Off-Duty Police Officer killed in a major pile up
An off-duty police officer was killed when up to 60 vehicles crashed in County Durham due to thick fog, it has been revealed.
Neil Gartland, 38, was from the Sunderland area and worked with the Northumbria force, according to Durham Police.
He was cut from wreckage along with five other people following the incident on the A19 near Peterlee. The condition of the other victims is not known.
Firefighters described the scene on the A19 as one of 'absolute devastation' after dozens of cars and HGVs were caught up in the pile-up, which police said involved three distinct incidents.
One serious collision involved two petrol tankers and a number of other vehicles on the southbound carriageway. A senior officer said he was surprised there were not more serious casualties.
The poor weather was said to be a 'contributory factor' in what happened, though officers said some drivers had been going too fast in the conditions.
Dave Turnbull, the fire officer in charge, said he believed up to 60 vehicles could have been involved in the pile-ups on either side of the main carriageway.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
Tim Beasley, Personal Injury Partner with Levenes Birmingham office writes:-
This case, as well as being a tragic case for the unfortunate officer and his family, also illustrates how important it is to drive according to the weather conditions. It should go without saying that visibility is reduced in fog and that all drivers need to slow down in such conditions. Sadly, incidents like this illustrate that many drivers fail to driver appropriately in such weather conditions.
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