Man 'careered' off M1 in deliberate fatal crash, witnesses say

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-32150702

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A driver accused of purposely crashing his car to kill his wife "careered" off the M1 motorway and "imploded" into trees, witnesses have told a court.

Ian Walters, 51, is accused of deliberately crashing his car into an embankment and killing his wife, Tracy.

The couple, from Swindon, were coming back from a "make or break" holiday on 21 March 2014, when they crashed near Markfield in Leicestershire.

Mr Walters suffered a broken neck and amnesia. He denies murder.

'Hell of a mess'

On the second day of the trial, witness Gary Donald, said Mr Walters' Mitsubishi L200 4x4 had overtaken him in the fast lane and then "veered sharply" onto the hard shoulder.

He said: "It came past me on the outside lane and then veered sharply right and left and then into the embankment and disappeared into a line of trees.

"They imploded. Debris, luggage, bits of car and parts of tree all flew into the air."

He said he saw no indication or braking from the car before it crashed.

The jury heard two dogs were also thrown out of the Walters' car and one died.

Another driver, Sylvia Prince, called 999 and told emergency services: "A car has gone careering across the motorway and gone into the embankment.

"It looks like the roofs caved in."

Her son Steven Prince, who ran to help, told the jury at Leicester Crown Court: "The car was a hell of a mess.

"I thought whoever was in the driver side would have been squashed...I couldn't believe there was anybody alive in there."

Previously the court heard Mr and Mrs Walters married in 2012 and in time Mr Walters became abusive

A week before the crash, Mrs Walters, 48, had called police and her husband, a driving test examiner, was questioned.

Prosecutor Charles Miskin said a motive for causing the crash was because he "was in trouble with [Tracy]...and in trouble with police".

"He probably felt some degree of humiliation and wanted to show her who was in charge."

Following the crash, the couple were cut from the wreckage of the car and airlifted to hospital.

Mrs Walters died from her injuries two days later.

The trial continues.