Stories from the road
A car on the railway at Great Heck
M62 and East Coast Main Line, Great Heck, near Selby, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Established in courtWhat happened
Early on 28 February 2001, a Land Rover towing a trailer left the M62 near Great Heck, North Yorkshire, and ended up on the East Coast Main Line below. A passenger express train struck it and derailed, and was then hit by an oncoming freight train.
Ten people were killed, including both train drivers, and many more were injured.
In December 2001, at Leeds Crown Court, the driver of the Land Rover was convicted of ten counts of causing death by dangerous driving, and in January 2002 he was sentenced to five years in prison. Reporting of the case said he had fallen asleep at the wheel after a night without sleep. He pleaded not guilty and denied falling asleep, saying he had heard a bang before leaving the road.
What the evidence says about fatigue
The driver was convicted of ten counts of causing death by dangerous driving. Contemporary reporting said he fell asleep at the wheel after a night without sleep. He denied falling asleep.
Why it matters
Going a whole night without sleep and then driving is one of the clearest risks for falling asleep at the wheel. When a car leaves the road, the consequences can reach far beyond it.
Sources
- The Irish Times (opens in a new tab)Motorist gets five years over Selby train crash · 11 January 2002
- The Irish Times (opens in a new tab)Selby rail crash culprit jailed for five years · 12 January 2002
- Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Selby rail crash (background, including the driver's account at trial)
This summary was written by Drowzy from the reports listed above. Please read the original reporting for full details. If anything here is inaccurate, let us know so we can correct it.