Jury considers verdict in M4 crash trial as van driver denies causing fatality
Safety alerts intended to warn of a stationary car were allegedly malfunctioning.
The jury is currently deliberating the case of a van driver who allegedly caused a fatal crash by colliding with a stationary car on the M4 motorway.
Barry O'Sullivan, a 45-year-old from Wixams, near Bedford, is accused of driving carelessly at high speeds, resulting in the death of Pulvinder Dhillon, a passenger in the broken-down Nissan Micra.
The incident occurred on 7th March 2022 during the morning rush hour on the westbound side of the M4 between junctions 11 and 12.
Safety alerts intended to warn of the stationary Nissan were allegedly malfunctioning due to a technical failure that had persisted for five days.
According to the prosecution, O'Sullivan failed to notice warning signs of the stationary vehicle, which other drivers were avoiding.
Ian Bridge, representing O'Sullivan, argued that the crash was inevitable due to the unresolved technical issue on the motorway's smart network, which prevented radar alerts from reaching the control room.
During the trial, Judge Amjad Nawaz instructed jurors to approach deliberations calmly, emphasizing the defence's case that the accident was unavoidable due to the stationary car's presence in the fast lane.
The Nissan had halted with hazard lights active for six minutes before the collision happened.
O'Sullivan was driving at speeds between 74 and 80 mph in the seconds leading up to the crash.
Post-crash tests showed no alcohol or drugs in O'Sullivan's system.
Technical failures in the M4's stopped vehicle detection (SVD) radars were discovered on the day of the crash, caused by IT network issues, which were incorrectly prioritized for resolution.
O'Sullivan maintains that he did not perceive the Nissan as a hazard initially and slammed his brakes when he realized the danger.
He denies the charge of causing death by careless driving.