- M1 death crash lorry driver David Wagstaff cleared of charge
Image caption,Two lorries and a minibus were involved in the crash on the M1 last August
A second lorry driver involved in a crash on the M1 that killed eight people has been cleared of causing death by dangerous driving.
David Wagstaff had previously admitted eight counts of the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving.
Wagstaff, 54, was on a hands-free call when his lorry forced a minibus under a stationary lorry in lane one.
The driver of the other lorry involved, Ryszard Masierak, 31, was convicted on Tuesday of dangerous driving charges.
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The pair are due to be sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on 23 March.
Ch Insp Andy Storey, from Thames Valley Police, revealed outside court that Masierak’s professional driving licence had been revoked prior to the crash and he “should not have been driving at all that day”.
Fed Ex driver Wagstaff, who described his own actions as a “lack of concentration”, was also cleared of four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving by the jury at Reading Crown Court, charges that Masierak had also been found guilty of.
Judge Francis Sheridan paid tribute to the jury in what he described as a “very emotional and heartbreaking” case.
Louise Atrill, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said outside court: “Both men showed flagrant disregard for the safety of other road users that morning, leaving five families mourning their loved ones.
“It’s unimaginable to think of the consequences this incident will have on the family and friends of the deceased and those injured.”
Image caption,Ryszard Masierak and David Wagstaff are due to be sentenced on 23 March
Mathew John, spokesman for the family of minibus driver Mr Joseph, said they were disappointed by the verdict on Wagstaff.
He said motorway information systems had failed to alert other road users to the fact Masierak had been stationary for more than 10 minutes.
“I think there should [also] be monitoring cameras in the [lorry] cabin to see what actually these drivers are doing,” he added.
The court heard AIM Logistics driver Masierak was at twice the drink-drive limit when he stopped his vehicle in the carriageway near Newport Pagnell, on 26 August last year.
Just after 03:00 BST, a minibus being driven by Cyriac Joseph carrying 11 Indian tourists from Nottingham to London on their way to Disneyland Paris pulled up behind Masierak’s vehicle with its hazard lights on, waiting to go around it.
