sat up but when I looked at Bet she was slumped down. Then they dragged me out of the side window.”
Peter Davies, defending, read a statement by Mr Llewellyn from April 11, 2007.
In it, Mr Llewellyn said: “I saw the trailer coming down the hill. It wobbled but I didn’t worry too much about it or brake.
“When we collided it felt like we went up in the air. The impact was so bad I thought my brain had come out of my head.”
The court heard from Police Constable Simon Rogers, the accident investigator at the scene, who concluded that the safety chain on the trailer had snapped.
Judge Patrick Curran QC adjourned the trial until tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment