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Crash driver had reported faults
The driver of a council van which crashed killing a teenager has told an inquest he had reported problems with the vehicle's brakes on three occasions in the weeks before the accident.
Kieran O'Driscoll, 19, of York Road, Corby, died when the Kettering Council van he was a passenger in crashed into the back of a lorry on the A14 on October 15, 2007.
Driver Alan Heels told the inquest, at the Rockingham Forest Hotel in Corby yesterday, that he had reported a problem with the front wheels locking up and assumed the vehicle was safe as it had been sent away for checks to be made.
On the day of the collision, Mr Heels was driving westbound on the A14 past Junction 9 when he saw a HGV pull into the outside lane to avoid another heavy goods vehicle which was stationary in the inside lane.
He braked hard but the van skidded down the road and hit the overtaking vehicle, causing fatal injuries to Mr O'Driscoll.
The inquest also heard that lorry driver John Evans had pulled up on the inside lane of the A14 after realising he had a puncture.
Witnesses at the BP service station described how Mr Evans' vehicle had mounted a kerb but didn't notice the puncture. Onlookers tried to flag him down but he didn't notice the damage until he was on the carriageway and pulled over, causing the obstruction which the other heavy goods vehicle tried to avoid.
Stephen Munroe, from Huntingdon, followed Mr Evans out of the service station in his Audi A3.
He said: "I had stopped to fill up with fuel and was returning to my car when I heard a fairly loud bang and saw the lorry entering the exit road. I was flashing my lights and sounding my horn to try to draw attention the fact that the vehicle had a puncture."
Describing the accident to the inquest, Mr Heels said he was travelling at around 65mph when the HGV pulled into the outside lane.
He said: "I was forced to brake heavily. It was about two-thirds of the way into my lane and I tried to get to the right hand side of the lorry to avoid it, but I couldn't. I realised I needed to brake harder and I started to skid down the road."
Mr Heels told the inquest about the occasions he had reported the braking fault.
The first time it was sent to Northampton and returned the following day and the second time, around three weeks later, a mechanic test drove it and said there was no problem.
But the issue was still there the next day and the van was again sent to Northampton for repairs.
The company responsible for maintaining the van, Stormont Truck and Van Ltd, confirmed it was given an MOT in March 2007. The brakes were checked in July 2007 and on August 15, 2007.
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Monday 13 February 2012
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