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Fatal coach crash inquest opens Coach was 'speeding' inquest told
(about 5 hours later)
A full inquest on 11 Midlands' tourists who died in a coach crash in France 16 years ago is to be held in Telford. An inquest into the deaths crash of 11 Midlands tourists in France in 1990 has heard their coach was speeding on the way to catching a ferry.
Six passengers from Shropshire and five from the West Midlands died when the coach left the A6 motorway, 80 miles south of Paris in June 1990. Six passengers from Shropshire and five from the West Midlands died in the accident 80 miles south of Paris.
Driver John Johnston, from Stoke-on-Trent, was found guilty in 2003 of manslaughter and was given a 30-month suspended prison sentence. The inquest in Telford has had to wait until the driver, John Johnston, had his appeals against his manslaughter conviction dismissed earlier this year.
The inquest had been delayed while criminal proceedings were completed. Albert Jones, whose wife died, told the inquest the "damn fool" was speeding.
Sat among wreckage
Johnston, from Stoke-on-Trent, who died in August, was found guilty in 2003 of manslaughter and was given a 30-month suspended prison sentence.
The Montego European Travel coach was heading back to the UK from Spain with 69 passengers on board when the accident happened.The Montego European Travel coach was heading back to the UK from Spain with 69 passengers on board when the accident happened.
A front offside tyre was under inflated and the coach when it burst and the coach left the road, the trial was told. Mr Jones told the inquest at the Park Inn Hotel that he was so worried about how fast the coach was going that he spoke to the courier.
At the time seat belts were not fitted to coach seats. He said she told him they were trying to catch the ferry so people could get to work the next morning.
The driver's appeals against the convictions were only dismissed earlier this year, allowing the inquest to take place. Mr Jones added that as he sat among the wreckage, he spoke to the driver of another coach who had stopped.
Many of the bereaved families are expected to attend the hearing at the Park Inn Hotel. 'Too late'
The crash survivor said the other driver told him he was overtaken at 80 to 85mph (129 to 137km/h).
The driver's trial had heard how the coach was travelling over the speed limit when a tyre burst and the vehicle flipped.
One relative, Henry Weir, said outside the inquest in Shropshire: "Sixteen years - it's too late now. It's just ridiculous.
"We needed this to be done in 1991/92 to find out what happened.
"We only know what we read in the papers really."