Four people died when a stolen BMW being pursued by police crashed into a Peugeot being driven by a mum, an inquest has been told. Alison Clark, 42, a wife and mum to a daughter aged nine, died at the scene.
The white BMW, which had three men inside, was on the wrong side of the road at the time of the crash. All three occupants died.
Details of the incident on November 22, 2021, have been laid out for the first time this week as an inquest process began. A pre-inquest review presided over by Assistant Coroner, Nadim Bashir, heard an outline of what happened.
The BMW collided with other vehicles on the A63 as it sped away after reports of thefts of catalytic converters in the Hull area during that evening, the hearing was told. It was travelling on false plates, according to police evidence.
Police gave chase and the BMW went on to travel the wrong way along the westbound carriageway of the A63 near Melton. Part of the inquest, due to take place over two weeks in January, will include the jury examining the tactics used by police during the pursuit, reports HullLive.
Dashcam footage from police vehicles will also be shown to the members of the jury. They will decide, how, where and when the three men, Sam Connors, 19, William Harty, 20 and Lawrence James, 21, all from Leeds, came by their deaths.
Despite an extensive investigation by Humberside Police, they have not been able to establish which of the three men was driving the stolen BMW. An Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) report has been submitted to the coroner but has not yet been made public.
Assistant coroner, Mr Bashir said: "The police have done a huge amount of work on this case. There are four deaths. The whole incident is a complete tragedy for many people."
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
Such was the devastation of the impact of the BMW and Peugeot, crash investigators are not able to establish who the driver of the BMW was. Two of the occupants there thrown from the vehicle on impact, the hearing was told.
"They have told me that they do not know who the driver was. The family of Mrs Clark want to know which one it was. But there can be no speculation. Speculation has no place in this inquest," said the assistant coroner.
Mr Bashir said the inquest jury will be presented with agreed facts from the crash investigation and witness statements. The assistant coroner said the two-week hearing will need to prove who was the driver of the BMW 140i and the manner in which it was driven.
The jury will see evidence of the police decision to commence a pursuit and the decision to make tactical contact by the ARV on the vehicle being pursued. There will also be examination of whether the police response was in line with national and local policies and procedures and guidelines and if Humberside Police caused or contributed to the fatal collision.
Alison's husband Rob Clark told Hull Live after the tragedy: "It is like having your heart ripped out. I can't comprehend it. I keep expecting her to walk through the door. I feel a tremendous sense of loss."
He described his wife as a "beautiful soul" and his "guiding star, love and best friend".
"I feel incredibly, incredibly sad about losing her and about the idea of Emily growing up without her mum. She was such a wonderful woman and mother.
"She would look out for her interests in everything. She would help her pursue her dreams.
"She was a warrior when it came to looking after people's interests, including our daughter's. For me to grow old without my wife is upsetting. I wanted to go on every adventure in the world with her."
None of the relatives of the deceased attended the hearing at Hull and East Riding Coroner's Court. The family of Mrs Clark were represented by Mathew Bignall KC and Humberside Police are represented by Saara Idelbi. The inquest resumes on Monday, January 8.
