M42 crash leaves girl unable to walk or talk for the rest of her life

A HGV driver has left a girl needing a carer for the rest of her life after a horror smash on the M42. As a result of Dominic Nicholls' actions, the girl will sadly be unable to think, talk or walk again and will have to use a wheelchair.

She and two members of her family were seriously injured when Nicholls crashed into the rear of the their Nissan X-Trail that was stationery on the hard-shoulder after breaking down on the M42 northbound in Warwickshire ^[1] in April last year.

Warwickshire Police ^[2] say the family of four were travelling home to Stafford from Heathrow Airport after a family holiday in Sri Lanka. A warning light had appeared on the dashboard and so, the family pulled over on to the hard shoulder of the M42 northbound between junctions 8-9 near Kingsbury.

Nicholls was travelling about a minute behind in the same direction in his 40 tonne HGV and for unknown reason, the lorry drifted onto the hard shoulder at 55mph and collided with the back of the X-Trail before the family had time to get out. As a direct result, all four family members were injured.

It was their eight-year-old daughter who was most seriously injured and she had was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. While she survived, the girl will need a carer for the rest of her life as she is now unable to think, talk or walk again and will have to use a wheelchair. She will need a carer for the rest of her life.

Her mother and father were also seriously injured and their five-year-old son suffered minor injuries in the collision on the evening of Thursday, April 28 2022. In court, the 53-year-old from Inkerman Terrace, Hadleigh, Ipswich has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for the offence of dangerous driving.

He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for seven years and will have to pass an extended driving test to drive again. He was also ordered to pay £190 Victim Surcharge during his sentencing at Warwick ^[4] Crown Court on October 19.

"No attempt to brake or avoid crash"

Speaking after the court case, PC Craig Pearson of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “This is a very sad and tragic case. Mr Nicholls has never provided an explanation for why he allowed his HGV to travel directly onto the hard shoulder towards the family’s X-Trail car, the overall responsibility for the speed and control of the vehicle must lay entirely within the hands of its driver – Dominic Nicholls.

"The dash cam footage from the HGV shows that Mr Nicholls makes no attempt to brake or take avoiding action prior to the collision. The standard of driving falls far below that expected of a careful and competent driver. We hope this sentence brings some comfort to the family whose lives have been devastated by what happened that day."

References

^{^} Warwickshire (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Warwickshire Police (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Devastated family pay tribute to 'gentle giant' found in Bedworth pool (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Warwick (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} daily newsletter (data.reachplc.com)