HGV Driver's Cocaine-Fuelled Crash Leaves Grandmother Trapped on M62
A truck driver who tested positive for cocaine after his HGV crushed a woman's car on the M62 was heard on dashcam footage claiming 'I've just killed someone' immediately after the horrific collision. The shocking incident left a 70-year-old grandmother-of-two trapped between two lorries for a significant period before emergency services could cut her free from the wreckage.
Miraculous Survival After Devastating Collision
Minshull Street Crown Court heard how the victim was travelling home from work in the inside lane of the M62 on May 2 last year when she began slowing down due to heavy traffic. Looking in her rear view mirror, she saw a lorry 'hurtling' toward her near Birch Services. "I instantly knew it was going to hit me," the woman said in a victim impact statement read to the court.
Wayne Burgess, 61, of Holme Bank, Rossendale, had become distracted moments before the crash while using a hands-free phone call to recite a Salford postcode, apparently entering the digits into a satellite navigation system. His HGV smashed into the back of the woman's vehicle, crushing it between his truck and another lorry in front.
Severe Injuries and Lasting Trauma
The victim was transported to the major trauma unit at Salford Royal Hospital where she received treatment for multiple serious injuries including a fractured eye socket, two broken ribs, numerous cuts, and what the court described as 'severe facial disfigurement.' Firefighters worked extensively to free her from the mangled wreckage of her vehicle.
In her emotional statement, the grandmother described the "devastating" moment of impact: "The horror that was inevitable hit me in an instant. It seemed like he was trying to kill me. The noise was deafening and when everything went still the silence was eerie. I was helpless, crushed between two lorries and convinced I wasn't going to survive."
Life-Altering Consequences
The court heard how the crash has fundamentally altered every aspect of the victim's life. She has been unable to return to work or help care for her grandchildren since the traumatic incident. "This accident didn't just cause physical injuries," she told the court. "It upended every aspect of my life. The trauma continues to affect all of us."
Driver's Substance Abuse and Sentencing
Defence barrister Hayley Parkes told the court that Burgess had long-standing substance abuse issues and was using cocaine to 'self-medicate' his then undiagnosed ADHD at the time of the crash. He has since undergone a detoxification program and takes "full acknowledgement of the seriousness of the offence and the severity on the victim."
Recorder Katie Jones noted that the victim had 'endured a terrible ordeal' and was "extremely lucky" not to have been killed. "The terror was indescribable," she said. "She thought she was going to die."
Burgess pleaded guilty to causing serious injury through dangerous driving and driving while over the specified drug limit. He received a 17-month prison sentence suspended for two years, a 10-year driving ban, 300 hours of unpaid work, 15 days of rehabilitation, and was ordered to complete a 12-month rehabilitation requirement.
