Latest news with #CockermouthCoroner'sCourt
The Irish Sun
11-08-2025
- The Irish Sun
Woman killed when she smashed into ambulance on way to work – as parents pay emotional tribute to ‘beautiful' daughter
Travel adviser lost control of her car while on a bend CRASH TRAGEDY Woman killed when she smashed into ambulance on way to work – as parents pay emotional tribute to 'beautiful' daughter A WOMAN was killed when she smashed into an ambulance on the way to work, an inquest heard. Lauren McFarland lost control of the red Fiat Punto on a bend and spun into the path of an oncoming emergency vehicle. 5 Lauren McFarland was killed in a crash with an ambulance Credit: facebook/@ The 30-year-old was tragically declared dead at the scene in the Lake District following the horror in January last year. An inquest heard how the travel adviser had just returned from her dream holiday to the Himalayas and Everest Base Camp. Lauren was looking forward to making the same trip later that year, Cockermouth Coroner's Court was told. The ambulance driver, paramedic Abigail Routledge, and her colleague suffered minor injuries and immediately rushed to Lauren's aid. There were no no patients on board and the paramedics were returning to base at the end of their shift. The court heard Abigail had "no opportunity" to avoid the collision. A report also found neither driver was intoxicated and Lauren was not using her phone at the time of the crash. Dashcam footage revealed she was negotiating a left-hand bend and her car was seen positioned towards the centre line of the single carriageway A66. Lauren made a manoeuvre back to the near side, which caused her car to rotate clockwise into the opposite carriageway and into the path of the ambulance. The inquest heard there was some evidence air had been leaking from her tyre. Her dad David McFarland told the inquest how his daughter had "flourished" in school before attending London Metropolitan University to gain a degree in sports therapy. Lauren originally worked for the NHS in Pontefract and Leeds before moving back to Cumbria to pursue a career in the travel industry. Assistant coroner for Cumbria, Margaret Taylor, said Lauren was "clearly a very talented young woman" who died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries sustained in a road traffic collision. She added: "She should have had a long life ahead of her with many more adventures. We have heard that there was some evidence of a leak of air from the rear offside tyre of Lauren's Fiat. What we don't know is whether this contributed to the collision or loss of control. "It's possible it may have been lost on collision but it's a possibility that it may have affected her ability to control the car. It's probable that she died upon impact." Paying tribute, Lauren's family said she was a "beloved" daughter and granddaughter. They continued: "She will be sadly missed by many uncles, aunties, cousins, nieces, friends and colleagues. "Lauren touched the hearts of everyone she met with her happy and outgoing personality. "She was a beautiful, caring and confident person who loved the outdoors and adventure." 5 Lauren was driving to work when the horror unfolded Credit: instagram/@laurenmcf03 5 She had just returned from a dream trip with her travel adviser job Credit: SWNS 5 Lauren's parents paid tribute following the tragedy Credit: instagram/@laurenmcf03
Daily Record
11-08-2025
- Daily Record
Daughter killed in head-on ambulance crash remembered by parents as 'caring and confident'
Lauren McFarland was hailed as "beautiful, caring and confident". The parents of a woman who died in a head-on crash with an ambulance as she made her way to work has been hailed by her heartbroken parents amid a probe into her death. Lauren McFarland passed away after losing control of her car while commuting to work, shortly after she had returned from her dream holiday. Her grieving mum and dad described the 30-year-old - who was treated at the scene by the paramedic from the ambulance she crashed into - as "beautiful, caring and confident". She was killed when her red Fiat Punto spun into the path the oncoming emergency vehicle in the Lake District causing her fatal injuries on January 11 last year. The Mirror reports an inquest at Cockermouth Coroner's Court heard she had just returned from her dream holiday to the Himalayas and Everest Base Camp. The hearing heard the travel advisor was travelling east on the A66 near Keswick to her work in Penrith when the collision occurred at around 8.45am. The driver of the ambulance, paramedic Abigail Routledge, and her colleague, suffered minor injuries and immediately rushed to Ms McFarland's aid. The ambulance had no patients on board and the paramedics were returning to base at the end of their shift. They were joined by other medics shortly after, including from an air ambulance, but Ms McFarland's injuries were deemed 'unsurvivable', and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Ms McFarland's family paid tribute in a statement shortly after her death, saying: "Lauren was the beloved daughter of David and Paula and granddaughter of Cynthia, Billy and Helen. "She will be sadly missed by many uncles, aunties, cousins, nieces, friends and colleagues. Lauren touched the hearts of everyone she met with her happy and outgoing personality. