A lorry driver has been sentenced to a decade in prison after a catastrophic motorway collision claimed the lives of two young Ryanair pilots and left their taxi driver with serious injuries.
A Fatal Collision in Torrential Rain
The tragedy unfolded on the westbound carriageway of the M62 near Warrington, Cheshire, at 5.31am on July 11 last year. Captain Matthew Greenhalgh, 28, and Senior First Officer Jamie Fernandes, 24, were passengers in a taxi travelling to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport after a flight from Luton.
The road, where the normal speed limit is 70mph, was under a 40mph advisory limit due to queuing traffic. This was because the carriageway was closed further ahead following an earlier collision. Despite the reduced speed advisory and 'torrential rain and spray', Anthony Burns, 63, was driving his Scania 44-tonne lorry at 56mph.
Taxi driver Rashid Mehmood had stopped behind another lorry at the back of the traffic jam. Burns' lorry, estimated to have struck the stationary taxi at 50mph, only braked one second before impact. The Toyota taxi was shunted into the lorry in front, sustaining what prosecutors described as 'devastating crush damage on all sides' and being rotated 180 degrees.
Court Hears Details of the Crash and Aftermath
Appearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Burns pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The court heard that both pilots, who had fallen asleep during the journey, suffered traumatic head injuries and other multiple injuries described as unsurvivable. They died at the scene.
In what was described as a 'miraculous' survival, taxi driver Rashid Mehmood was found conscious in the wreckage by a police officer who heard shouts for help. Mr Mehmood, who suffered broken ribs and a broken shoulder, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Prosecutor Damian Nolan told the court that Burns was not on his phone or under the influence of drink or drugs. Another driver speculated it was 'as if he had fallen asleep' at the wheel. Police found two minor defects on Burns' lorry but deemed neither a contributory factor.
Sentencing and Tributes to the Victims
Sentencing Burns to 10 years in prison, Judge Simon Medland KC said the driver had 'shown a lack of attention for a substantial period of time'. He offered his sympathy to the families of the victims.
The court heard Burns had a clean 30-year record as a commercial driver, aside from three penalty points in 2021, but had 28 previous convictions from the 1980s and 1990s, including for arson and assault.
In heartfelt tributes, Mr Greenhalgh's family described him as a 'loving husband, thoughtful son' and a keen sportsman who had 'a passion for life'. He had married his wife Hannah just three months before the crash.
Mr Fernandes’ family said their 'darling boy' was 'living his best life' and had fulfilled his childhood dream of flying. 'The sun always shines above the clouds,' he would say.
Following the tragedy, Ryanair announced it would erect a plaque in memory of the two pilots at its East Midlands Training Centre and establish an annual memorial award in their names for the top-performing cadet.
