Police name family killed on M6

Advertisement

The two accidents happened within 90 minutes of each other

Police have named a family of six killed in a collision on the M6 in Cheshire on Monday night.

David Statham, 38, his wife Michelle, 33, and their four children Reece, 13, Jay, nine, Mason, 20 months, and baby Elouise, 10 weeks, died in the crash.

They had been returning to Llandudno, north Wales, after visiting relatives in the West Midlands.

A Portuguese lorry driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

'Incredibly sad'

The crash, which involved two cars and three lorries, happened in tailbacks caused by an earlier accident in which former rugby league player David Myers died.

Cheshire Police said the family had not yet been formally identified but that they had permission from relatives to name them.

Mr Statham worked as a chef at St David's College in Llandudno where pupils and staff were in shock, said school bursar Judith Leslie.

They were a very quiet family and their children were just beautiful Neighbour Patricia Lewis

"All the staff here are devastated. Our thoughts are with the family in Birmingham. The father was a well-liked member of staff with a friendly smile who will be sadly missed."

A neighbour of the family, Patricia Lewis, said everyone was upset by news of the accident.

"They were a very quiet family and their children were just beautiful, it's incredibly sad," she said.

The Mayor of Llandudno, Bill Evans, said a memorial service would be organised if relatives of the family wished it.

He called the incident "horrific" and offered sympathy and condolences from the people in the town.

He said: "It is hard to speak about what has happened.

"I was taken aback by it when I heard the news."

'War zone'

The crash took place between junction 16, near Audley, and 17, Sandbach of the M6 at 2240 BST.

Their car is thought to have burst into flames during a collision involving another car and three heavy goods vehicles.

Police described the scene as carnage.

One officer said: "You can't possibly imagine the state of the car. It has gone under the truck and then gone on fire."

Police said the wreckage resembled a "war zone" and the Stathams' car was so badly damaged it could only be recognised by its chassis number.

Cheshire Police roads inspector Brian Rogers said emergency crews would need counselling.

"In civilian life it is the nearest thing you would ever come to a war zone," he said.

"I feel so sorry for the officers from the emergency services who had to deal with it."

Bridge support

Police said the crash appeared to have happened in heavy, slow traffic caused by an accident less than two hours earlier on the same stretch of motorway.

Mr Myers, a former Widnes and Great Britain Rugby League player, was killed in the earlier accident, which took place at 2100 BST, between Junction 17 at Sandbach and Junction 18 for Holmes Chapel.

It is his thought his van hit a bridge support.

Insp Brian Rogers, of Cheshire Police, said both crashes would be part of the same investigation examining driving conditions, congestion and driver behaviour.