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "She was a beautiful, caring and confident person who loved the outdoors and adventure." Ms McFarland was identified by her friend, Freya Graham, who came upon the scene shortly after the incident. A collision investigation report by Cumbria Police found neither driver was intoxicated, and Ms Routledge would have had 'no opportunity' to avoid the collision. Ms McFarland was not using her mobile phone around the time of the incident, and no evidence was found she suffered a medical episode at the wheel. Dashcam footage revealed as Ms McFarland was negotiating a left-hand band, her car was seen positioned towards the centre line of the single carriageway A66. She was seen to make a manoeuvre back to the near side, which caused her car to rotate clockwise, and into the opposite carriageway into the path of the ambulance. A statement submitted to the court by Ms McFarland's father, David McFarland, said she had recently returned from a three-week 'dream trip' to Everest Base Camp. She had accompanied customers from the travel company she worked for, and was looking forward to going again last year. Mr McFarland said his daughter's health and fitness were 'excellent'. He said she regularly ran trail races at a competitive level, having 'excelled' at sports from an early age. She grew up in Bridgefoot, and had attended Cockermouth School, where she 'flourished' and completed A-Levels. She attended London Metropolitan University where she gained a degree in sports therapy, and made 'friends from all around the world'. The court heard Ms McFarland had a 'passion for horses ' from a young age, and competed nationally in equestrian competitions, being mentioned in Horse and Hound magazine. After leaving London, Ms McFarland had lived in Pontefract and Leeds, working for the NHS, before moving back to Cumbria and deciding to pursue a career in the travel industry. Ms McFarland had 12 years of driving experience, having gained her license at age 18. Assistant coroner for Cumbria, Margaret Taylor, said Ms McFarland was 'clearly a very talented young woman'. Ms Taylor said: "She should have had a long life ahead of her with many more adventures. We have heard that there was some evidence of a leak of air from the rear offside tyre of Lauren's Fiat. "What we don't know is whether this contributed to the collision or loss of control. It's possible it may have been lost on collision but it's a possibility that it may have affected her ability to control the car. "It's probable that she died upon impact." Ms Taylor concluded that Ms MacFarland died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries sustained in a road traffic collision
Sky News
03-04-2025
- Sky News
Boy saved from burning car after M6 crash caused by suicidal ex-RAF pilot, inquest hears
A workman saved a seven-year-old boy from a burning car in the aftermath of a deadly crash caused by a suicidal ex-pilot, an inquest has heard. The schoolboy's rescue came following the collision on the M6, which killed former RAF man Richard Woods and four others, in October last year. Last week a coroner ruled that Woods, 40, took his own life by deliberately driving his Skoda the wrong way down the motorway while drunk and hitting a Toyota Yaris head-on. The driver of the Toyota, Jaroslaw Rossa, 42, was also killed, along with his two sons, Filip, 15, and Dominic, seven, and his partner Jade McEnroe, 33. Cockermouth Coroner's Court heard on Thursday that Ms McEnroe's son was also in the car but survived after workman Gavin Walsh came to his rescue at the scene, which was near Tebay services in Cumbria. In a statement to the inquest, Mr Walsh said he was a passenger in a transit van travelling to Scotland when he witnessed the crash. He jumped out of the vehicle and used a jack to smash the rear windscreen of the Toyota and pulled the boy out of the burning vehicle. Mr Walsh said: "We really did try, I can assure everyone we did our best. We only had minimal time. "I saved a life that day and I hope never to witness anything like that again." He added that he has never stopped thinking about the boy, and said: "I hope we will meet again one day and I will give you a massive hug." At the time, the family were returning to Glasgow from a trip to Legoland in Windsor, Berkshire. The inquest heard that Wood, who was travelling at a speed of at least 65mph, would have been charged