An incident on the M62 motorway involving a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver has shocked the public. The driver, Wayne Burgess, was heard uttering six disturbing words after causing a severe crash near Birch Services, resulting in a woman sustaining life-altering injuries.
Following his arrest, Burgess tested positive for cocaine and was recorded exclaiming, ‘F****** hell, I’ve just killed someone,’ upon colliding with a car. The victim, a 70-year-old grandmother, miraculously survived despite the grave impact of the collision.
Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court revealed the harrowing details of the crash. Moments before the accident on May 2 of the previous year, Burgess, 61, was distracted while reciting a Salford postcode on a hands-free call, possibly inputting it into his GPS system.
The woman’s vehicle was sandwiched between Burgess’s lorry and another vehicle, leading to her being trapped inside for an extended period. The rescue operation involved firefighters cutting her free from the wreckage before she was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital’s major trauma unit for treatment.
At the hospital, she received care for multiple injuries, including a fractured eye socket, two broken ribs, and severe facial disfigurement. Prosecutors described how the victim, while driving in heavy traffic on the M62, saw Burgess’s lorry approaching rapidly in her rear-view mirror.
In a poignant victim impact statement during the court proceedings, the woman recounted the terrifying moment of the crash, expressing her helplessness and fear as she was trapped between the two lorries. She emphasized the significant impact the incident had on her life, preventing her from working or caring for her grandchildren.
During the court hearing, Burgess’s defense attorney, Hayley Parkes, acknowledged the gravity of the offense and its impact on the victim. Parkes explained Burgess’s substance abuse history and how he had turned to cocaine to cope with undiagnosed ADHD.
Burgess has since undergone a detox program, but struggles to articulate his feelings about the events of that day and the victim’s suffering. The presiding judge, Recorder Katie Jones, highlighted the victim’s traumatic experience and the fortunate outcome of her survival, considering it a near-miracle that she did not lose her life.
Burgess, hailing from Rossendale, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to charges of causing serious injury through dangerous driving and driving while under the influence. He received a suspended 17-month prison sentence, a 10-year driving ban, 300 hours of unpaid work, and a rehabilitation requirement spanning 15 days and 12 months.
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