Inquest opens into death of wrong-way M6 driver

The coroner confirmed Richard Woods had been driving the wrong way down the M6

An inquest has opened into the death of a wrong-way motorway driver, whose head-on crash also claimed the lives of two adults and two children.

Police were called to the northbound carriageway of the M6 in Cumbria, past Tebay services, on 15 October.

A car carrying two adults and three children was hit by Richard Woods, who was driving southbound.

The inquest into the death of Mr Woods, 40, of Cambridgeshire, was formally opened at Cockermouth Coroners' Court, with initial investigations expected to be completed by March next year.

Margaret Taylor, assistant coroner for Cumbria, told the inquest Mr Woods had died from multiple injuries.

He had been driving his Skoda on the M6 motorway between junctions 38 and 39.

"He was driving the wrong way down the motorway when he collided with a Toyota motor vehicle containing other occupants who died at the scene alongside Mr Woods," Ms Taylor said.

The crash happened on the M6 Northbound, north of Tebay services

Mr Woods had died four days before his 41st birthday, the hearing heard.

Formal identification evidence had been provided by a fingerprint officer.

Ms Taylor said: "He leaves behind a family."

She added Mr Woods was a flight instructor who had been born in Northumberland.

The inquest was adjourned until investigations had been completed.

Toyota driver Jaroslaw Rossa, 42, of Kilvaxter Drive, Glasgow, was also killed in the crash along with two of his sons, Filip, aged 15, and seven-year-old Dominic.

Passenger Jade McEnroe, 33, from Glasgow, also died.

Her seven-year-old son, Arran, survived the crash but was badly hurt and taken to hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne for treatment.

Cumbria Police said no further information about his condition would be released.