with manslaughter had he survived. Recording conclusions of unlawful killing, Cumbria assistant coroner Margaret Taylor said: "I found that Jaroslaw, Jade, Filip and Dominic died as a consequence of the unlawful acts of another driver." The inquest heard how Mr Woods, from Cambridgeshire, had served a distinguished 14-year career in the RAF and was a flight instructor for BAE Systems at the time of his death. In Ms Taylor's record of inquest, Mr Woods was said to have been experiencing "a number of stressors in his life" and had a "history of harmful use of alcohol". Following the crash, he was found to be nearly four times over the legal drink-drive limit and a two-thirds empty bottle of gin was found in his car. On the day of his death, concerns had been raised over his behaviour at a work conference near Preston in Lancashire. Mr Woods failed to return to his seat after lunch and was later spotted driving erratically and swerving across three northbound carriageway lanes on the M6. After pulling onto the hard shoulder, he then proceeded to U-turn and drove southward on lane three. Detective Sergeant Deborah Story, from Cumbria Police, told the inquest that Mr Woods would have been prosecuted on four counts of manslaughter had he lived. She said hypothetical charges of murder were considered by detectives but not thought appropriate because of a lack of information that Mr Woods knew the family or anything that provided a link between them. Ms McEnroe's parents, Marie McEnroe and George McNellis, told the coroner they thought it was "murder". A statement from the mother of Filip and Dominic, and the ex-wife of Mr Rossa, Kamila, was read out at the inquest. She said Mr Rossa, known as Jarek, was born in Poland where they became a couple and went on to have three boys. He loved playing computer games and had "lots of friends", she said, and worked at the Wagamama restaurant in Silverburn, Glasgow. She said she was "devastated" over the deaths, adding: "Our lives will never be the same. "I am heartbroken at the passing of my beloved angels Filip and Dominic." Marie McEnroe said her daughter, a spa therapist, had been in a relationship with Mr Rossa for about two-and-a-half years. She said Jade had been a "brilliant mother" to her only child, was "really happy" with Mr Rossa and it was "lovely chaos" when all the boys were playing together. Ms McEnroe added: "Life changed forever that day". Ms Taylor praised the "selfless acts of bravery" from those in the aftermath of the collision, including Mr Walsh, who she said went towards the burning car "without hesitation for his own safety". The coroner added: "Without his swift response, Jade's child would also have perished." Addressing the bereaved family members, she said: "Your loss is unimaginable but you have conducted yourself with dignity and I thank you for that. I wish you strength for the future." Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@ in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
The Independent
03-04-2025
- The Independent
Man who drove wrong way on M6 would have been charged over four deaths
An RAF pilot who drove in the wrong direction on a motorway and killed a family in a head-on collision would have been charged with manslaughter had he survived, an inquest has heard. Richard Woods, 40, drove 1.1 miles on the fast lane of the northbound carriageway of the M6 near Tebay, Cumbria, for at least 57 seconds as several motorists had to swerve to avoid him on the afternoon of October 15 last year. Jaroslaw Rossa, 42, also attempted to steer clear of Mr Woods's Skoda Fabia but he did not have time to react to the oncoming vehicle, which was travelling at a speed of at least 65mph, Cockermouth Coroner's Court heard. Mr Rossa, his partner Jade McEnroe, 33, and Mr Rossa's sons Filip, 15 and Dominic, seven, all from Glasgow, Scotland, were killed in the crash, along with Mr Woods. Miss McEnroe's seven-year-old son, Arran, survived his injuries after a workman jumped out of his Transit van and used a jack to smash the rear windscreen of Mr Rossa's Toyota Yaris and pulled him out from the burning vehicle. Recording conclusions of unlawful killing, Cumbria coroner Margaret Taylor said: 'I found that Jaroslaw, Jade, Filip and Dominic died as a consequence of the unlawful acts of another driver.' The family were returning from a trip to Legoland in Windsor, Berkshire, when the collision happened between junction 38 and 39 at 4.05pm. Mr Woods, from Cambridgeshire, was found to be nearly four times over the legal drink-drive limit and a two-thirds empty bottle of gin was found in his car. The coroner was told that Mr Woods was previously seen drifting 'erratically' between lanes and the hard shoulder as he travelled north, with one motorist describing how she was 'terrified' as the driver of the Skoda repeatedly braked harshly in front of wagons and