Driver escapes ban for causing motorway smash

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A PENSIONER who admitted causing a four vehicle motorway pile-up has escaped a driving ban.

Michael Tierney was fined £100 when he appeared at Telford & Wrekin magistrates for sentence.

The 83-year-old from Maisemore Close in Church Hill, Redditch was also ordered to pay £60 costs, a £15 victim surcharge and had seven penalty points put on his licence after pleading guilty by letter to driving without due care and attention.

Magistrates had been considering a driving disqualification, but were told Tierney had passed a DVLA medical to allow him to continue driving.

The crash happened on July 18 last year near the exit slip road at Junction 1 at on the westbound carriageway of the M42 at Bromsgrove as Tierney was attempting to leave the motorway.

Tierney, who had been driving for over 50 years and had a clean licence, accepted the crash was his fault and he had not left enough room as he moved into the nearside lane.

Kate Price, prosecuting, said Tierney's Ford Focus had struck the rear of a lorry before spinning out of control.

It hit the central barrier and then struck a Honda car and the side of a caravan which was being towed by a Transit van.

She said the defendant escaped with cuts and bruising and lorry driver Christopher Bright had ligament and whiplash injuries.

The Honda car, said to be worth £7,600, was declared a write-off and the caravan was also damaged in the crash.

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