Eyewitness says no warnings on M4 smart motorway before fatal crash in Reading
The court is hearing details of collision that left one woman dead.
A witness has told jurors there were "no warnings" about a stationary vehicle ahead on a section of the M4 motorway where a fatal collision occurred in March 2022.
The crash happened during morning rush hour on the M4 westbound between junctions 11 and 12, involving a Nissan Micra and a Ford van driven by 45-year-old Barry O'Sullivan, who faces a charge of causing death by careless driving.
The collision killed Pulvinder Dhillon, who was a passenger in the car, which had broken down in the motorway's fast lane.
Kye Perkins, a motorist who witnessed the crash, told jurors at Reading Crown Court he had seen the Nissan stationary in lane four and feared it would be hit.
"My fear was what essentially happened - that a stationary vehicle was going to get hit at 70 miles per hour in the back," he said.
Perkins described the traffic that morning as busy but flowing and noted there was “nothing to warn anyone” on the smart motorway signage about the obstruction ahead.
He said he saw the Ford van crash “very hard” into the rear of the Micra and immediately pulled over to assist.
"I approached the van first to make sure the driver was okay," he said, adding that Barry O’Sullivan appeared conscious but “wasn’t great.”
He said the rear of the car had been heavily damaged, with its doors “crumpled” and not opening easily. Emergency services were contacted shortly after.
A statement from Rajpal Dene, Ms Dhillon’s daughter, was read out during the trial.
Mrs Dene said her car suddenly started slowing down in the outside lane and she applied the hazard lights.
“There seemed to be nothing I could do to get the car moving again," she said, describing the situation as "quite frightening."
She added that traffic continued to pass the stationary vehicle for six minutes before the collision but said she has no memory of the crash or events immediately afterwards.
The trial heard that on the day of the collision, the smart motorway section through Reading was not functioning and was “not showing messages about any obstructions in the road ahead.”
O’Sullivan, who denies causing death by careless driving, is alleged to have been driving “at speed” when the collision occurred, propelling both vehicles forward and causing the Micra to burst into flames.
The trial at Reading Crown Court continues.