trucks. The Skoda later pulled into the hard shoulder and in a 'controlled manoeuvre' from a stationary position then completed a U-turn across to lane three of the carriageway and drove southwards. Detective Sergeant Deborah Story, of Cumbria Police's serious road collision investigation unit, told the inquest that Mr Woods would have been prosecuted on four counts of manslaughter had he lived. She said she noted that Mr Woods went from 'putting himself' against larger vehicles where only he would be likely to be harmed to 'putting himself' against smaller vehicles in which the 'likelihood of harm to other people is significantly high'. The officer went on: 'My assessment of all of the evidence was that Mr Woods deliberately caused the collision. 'Had Mr Woods survived, regardless of any injuries, I would have sought four charges of manslaughter.' She said hypothetical charges of murder were considered by detectives but not thought appropriate because of a lack of information that Mr Woods knew the family or anything that provided a link between them. Miss McEnroe's parents, Marie McEnroe and George McNellis, told the coroner they thought it was murder. Ms McEnroe said: 'It was definitely murder. That's the only word.' Mr McNellis said: 'He definitely murdered my daughter.' In a statement to the inquest, workman Gavin Walsh said he was a passenger in a Transit van travelling to Scotland which was behind the Toyota Yaris at the time of the collision. He said he noticed a blue car travelling 'extremely fast' and heading towards the Yaris which he said 'had no time' to avoid the oncoming vehicle. Mr Walsh jumped out of the van towards the front of the Yaris which was 'already engulfed in flames'. He said: 'I could hear screams coming from the car. 'I used a jack to smash the rear windscreen and I saw a little boy in the back seat who appeared to be stuck but possibly alive. 'I was able to pull him from his seat and took him away from the car. 'The boy was conscious and breathing. We spoke about football and what school he went to, I was just trying to keep him awake. 'We really did try, I can assure everyone we did our best. We only had minimal time. 'I saved a life that day and I hope never to witness anything like that again. 'God bless you Arran, I have never stopped thinking about you. I hope we will meet again one day and I will give you a massive hug.' A statement from the mother of Filip and Dominic and the ex-wife of Mr Rossa, Kamila, was read out at the inquest in her presence. She said Mr Rossa, known as Jarek, was born in Poland where they became a couple and went on to have three boys. He loved playing computer games and had 'lots of friends', she said, and worked at the Wagamama restaurant in Silverburn, Glasgow. She said she last saw her sons when they left for their father's house on October 10 for a holiday break and was sent photographs of them by Mr Rossa at Legoland on October 14. She said she was 'devastated' at the deaths and added: 'Our lives will never be the same. 'I am heartbroken at the passing of my beloved angels Filip and Dominic.' Filip was 'very intelligent', 'very sensitive' and 'full of love' and had an ambition to study chemistry at Glasgow University, she said. She added that Dominic loved Pokemon and dinosaurs and was 'interested in many things in the world around him'. He dreamt of adopting a penguin one day, she said, and was 'always smiling, extremely caring and always thinking of others first'. Ms McEnroe said her daughter, a spa therapist, had been in a relationship with Mr Rossa for about two-and-a-half years. She said Miss McEnroe was a 'brilliant mother' to her only child, was 'really happy' with Mr Rossa and it was 'lovely chaos' when all the boys were playing together. Ms McEnroe told the inquest that 'life changed forever that day'. She went on: 'I miss Jade every single day. I want to know why? Why them? 'Arran keeps us going every single day.' Last week at a separate inquest Ms Taylor concluded that Mr Woods's death was suicide. Numerous searches on the subject of suicide were found on his mobile phone, the court was told. On Thursday, Ms Taylor said the Skoda driver had 'totally disregarded the safety' of other drivers on the M6 on October 15.. Mr Rossa died from multiple injuries, Miss McEnroe died from smoke inhalation and trauma, Filip died of smoke inhalation, possible burns and trauma, while Dominic died of trauma. The coroner praised the 'selfless acts of bravery' from those at the aftermath of the collision including Mr Walsh who went towards the burning car 'without hesitation for his own safety'. She said: 'Without his swift response, Jade's child would also have perished.' Addressing the bereaved family members, she said: 'Your loss is unimaginable but you have conducted yourself with dignity and I thank you for that. 'I wish you strength for the future.'
