Six pals die in truck horror
A horrific crash which killed six young people yesterday was described by a police officer as one of the worst he had ever seen.
The friends, all aged between 18 and 23, died when their overloaded car smashed head-on into a lorry, ending up crushed almost beyond recognition.[>
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“Any collision involving fatal-ities is traumatic, but one that involves six is almost beyond many people’s comprehension,” Sergeant Simon Adkin said yesterday. [>
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Sgt Adkin, from Leicestershire’s Serious Collisions Investigations Unit, added: “It is [>
traumatic for everyone involved. [>
This has to be one of the worst crashes I’ve ever dealt with
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“This has to be one of the worst crashes I’ve ever dealt with.”[>
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The victims’ black Ford Mondeo collided with the 38-ton truck on a winding road in heavy rain.[>
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The car was being driven by a 23-year-old man. His passengers included two girls aged 18 and 19, and a boy of 18. [>
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No ages have been given for the other man and woman who died. None of the victims, believed to be from Leicestershire, has yet been formally identified.[>
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It is believed the vehicles collided at about 1.55am on a sweeping bend of the A607 near Melton Mowbray where drivers often top 60mph. Crash experts are considering whether the car’s handling may have been affected by overloading.[>
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Police initially arrested the 48-year-old lorry driver but the man, who was treated in hospital for minor injuries, was released without charge and is being regarded as a witness.[>
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His 17-year-old student son, who would only give his name as Sam, visited the scene yesterday and said: “He’s in hospital with chest pains.”[>
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A crane yesterday moved the lorry to release the wreckage as crews worked to free the bodies. [>
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Officers said the car had been heading towards Leicester. It is thought the lorry was returning to the depot of transport firm Norbert Dentressangle in Easton, near Grantham, Lincs. A company spokeswoman said: “The driver is one of our staff. He is undergoing treatment.”[>
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Joy Catlin, 47, who lives in the nearby village of Asfordby, said: “There are a number of really bad bends on that road. There was an accident on one of them only the other day.”[>