A van driver drifted across the M4 and smashed into the back of a stationary car on the hard shoulder, killing two young children, an inquest was told. Martin Freeman, 41, had been drinking and taken drugs before veering from the outside lane and causing the horror crash.
Newman's Ford Transit collided with a vehicle carrying little Gracie-Ann Lucas, four, and her three-year-old brother Jayden-Lee Lucas. Both of the siblings were also known by the surname Wheaton and their mother was also incident.
The collision happened on the westbound carriageway of the motorway, between junctions 28 and 29 in Newport. Gracie-Ann died the day after the crash while Jayden-Lee died five days later. The children, from Tredegar, were travelling home from a birthday party when the car they were travelling in was struck by a van being driven by Newman, of South Avenue in Croeserw, Cymmer, Neath Port Talbot, Wales Online reports.
Read Wales Online's full blog on the hearing here.
An inquest opening heard the children were in a car which was stationary on the hard shoulder. The 41-year-old defendant admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. He has also pleaded guilty to causing serious injury to the children's mother Rhiannon Lucas by dangerous driving.
He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court today (April 8) after previously being remanded in custody. Newman who sobbed in the dock and admitted charges of drink-driving and drug-driving.
The court was told of Newman's erratic driving in the build-up to the fatal crash. Roger Griffiths, outlining the facts of the case, said: “At 1.40pm on Saturday, February 5, this year there was a fatal collision between a white Ford Transit van driven by Martin Newman and a red Ford Fiesta containing Adam Saunders, Rhiannon Lucas, and her two children. The Ford Fiesta was stationed on the hard shoulder.
"Gracie-Ann said she had a bad stomach and needed to stop for a wee. Mr Saunders stopped his car on the hard shoulder and Ms Lucas got out to tend to her daughter’s needs and returned to the front passenger seat.
“The defendant’s white Transit van had drifted from lane three to the hard shoulder colliding with the rear of the Ford Fiesta with catastrophic consequences. Tragically Gracie-Ann and Jayden-Lee died from the injuries they sustained in the collision and their mother sustained serious injuries to her liver.”
Newman was sentenced to nine years and four months imprisonment. He was also disqualified from driving for 10 years with an extension of four years and eight months while he is in custody. He will be required to pass an extended driving test before being able to regain a licence. The defendant will serve half of his sentence in custody before serving the rest of the sentence on licence.
Cousin Jamie Lucas, 19, from Abergavenny, previously told the PA news agency: "Unfortunately, after a week of fighting Jayden has passed away. He was wonderful, creative and a kind soul. Turned the grey skies blue." In a previous tribute to Gracie-Ann, he said: "I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that she's gone; it's hard to believe.
"She was so young. She had a bright future ahead of her. She was such a wonderful child. I'm just lost for words really. How she was returning from a birthday party and all of a sudden she's gone." He added: "She was very smart, she was very creative. She had a really great imagination as well. She was just fantastic to be around."