BBC News
03-04-2025
- BBC News
Glasgow family unlawfully killed in wrong-way M6 Cumbria crash
Two children, their father and his partner were unlawfully killed when they crashed head-on with a car being driven the wrong way on a motorway by a suicidal man, a coroner has McEnroe, 33, Jaroslaw Rossa, 42, and his sons Filip, 15, and Dominic, seven, all from Glasgow, died on 15 October on the M6 near Tebay in inquest heard Filip and Ms McEnroe were still alive when the Toyota they were travelling in caught fire, while the other two occupants died in the impact. Richard Woods, who deliberately drove his Skoda into them, also died at the scene.A motorist heroically pulled Ms McEnroe's seven-year-old son Arran from the car - the only survivor of the crash. An inquest at Cockermouth Coroner's Court heard Mr Rossa, Ms McEnroe and their respective children were returning from a trip to Legoland in Windsor during the school witness statements read out in court said Mr Woods, an ex-RAF pilot, had been driving erratically along the M6 was seen to suddenly break in front of wagons and frequently change lanes. It lead to other motorists alerting the police, with one witness saying it was "inevitable something was going to happen".He then pulled on to the hard shoulder, made a U-turn and drove the wrong way up the third lane for 1.1 mile (1.7km) before crashing into the Toyota, according to evidence from Det Sgt Deborah Story of Cumbria week Coroner Margaret Taylor concluded Mr Woods' act was deliberate and he had intended to take his own life. But she told the inquest on Thursday that his intent was not to kill others. 'No attempt to stop' Det Sgt Story evidence from the collision investigation team showed Mr Rossa, the driver of the Toyota, tried to break and avoid the Skoda however he did not have Woods made no attempt to take evasive action and his speedometer was found frozen at 65mph, though he could have been going faster, she officer confirmed a prosecution for manslaughter would have been brought had Mr Woods survived.A pathologist found Mr Rossa had died of multiple injuries, including to his son Dominic suffered severe skull injuries and his cause of death was Taylor said soot present in Ms McEnroe's lungs showed she had died after the car had caught fire and the cause of death was smoke inhalation, burns and died of smoke inhalation, trauma and possible inquest heard the only survivor of the crash was Ms McEnroe's son was pulled out of the burning car by Kevin Walsh who was driving to Scotland with two van was behind the Toyota and dashcam footage showed the Toyota flipping in the air and landing on its side, while the Skoda glided towards the side of the road. 'I saved a life' A witness statement from Mr Walsh said there was "a lot of debris" on the road, which caused his tyre to pulled on to the hard shoulder and ran towards screams coming from the used a jack to smash the back window and saw Arran, but struggled to grab him due to the thick eventually managed to pull him out by his arms and take him to off-duty doctor stopped to help and Arran was airlifted the to hospital in Walsh said: "We spoke about football, what school he went to, I was trying to keep him awake."It was scary stuff, I've not coped well with what I saw."I saved a life that day, and I hope never to witness anything like that ever again." 'Caring child' The families of the victims paid tribute to them at the five-hour long McEnroe's parents said she doted on Arran."She was a brilliant mother, she adored him and they were never in when the weather was good."Cammila Rossa, Mr Rossa's ex-wife and mum of Filip and Dominic, said the couple also had an older child, family had moved from Poland to Glasgow where Filip and Dominic were Rossa's last job was for Wagamama and he had been in a relationship with Ms McEnroe for about two and a half attended Lochend Community High School and had wanted to study chemistry at university. Ms Rossa said he was great at chess and loved spending time with his dog Daisy. Dominic, who went to Oakwood primary school, loved dinosaurs and dreamed of adopting a penguin one Rossa said: "He was clever and full of energy and had lots of friends."He was a caring child, who always thought of others first." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
