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French driver banned after M1 death crash
THE FRENCH lorry driver who was involved in an accident in which a family of five died when his 32-ton artic smashed into their parked car on Ml near Newport Pagnell last month, was banned from driving in Britain for two years and fined £250 at Aylesbury Crown Court this week.
Aime Blanc, 33, of Drome, near Lyons, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing the deaths by dangerous driving of Martin Lowe, 22, of Moseley. Birmingham, and his sister Margaret, 19, of Sparkbrooke, Birmingham. Their car was parked on the hard shoulder at the time of the crash-9.10pm on Sunday, February 22. It burst into flames on impact, said Mr Anthony King, prosecuting.
Judge Lawrence Verney said in passing sentence: "Less than 15 days ago the accident with which we are concerned happened. It is unusual that a matter of the seriousness of this should be dealt with so quickly but it is right that it should be so in your case.
"We think that the explanation given on your behalf is correct—it was a combination of tiredness and the instinct of a driver from the continent to assume the left of the road with the offside and not the hard shoulder as the nearside.
"Anyone driving a vehicle of this character has a heavy responsibility to other road users and if he feels himself getting tired it is essential that he stops."
The judge added : "You went on and for that reason what you did was blameworthy. We take account of your previous good character and that on this occasion there was no question of drink being involved.
"In passing sentence we take in the fact that you have been in custody for 15 days and in all these circumstances we are not going to send you to prison.