Woman died when lorry suddenly slowed down

A woman was killed and her partner left seriously injured after their vehicle ploughed into a lorry on the M5 that was being part powered with vegetable oil, a court heard.

Disaster struck when Eric Rogers, of Wolverhampton, ploughed into the back of the lorry when it slowed without warning. Mr Rogers' 44-year-old partner Val Costelow was killed in the crash.

Experts ruled the tragedy was probably caused when the unusual mix of biofuel and vegetable oil caused an unexpected loss in power as the vehicles travelled south near Strensham on January 22, 2009.

CCTV showed the lorry had been lurching along with its speed sometimes dropping to just 20mph.

Mr Rogers, from Bushbury, suffered leg fractures and a severe head injury that has left him with only partial vision in his left eye.

Ms Costelow, of Coalville in Leicestershire, was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the accident a police officer found ripped-up tachographs nearby.

Officials believe the occupants of the lorry had been trying to destroy evidence of its inconsistent speed, said law firm Irwin Mitchell, which is pursuing damages on behalf of Mr Rogers.

The news comes after the man responsible for the lorry was given a suspended jail sentence yesterday after admitting making false tachograph readings.

Zia Rehman, aged 41, from Chorlton, Manchester, the operations manager for haulage company ZRF Ltd running the lorry, was one of two drivers on its ill-fated 500-mile round trip from Manchester to Devon. He was not driving at the time of the crash.

At Worcester Crown Court yesterday, he was given a four-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, with 80 hours of unpaid work and a six-month driving ban.

Mr Rogers, aged 47, who was driving a small lorry carrying wheelbarrows, said today: "I was driving along with Val by my side and the next thing I was lying in darkness. The last thing I recall before a rescuer pulled me out was trying in vain to feel Val for a pulse and then kissing her forehead."

Rupesh Masani, from Irwin Mitchell, said: "We hope the defendant's insurers will work with us to conclude the current civil action."

By John Scott